Hacker News Reader

Comment by _qulr | Hacker News Reader

Apple's expensive hardware pays for itself, and for the operating system. That's the way it's always been, since 1976. Third party software helps sell Apple's hardware, so in that sense it's always been mutually beneficial, while each side remained independent financially. The App Store in 2008 was an unfortunate change in this relationship, making it too one-sided.

Google didn't even invent Android, they purchased it. (Of course Apple purchased NeXTSTEP too.) And Google is not even the biggest Android hardware manufacturer.

The bizarre thing is that most apps on both iOS and Android are free, so they pay very little for the so-called "maintenance", even if these apps are hugely popular. This is very different from a game console, where every game earns money directly. Fortnite is hugely popular, but for some reason struggling little indie paid apps are forced to subsidize the platform for immensely popular free apps?

View on HN

Apple actually bragged in their response to Spotify that 84% of the apps on the App Store were free.

Imagine a game console where 84% of the games were free. We can't compare these platforms to consoles.

Ahem... PC.

I don't understand this reply.

why has it become normalized to accept iPhones and Android as locked down computers where we are all rental peasants whove sworn fealty to our Feif Lords?

the computing culture from the PC era (1990's-2006) has been utterly destroyed. a computer used to be a thing you owned and which you therefore controlled like any physical property. install any software you want. you own it, so you dont have to keep plugging quarters into it like an arcade game. but not the phone. even though a cheap phone is a supercomputer compared to a high end gaming PC from 20 years ago.

everything Richard Stallman predicted 40 years ago about the worst case scenario outcome of propietary software has come true. the computing revolution was originally about empowering the user. information wants to be FREE. slowly we lost that, and now everything is about how much money can our corporate overlords squeeze out of us.

I FIGHT FOR THE USER

I respect your adherence to your beliefs and that you are ready to stand up for your side. However, I think the thing that you’ve missed here is that not all users are the same.

Many many other highly technical folks on this website agree with your points and would side with you if it came down to it. However, that group of people (and surely the other groups who feel the same way) only represent a microcosm of the total user base for a device like a smartphone.

Millions and millions of people didn’t buy their phone because they wanted a handheld general purpose computer to tinker with and install any software on. They purchased their devices simply for the utility, the access to content, and user experience they provide.

The systems and businesses that create each of those sides are very different, and misaligned in terms of the freedom you wish to have. Apple has chosen to fight for what they view is an optimal user experience for their target market.

I pose a question: can the two expressions of technology not exist together? Not on the same device, but in the same world as separate entities?

Perhaps they mean you can pirate pretty easily on PC?

Ah yes, I'd love a game console where half the library was free fart apps that try to steal my data or show me ads.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com