5 ms·

On your iPhone, why don't you try installing a browser that doesn't use the webkit engine? How about installing an emulator to play some classic games? It's a

On your iPhone, why don't you try installing a browser that doesn't use the webkit engine? How about installing an emulator to play some classic games? It's a little ironic you're demanding they make a clear argument when your argument is just a simple anecdote that doesn't even hold up well. Sure you haven't experienced censorship in default app stores because you aren't actually trying to do much with your device.

carewell 4y ago
It's a matter of priorities. Do I want you to be able to install an emulator? Of course. This is pure protectionism by a monopoly. Do I want my family to be able to install a fake banking or health app? No. So based on this principle, I would say jailbraking is a viable option for tech-savvy people who really need something special on their phone that is being unfairly restricted by Apple.
warkdarrior 4y ago
> On your iPhone, why don't you try installing a browser that doesn't use the webkit engine? What is the benefit to me (as a user) to install a non-webkit browser? Do most users know what webkit is? Do they care?
- Karellen 4y ago
  Maybe one of the websites you use frequently doesn't have good support for WebKit. They make sure Chrome works, and often test Mozilla, but 80% of the time they roll out a new feature it's broken in WebKit for a couple of weeks before the devs fix it. Yeah, you'd like to go to a different website, but you've had an account on this one for over a decade and know a lot of other users, or they get scoops that none of their competitors do, so that's just not going to work for you. Or, the other browser implements part of the `webext` API that WebKit does not, and there's an extension out there that you'd really like to use. Maybe one that integrates with your existing password manager, or rewrites Twitter URLs to nitter.net, or whatever, and the extension just won't work with WebKit. Or, maybe WebKit's JavaScriptCore just isn't fast enough for some web-based game you like, and you'd like to run a browser that uses V8 or SpiderMonkey instead. You're right, a lot of users don't have these problems, and don't care... until maybe one day they do. And maybe 99% of users will never have these problems at all, but 1% of Apple's userbase is still a lot of users who could benefit from browser choice, one day.
ffggffggj 4y ago
Since you’re choosing the example here, is there a better one? This is just not a compelling thing even for most technical users, so if this is all we’re missing out on then it seems like a ringing endorsement for Apple’s curation.

carewell 4y ago

It's a matter of priorities. Do I want you to be able to install an emulator? Of course. This is pure protectionism by a monopoly. Do I want my family to be able to install a fake banking or health app? No. So based on this principle, I would say jailbraking is a viable option for tech-savvy people who really need something special on their phone that is being unfairly restricted by Apple.

warkdarrior 4y ago

> On your iPhone, why don't you try installing a browser that doesn't use the webkit engine? What is the benefit to me (as a user) to install a non-webkit browser? Do most users know what webkit is? Do they care?

Karellen 4y ago
Maybe one of the websites you use frequently doesn't have good support for WebKit. They make sure Chrome works, and often test Mozilla, but 80% of the time they roll out a new feature it's broken in WebKit for a couple of weeks before the devs fix it. Yeah, you'd like to go to a different website, but you've had an account on this one for over a decade and know a lot of other users, or they get scoops that none of their competitors do, so that's just not going to work for you. Or, the other browser implements part of the `webext` API that WebKit does not, and there's an extension out there that you'd really like to use. Maybe one that integrates with your existing password manager, or rewrites Twitter URLs to nitter.net, or whatever, and the extension just won't work with WebKit. Or, maybe WebKit's JavaScriptCore just isn't fast enough for some web-based game you like, and you'd like to run a browser that uses V8 or SpiderMonkey instead. You're right, a lot of users don't have these problems, and don't care... until maybe one day they do. And maybe 99% of users will never have these problems at all, but 1% of Apple's userbase is still a lot of users who could benefit from browser choice, one day.

ffggffggj 4y ago

Since you’re choosing the example here, is there a better one? This is just not a compelling thing even for most technical users, so if this is all we’re missing out on then it seems like a ringing endorsement for Apple’s curation.