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Exactly. Apple could have made this work across other platforms (Windows, Android, Linux), but chose not to. KDE Connect, for example, runs on quite a few platf

Exactly. Apple could have made this work across other platforms (Windows, Android, Linux), but chose not to. KDE Connect, for example, runs on quite a few platform, including all popular ones. https://kdeconnect.kde.org/download.html https://kdeconnect.kde.org/download.html

scarface_74 3y ago
Why should Apple be forced to write software for competing platforms?
- delta_p_delta_x 3y ago
  I suppose that loops back to the premise of the linked article (which is IMO absurd).
- webmobdev 3y ago
  It doesn't - it only needs to support open standards.
  - scarface_74 3y ago
    So does that mean Apple can’t release anything until it goes through a standards body?
    - hooooopa 3y ago
      Scarface, Apple doesn't love you back.
      - scarface_74 3y ago
        Well neither does the government. At least Apple doesn’t have guns to force me to do what it wants. How hard is it for you not to use Apple products? Are you incapable of using your own free will? Between Apple and the government, guess which one has the power to take away your free will?
  - Jtsummers 3y ago
    What open standard covers shared clipboards across devices?
    - webmobdev 3y ago
      If it doesn't exist, then obviously the standard body has to work with the stakeholders and create one.
      - scarface_74 3y ago
        Are you suggesting that Apple shouldn’t create any new feature without going through a standards body?
        webmobdev 3y ago
        No. Apple can create a working solution and submit it to the standards body. That's what being "open" means.
        scarface_74 3y ago
        And then if the standards body doesn’t accept their solution because low end Android manufacturers don’t want to spend an extra 20 cents on a build of materials? That’s why PC OEMs didn’t support FireWire before USB 3 came out except for Sony and Dell on some of their high end offerings. If you don’t like Apple’s offerings you are free to choose Android/Windows
        webmobdev 3y ago
        That's where regulation comes in - when it is mandated that devices have to support standards, all will have to support it.
- howinteresting 3y ago
  I generally think any company with a >10 billion (2023 US) dollar valuation should be forced to do things that may not directly benefit them but benefit society. Having to publish open specifications for all their proprietary integrations is a pretty easy, relatively low-cost example. How to make this work in practice is a really interesting question. Community and employee representatives on the board would be a good start. But I think just having the requirement that open specifications be made available, and writing that into legislation, would be great.
  - scarface_74 3y ago
    Oh god, talking about design by committee. Why not just cut out the middle man and let the government take it over and come up with “5 year plans”
    - howinteresting 3y ago
      If a company doesn't want at least some element of that, the solution is very simple: drop below a USD $10B valuation by spinning off parts of the company. Note that I said TEN BILLION DOLLARS. A "decacorn". That is an unfathomable amount of money. If you've created a company worth that much you've won at capitalism. If governments had a good track record I'd advocate for that. No need for strawmen like five year plans, I think competition is a wonderful thing. My underlying, strong belief is that corporations are legal fictions created primarily to benefit society, Milton Friedman's philosophy notwithstanding.
      - PrimeMcFly 3y ago
        Your suggestion makes a ton of sense. It's astounding how many HN people are so hardcore capitalists to be against such a simple suggestion.
        scarface_74 3y ago
        It’s not hard core capitalism. It’s that geeks hate when people make their own choices without government interference because normal people don’t care that they can’t run Linux on the Apple Pencil. It’s also naiveté to think that government power isn’t the most dangerous kind of power imaginable even though almost every law proposed by the government with regards to tech is roundly criticized by the same people.

scarface_74 3y ago

Why should Apple be forced to write software for competing platforms?

delta_p_delta_x 3y ago
I suppose that loops back to the premise of the linked article (which is IMO absurd).
webmobdev 3y ago
It doesn't - it only needs to support open standards.
- scarface_74 3y ago
  So does that mean Apple can’t release anything until it goes through a standards body?
  - hooooopa 3y ago
    Scarface, Apple doesn't love you back.
    - scarface_74 3y ago
      Well neither does the government. At least Apple doesn’t have guns to force me to do what it wants. How hard is it for you not to use Apple products? Are you incapable of using your own free will? Between Apple and the government, guess which one has the power to take away your free will?
- Jtsummers 3y ago
  What open standard covers shared clipboards across devices?
  - webmobdev 3y ago
    If it doesn't exist, then obviously the standard body has to work with the stakeholders and create one.
    - scarface_74 3y ago
      Are you suggesting that Apple shouldn’t create any new feature without going through a standards body?
      - webmobdev 3y ago
        No. Apple can create a working solution and submit it to the standards body. That's what being "open" means.
        scarface_74 3y ago
        And then if the standards body doesn’t accept their solution because low end Android manufacturers don’t want to spend an extra 20 cents on a build of materials? That’s why PC OEMs didn’t support FireWire before USB 3 came out except for Sony and Dell on some of their high end offerings. If you don’t like Apple’s offerings you are free to choose Android/Windows
        webmobdev 3y ago
        That's where regulation comes in - when it is mandated that devices have to support standards, all will have to support it.
howinteresting 3y ago
I generally think any company with a >10 billion (2023 US) dollar valuation should be forced to do things that may not directly benefit them but benefit society. Having to publish open specifications for all their proprietary integrations is a pretty easy, relatively low-cost example. How to make this work in practice is a really interesting question. Community and employee representatives on the board would be a good start. But I think just having the requirement that open specifications be made available, and writing that into legislation, would be great.
- scarface_74 3y ago
  Oh god, talking about design by committee. Why not just cut out the middle man and let the government take it over and come up with “5 year plans”
  - howinteresting 3y ago
    If a company doesn't want at least some element of that, the solution is very simple: drop below a USD $10B valuation by spinning off parts of the company. Note that I said TEN BILLION DOLLARS. A "decacorn". That is an unfathomable amount of money. If you've created a company worth that much you've won at capitalism. If governments had a good track record I'd advocate for that. No need for strawmen like five year plans, I think competition is a wonderful thing. My underlying, strong belief is that corporations are legal fictions created primarily to benefit society, Milton Friedman's philosophy notwithstanding.
    - PrimeMcFly 3y ago
      Your suggestion makes a ton of sense. It's astounding how many HN people are so hardcore capitalists to be against such a simple suggestion.
      - scarface_74 3y ago
        It’s not hard core capitalism. It’s that geeks hate when people make their own choices without government interference because normal people don’t care that they can’t run Linux on the Apple Pencil. It’s also naiveté to think that government power isn’t the most dangerous kind of power imaginable even though almost every law proposed by the government with regards to tech is roundly criticized by the same people.