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by solarexplorer 353 days ago
> They are the gatekeeper to one thing: their own app store.

They also control the OS and don't allow side-loading or other app stores (without putting absurd obstacles in the way) So in the end they completely control the devices they sell.
2 comments
mvanbaak 353 days ago
The end user is _NOT_ forced to buy into their ecosystem though. There are alternatives, and depending on where on this globe you ask, apple is not even the one with the biggest marketshare.

So while I'm not against the general outcry and need for change, it is not just apple. The problem is way way bigger, and it should not be put onto one of the players in my opinion. Create regulation/platform that sets the limits, then put ALL players into the process not just one

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DANmode 351 days ago
For discussion's sake,

They are "forced" if they:

1) want to be cool

or 2) don't want to be uncool

or 3) don't want to spend effort on a technical decision they think doesn't matter to them

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DidYaWipe 353 days ago
So what? So does every game-console manufacturer. Buy a different one.
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BlueTemplar 352 days ago
The difference is that we can easily try to pretend that game consoles are not general purpose computers. And doing so is not going to cause issues to the fabric of the society.
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DidYaWipe 352 days ago
Hahaha, wow, OK. Then we must acknowledge that we're talking about PHONES here, and the applications on it are optional TOYS. The phone could have no app store at all, and still be highly functional and complete. In fact... that's how the iPhone launched. There was no app store for years.

Meanwhile, a game system with no games is not functional at all.

Might want to reconsider your argument here.

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BlueTemplar 352 days ago
No, they are general purpose computers that can also work as cellphones.

The first iPhone technically wasn't a smartphone (unlike its competitors at the time) because it did not have a way to install third-party programs. This situation only lasted a year though.

It did have a pre-installed Google Maps app, very much not a toy...

And don't game consoles typically come out bundled with some first party games too ?

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DidYaWipe 350 days ago
"The first iPhone technically wasn't a smartphone (unlike its competitors at the time) because it did not have a way to install third-party programs"

What a laughably wrong assertion. The iPhone handled all kinds of PIM data and synced with computers. There was no requirement (or even expectation) that a "smart" phone had third-party applications.

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