4 ms·
Not Microsoft. "Sideloading" is not even a term in Windows culture the way it is with Apple and Google because it's not a second-class citizen.
by add-sub-mul-div 7mo ago
Not Microsoft. "Sideloading" is not even a term in Windows culture the way it is with Apple and Google because it's not a second-class citizen.
- girvo 7mo agoThat’s not for lack of trying, though: remember Windows RT?
- ACCount37 7mo agoMS has mostly abandoned that approach now. But during Windows 8 days? Yeah. There was a legitimate concern that MS will lock down Windows and try to funnel everything through Microsoft Store, establishing an Apple-style walled garden. The concern was serious enough that Valve took a defensive posture and started investing into Linux support. Which, at first, largely failed - but eventually resulted in Steam Deck.
- girvo 7mo agoFor sure, and I'm glad they backed off from it. I'm also glad they did it because of how it pushed Valve into making Steam OS so good. But Microsoft really did want to go down the same path, and I do not trust them not to try it again.
- wiseowise 7mo agoWinRT wasn’t locked down.
- girvo 7mo agoThe Surface RT that I tried absolutely was, and everything else I'm seeing to make sure I'm not misremembering shows that Windows RT was still locked down. So you should expand on what you mean. Windows S Mode shows that Microsoft still thinks this is a good idea, too.
- debugnik 7mo agoYou might be mixing up Windows RT and WinRT. The former was Windows 8 for ARM with the Store as the only software source; the latter was the new set of APIs.
- musicale 7mo ago> Not Microsoft No Steam on Xbox Series X/S, last I heard. > Apple Steam still works on macOS, last I checked.
- deleted 7mo ago[deleted]
- chocochunks 7mo agomacOS and Xbox are rounding errors compared to iOS and Windows.
- musicale 7mo agoIf Apple rounded off $33 billion in revenue (8% of total) they'd probably get in trouble. However that is not the point (or points) I was refuting.
- groundzeros2015 7mo agoOld windows yeah. Now they also require code signing, etc.
- Aurornis 7mo agoNot required Source: I use Windows and Windows VMs sometimes and install whatever I want without hassle.
- groundzeros2015 7mo agoOn a regular consumer version of windows what happens when you open an unsigned exe?
- Shish2k 7mo agoIt asks "do you really want to run this?", you click yes, it runs and never asks again?
- anonymous908213 7mo agoI think a better question, rather than a point about unsigned exes, was: "on a regular consumer version of Windows, what happens if you run literally any program that was not downloaded from the Microsoft Store?". In which case the answer is "you cannot run it, there is a pop-up directing you to the Microsoft Store, and the only way to find out how to run it is it to google the information which will point you through several layers of system menus to disable nanny mode". This will happen to you for something as common and widespread as downloading Chrome or Firefox. Attempting to disable nanny mode will result in an ominous screen warning you about how bad the thing you're about to do is, and telling you that the action is irreversible. Microsoft is not as bad as Google and Apple, yet, but they absolutely have the power to be as bad and are flirting with how to accomplish greater and greater control of their platform without triggering too much backlash.
- Aurornis 7mo ago