[fenomas]

> never purchased or used an iphone because of my stubborn indignation over the lack of plain old USB for charging.

I reached that conclusion over the "can't install apps without the manufacturer's permission" thing. I've always been surprised more developers didn't feel the same way.

[NickPollard]

For what it's worth this was (and is) my red line that prevents me from ever buying an iPhone. That's one person who agrees with you at least!

[lostlogin]

It's a technical crowd here - you can install apps without using the App Store and it's not particularly difficult either.

[khedoros1]

Well, I can (or I could on a personal one, as opposed to the work-supplied one I carry). I like being able to install software from outside of an app store without modifying my firmware, worrying about updating my device, losing my warranty, opening up large security holes, etc.

Reaching outside of the walled garden isn't hard, but there are more things to consider compared to installing an apk on Android.

[fenomas]

It's an ideological complaint, not a technical one.

Not being able to install apps is a nuisance; not being able to distribute apps for others to install is a deal-breaker, but the main thing is that I'm afraid of our world becoming a place where walled gardens are the typical model for consumer electronics.