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The first chance Steve Jobs had to do so, he wrested control of computer software from the users and developers, and forced his company in as a middle-man takin
by llampx 5y ago
The first chance Steve Jobs had to do so, he wrested control of computer software from the users and developers, and forced his company in as a middle-man taking a 30% cut from all software sold on their platform. Nice.
I think Apple coming out on top would have been worse for computer software and development.
- cloutchaser 5y ago> The first chance Steve Jobs had to do so, he wrested control of computer software Are you kidding? He didn't wrestle anything. People chose to buy the iphone, and developers chose to develop for it. You can develop only for android if you want. Good luck developing for only linux in 1990. As aggressive as Jobs could be, he did not force anything anywhere. The iphone is about as close you can come to a voluntarily purchased high end purchase as you get. It's a free choice. And it's a free choice to develop for iphone.
- simion314 5y ago>You can develop only for android if you want. Good luck developing for only linux in 1990. Don't pretend you are a retard, if you are a government or business that provides a website or mobile app you HAVE no REAL choice then to also target iOS. If the local factory poisons the air you should move if you don't like it right? IF society(probably in EU and Asia) decides that Apple damages the "environment" they will be free to force Apple to do better or Apple will be free to exit.
- BrS96bVxXBLzf5B 5y agoHe made conscious decisions across decades to disempower the aspects of hardware and software he didn't like, from trying to have the Apple II have two expansion slots for the bare essentials, for throwing the swing of the axe that killed Flash. Consumers still chose to buy it, developers still chose to develop for consumers, but part of the role of developers is to be informed voices when the consumer won't and to communicate complex issues accessibly (consumers didn't _know_ why they want more than two slots, but they used them when they had them!). Jobs had a powerful voice and chose when to use it to meet his own ends at the cost of the wider ecosystem.
- matheusmoreira 5y agoEliminating computing freedom on the machines people paid money for is not forcing? Where is my choice to have the high end iPhone hardware with my software running on it?
- samwillis 5y agoWhile I’m not disagreeing with you it’s worth point out there have been middle men in the software industry since it started, publishers and retailers have always taken their cut. Sometime totalling far more than 30%. Apple see themselves as a retailer of software, bricks and mortar retailers take a 30-50% cut of sales. Apple (and Jobs) clearly modelled the App Store on that. That’s not to so say it’s right, the internet is meant to democratise society and remove these middle men. Apples cut should be significantly lower.