And comparing software repos with app stores is just as bad.
I'm not even quite sure how to address what you're saying, because it's just so completely out of touch with how smartphones are used.
Strange idea. How is comparing two types of consumer-market computers and ecosystems is "insane"?
The parent comment is pretty legit IMHO.
My mom and my wife parents are extremely happy with Ubuntu computers. They do browsing, email, Skype, print stuff and whatever else they need just fine. That are way more happy with Ubuntu than they were with Windows, and I am, too, cause in the last three years I have spent exactly zero minutes maintaining their computers. If that's not a consumer-market OS, I don't know, what is? Windows? When mom used it, she always had one problem after another with it. I'm truly sorry for anyone who has to deal with it every day.
Play Store would be one among many.
I think then there would soon be curated repos for well behaved apps that don't abuse push notifications and background abilities.