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It’s not myopic. The App Store tax is an absolutely enormous part of Apple’s net income. If Apple completely lost their software tax revenue (not on the table

It’s not myopic. The App Store tax is an absolutely enormous part of Apple’s net income. If Apple completely lost their software tax revenue (not on the table in the foreseeable future) I would expect their market cap to go down by like… a trillion dollars? Back of the envelope math usually leads me to conclude Apple makes about $30B net income per year off of the App Store tax, plus or minus a generous error bar. This ranges between a quarter to half of Apple’s total net income. App Store tax including the tax itself, plus App Store search/ad racketeering.

kelnos 3y ago
I don't think most people object to the App Store tax as a concept. They object to the idea that 30% is fair, and that there's no competitive market where different companies can set up different stores and compete on fees to determine what level of fees actually works in a competitive market. I think 30% (with all the restrictions on top of that) is extortion. But I don't think Apple should have to accept 0% either.
- jncfhnb 3y ago
  Software distribution should be a perfect competition economic service. The fee should not be 0%, but it should be driven to effectively 0 profit. And a very large population of apps could very comfortably be direct downloads from the web. Or say, in a timely manner, a simple portable web app.
- beeboobaa 3y ago
  That's because people have been brainwashed by apple to believe this is the only way to be secure. We need to go back to being able to just download installers from anywhere and running them, and giving people just a hint of personal responsibility. Application sandboxes are acceptable if they treat any and all applications the same. If there is a flaw in the sandbox they should fix it instead of charging everyone boatloads of money under the pretense of keeping bad actors out. Break up apple.
  - lotsofpulp 3y ago
    In my experience, the non computer savvy problem with non iOS devices have far higher probabilities of having malware than the non computer savvy people with iOS devices.
    - smoldesu 3y ago
      In my experience, the people predisposed to scams end up getting extorted over the phone, email or internet anyways. None of it is particularly great, but it does feel like a poor argument against optional sideloading capabilities.
      - beeboobaa 3y ago
        those people are allowed to own guns, store them where their kids can get to them, etc. let them own free devices.
    - beeboobaa 3y ago
      Don't compare Apples with oranges. Android and iOS have roughly the same amount of malware and similar app sandboxes that neuters malware unless the user is utterly braindead and granted the app all kinds of unnecessary permissions. Regardless, just like it's possible to leave your gun out and get shot by your own child, it should also be possible to infect your own device with malware if you don't care about safety. Stop infantilizing people and let them make their own choices.
      - lotsofpulp 3y ago
        > Stop infantilizing people and let them make their own choices. Such as choosing an Apple or non Apple device?
        beeboobaa 3y ago
        tell that to the psyops apple is waging with their green bubble nonsense a user choosing to be able to properly chat with their friends did not choose to have apple dictate everything they are allowed to do on that device see my comment above which already addressed this lazy argument
troupo 3y ago
Schiller claimed they don't need AppStore revenue, and could cap it at a billion dollars a year or something. But then they smelled the money (even though they already have the money flowing out if their ears)

kelnos 3y ago

I don't think most people object to the App Store tax as a concept. They object to the idea that 30% is fair, and that there's no competitive market where different companies can set up different stores and compete on fees to determine what level of fees actually works in a competitive market. I think 30% (with all the restrictions on top of that) is extortion. But I don't think Apple should have to accept 0% either.

jncfhnb 3y ago
Software distribution should be a perfect competition economic service. The fee should not be 0%, but it should be driven to effectively 0 profit. And a very large population of apps could very comfortably be direct downloads from the web. Or say, in a timely manner, a simple portable web app.
beeboobaa 3y ago
That's because people have been brainwashed by apple to believe this is the only way to be secure. We need to go back to being able to just download installers from anywhere and running them, and giving people just a hint of personal responsibility. Application sandboxes are acceptable if they treat any and all applications the same. If there is a flaw in the sandbox they should fix it instead of charging everyone boatloads of money under the pretense of keeping bad actors out. Break up apple.
- lotsofpulp 3y ago
  In my experience, the non computer savvy problem with non iOS devices have far higher probabilities of having malware than the non computer savvy people with iOS devices.
  - smoldesu 3y ago
    In my experience, the people predisposed to scams end up getting extorted over the phone, email or internet anyways. None of it is particularly great, but it does feel like a poor argument against optional sideloading capabilities.
    - beeboobaa 3y ago
      those people are allowed to own guns, store them where their kids can get to them, etc. let them own free devices.
  - beeboobaa 3y ago
    Don't compare Apples with oranges. Android and iOS have roughly the same amount of malware and similar app sandboxes that neuters malware unless the user is utterly braindead and granted the app all kinds of unnecessary permissions. Regardless, just like it's possible to leave your gun out and get shot by your own child, it should also be possible to infect your own device with malware if you don't care about safety. Stop infantilizing people and let them make their own choices.
    - lotsofpulp 3y ago
      > Stop infantilizing people and let them make their own choices. Such as choosing an Apple or non Apple device?
      - beeboobaa 3y ago
        tell that to the psyops apple is waging with their green bubble nonsense a user choosing to be able to properly chat with their friends did not choose to have apple dictate everything they are allowed to do on that device see my comment above which already addressed this lazy argument

troupo 3y ago

Schiller claimed they don't need AppStore revenue, and could cap it at a billion dollars a year or something. But then they smelled the money (even though they already have the money flowing out if their ears)