Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by lotsofpulp 1021 days ago
> With Apple, you're locked in into paying whatever they demand

How is this different from Intel or AMD? There might be a retailer middleman between you and Intel/AMD, but just like any other business, you are paying whatever they are willing to sell at.

1 comments

Intel and AMD compete with each other and are essentially fungible. It's not as if you can only run Windows on Intel and Linux on AMD, they both run on both. Substantially all software that runs on one will run on the other. They're even widely compatible with the same memory DIMMs, PCIe devices, screens and other peripherals. Neither company requires you to buy an entire system from them instead of just the processor, restricts what software you can run or tries to wall up a troll bridge between third parties and the end user.

You're not in any sense locked in, because it's so easy to switch.

What type of “troll bridge” does Apple impose on installing software on a Mac?
The desire is to be able to freely install apps on device with an Apple CPU that fits in your pocket. You can't build your own phone with one, because they won't sell you the CPU by itself. You can't use the CPU in a Mac for that, because it's soldered to something that won't fit in your pocket. So you're left with an iPhone, with a troll bridge between the user and the app developer.
Or you can do like 80% of the rest of the world does and buy an Android phone and you can have all of the “freedom” that you want.
Google is barely any better, using different methods to maintain Google Play at more than 95% market share for Android apps.

But how does an Android phone get you an Apple CPU? Or to put it another way, if your app customers want the Apple CPU, and they want your app, how do they get them both together without the troll bridge between you?

An Apple CPU is another version of the ARM chip. How do I buy a Whopper at McDonalds?

Pepsi chooses to not serve customers who go to McDonald’s and Costco chooses not to serve Amex customers.

You either choose to work with customers where they are or you don’t. Just like video game makers

You can't service those customers. Just as the Chelsea Truck Company can't sell its customers modified Land Rovers without buying a Land Rover first.