[richrichardsson]

So why can't Epic (or any other company) provide you that option with a 42% premium (to cover Apple's 30% cut) and allow users to buy direct from them? Then if you wish to trust Apple more with your card details, you can pay more for the privelege. Or you can save some money, but potentially increase your risk by going direct.

I've always hated that Apple seem to think they know better than anyone else; you can't do as you wish on their platforms because you might be stupid.

[nucleardog]

I mean, that’s exactly why I have an Apple device.

No, wait, not that I’m stupid. Though I’m sure some people would call me that.

It’s that they make the decisions for me. I’m specifically paying a premium to delegate the responsibility for making those decisions to them.

I spent years running Nexus devices (since before they were Nexus... still have my ADP1 in a drawer) on Cyanogenmod and LineageOS. At some point I got busy and didn’t have time for my phone to be a hobby or even a thing I had to think about and chose to delegate those decisions to Apple rather than Google because they generally seem to lean more toward privacy-conscious decisions and making money on hardware and apps rather than decisions to support violating my privacy and making money on advertising.

I already paid more for what I agree is a privilege by buying an expensive Apple phone. If you don’t like the rules, then don’t sell here. I’m cool with that. Leave my walled garden alone. I’m comfortable in here.

[richrichardsson]

But those aren't mutually exclusive. You can stay in the walled garden if you wish, and people who are comfortable with the risk can go outside. Choice; something Apple thinks its users are incapable of making sensibly.

[nucleardog]

Or, again, many people have made that choice and are fine with the situation. If you don't want the locked down device you can just not buy an Apple device?