[zepto]

“Excuses, excuses.“

This is legal liability. That matters.

> Now if I’m just as likely to be screwed over by an Apple-approved app from their walled garden as I am by sideloading random crap, what’s the point in it for me, as a user? If I have to exercise just as much caution, I can just as well sideload what I want.

If this were true, then sure.

But it obviously isn’t.

Even the Google Play store is way worse in terms of risks than the App Store.

[WesolyKubeczek]

Which is actually better, because I and an average Joe D. User at least _expect_ shady apps to be abundant there, despite all Google's efforts to prove otherwise. We exercise care there because we know for a fact Google's approval system is half-automated and full of holes.

On the other hand, the rhetoric Apple's marketing employs all the time suggests the App Store is the Internet Safety Panacea, a risk-free Teletubbyland for everyone. Which is far worse because it entices you to assume it's totally safe and let your guard down.

[zepto]

Clearly false based on the observed incidence of malware, botnets, and fraud on Android. People in fact are not able to avoid these things.

You are not comparable to “Joe D user” if you know how to protect yourself against these things. He does not.

It actually is safe for most people to let their guard down with Apple’s store. A few counter examples show that it’s a moving target to keep it safe, but nothing more.