4 ms·

Android is the dominant platform, and there is a lot of cool software missing. E.g. Any app that takes donations to charity or payments outside apple. Maybe not

Android is the dominant platform, and there is a lot of cool software missing. E.g. Any app that takes donations to charity or payments outside apple. Maybe not cool to you because you don't notice the cut apple takes. Apple users don't even realise there is competition in the keyboard market. Of the many cool apps missing are the ones that require root. Neither platform provide that so loads of apps are impossible. Android is the only platform if you want control of your own mobile device. Apple give two hoots about that because they have no competition in consumer markets. Lots of people have old iPhones they could be using for a load of funky projects or just plain simple software projects but apple don't let them. Some useful iPhone apps that don't exist. Mobile web server. Pos device WiFi bridge. Portable software demo device. Non itunes music player. Non apple payment device. ... An iPhone is just a computer that Apple tell you what you can do with.

threeseed 5y ago
a) Nothing is stopping you from charging people from outside the app e.g. your own web site. It's how Netflix works. b) Multiple keyboards have existed on iOS for years. c) Spotify and Tidal are examples of non iTunes music players. d) Nothing is stopping you from running a web server, creating funky projects etc. You are just not allowed to disseminate to others through the App Store.
- commoner 5y ago
  > a) Nothing is stopping you from charging people from outside the app e.g. your own web site. It's how Netflix works. Most here are already familiar with Apple's 15-30% fee (requiring developers to raise prices by 17.6-42.9% to break even) for most app categories, which siphons money from developers who are smaller than Apple to entrench Apple's duopoly position. Furthermore, even for free apps, Apple requires developers to pay the $99/year fee just to keep apps in the App Store. Without paying, the apps are removed. This already has a negative impact on the availability of free and open source apps on iOS, with an outsized effect on FOSS developers in areas with lower cost of living. For example, compare the huge selection of apps for Nextcloud features available to Android users via F-Droid (https://search.f-droid.org/?q=Nextcloud https://search.f-droid.org/?q=Nextcloud) to just Nextcloud (basic storage functions) and Nextcloud Talk on iOS. > d) Nothing is stopping you from running a web server, creating funky projects etc. You are just not allowed to disseminate to others through the App Store. That's a point in favor of the bill. Apple preventing entire categories of useful apps from entering iOS via the only accessible installation method for most users of average tech proficiency is evidence of consumer harm. Nobody is making you install or purchase anything from outside the App Store if you don't want to, even after sideloading becomes an option in iOS. Sideloading is allowed in Android, and most users still install and purchase apps from the Play Store in regions where the Play Store is pre-installed.
LexGray 5y ago
a) iOS customers pay extra for the service protections of easy subscription management and keeping payment information out of shoddy payment platforms. Registered charities can accept Apple Pay to avoid the cut. b) The Keyboard API is designed to be tiny and blocks broadcasting keystrokes. It is like it was not designed to be a general computing device. c) Again not intended as a general purpose device. I recall early on they added hardware to the camera to prevent it from detecting out of sight spectrum to prevent it from being used to find heat leaks and the like. d) Android is the only platform where other people can secretly control your device. e) Apple gives lots of hoots. They are clearly trying to craft a specific experience. f) True of most anything with a chip. Cars, game machines, smart TVs all have anti-tampering tech even without your banking data on them. g) Web servers are often compromised so bad for security. Computers never made good WiFi bridges. Plenty of music apps. I see point of sale iPads all over the place. h) yes. The idea of billions of devices out there with constantly running background Location/Bluetooth sniffers reporting to ad-tech is horrifying to me. It would make the AirTags stalking seem like a joke if every phone secretly tracked every Bluetooth.

threeseed 5y ago

a) Nothing is stopping you from charging people from outside the app e.g. your own web site. It's how Netflix works. b) Multiple keyboards have existed on iOS for years. c) Spotify and Tidal are examples of non iTunes music players. d) Nothing is stopping you from running a web server, creating funky projects etc. You are just not allowed to disseminate to others through the App Store.

commoner 5y ago
> a) Nothing is stopping you from charging people from outside the app e.g. your own web site. It's how Netflix works. Most here are already familiar with Apple's 15-30% fee (requiring developers to raise prices by 17.6-42.9% to break even) for most app categories, which siphons money from developers who are smaller than Apple to entrench Apple's duopoly position. Furthermore, even for free apps, Apple requires developers to pay the $99/year fee just to keep apps in the App Store. Without paying, the apps are removed. This already has a negative impact on the availability of free and open source apps on iOS, with an outsized effect on FOSS developers in areas with lower cost of living. For example, compare the huge selection of apps for Nextcloud features available to Android users via F-Droid (https://search.f-droid.org/?q=Nextcloud https://search.f-droid.org/?q=Nextcloud) to just Nextcloud (basic storage functions) and Nextcloud Talk on iOS. > d) Nothing is stopping you from running a web server, creating funky projects etc. You are just not allowed to disseminate to others through the App Store. That's a point in favor of the bill. Apple preventing entire categories of useful apps from entering iOS via the only accessible installation method for most users of average tech proficiency is evidence of consumer harm. Nobody is making you install or purchase anything from outside the App Store if you don't want to, even after sideloading becomes an option in iOS. Sideloading is allowed in Android, and most users still install and purchase apps from the Play Store in regions where the Play Store is pre-installed.

LexGray 5y ago

a) iOS customers pay extra for the service protections of easy subscription management and keeping payment information out of shoddy payment platforms. Registered charities can accept Apple Pay to avoid the cut. b) The Keyboard API is designed to be tiny and blocks broadcasting keystrokes. It is like it was not designed to be a general computing device. c) Again not intended as a general purpose device. I recall early on they added hardware to the camera to prevent it from detecting out of sight spectrum to prevent it from being used to find heat leaks and the like. d) Android is the only platform where other people can secretly control your device. e) Apple gives lots of hoots. They are clearly trying to craft a specific experience. f) True of most anything with a chip. Cars, game machines, smart TVs all have anti-tampering tech even without your banking data on them. g) Web servers are often compromised so bad for security. Computers never made good WiFi bridges. Plenty of music apps. I see point of sale iPads all over the place. h) yes. The idea of billions of devices out there with constantly running background Location/Bluetooth sniffers reporting to ad-tech is horrifying to me. It would make the AirTags stalking seem like a joke if every phone secretly tracked every Bluetooth.