About the browser choice screen in the EU
developer.apple.com
developer.apple.com
This is an issue for e.g. Kagi or other non-standard search engine.
With safari, edge, and chrome, you can use a janky extension to redirect it - at least on desktop.
Edge tends to be the most hostile here - when updated, it automatically switches your search engine to bing search and disables the extension. It is nice enough to tell you that they switched your search engine but no button to switch it back.
These practices are obviously monopolistic - using their dominance in one area to limit consumer choice in another. And it is significant because these tools are how we know about the world and communicate.
A cambrian explosion of unshitified apps that put the consumer first is due if we can ever get some blanket effective legislation against gatekeeping.
This could have huge secondary effects. A less manipulated population is probably a more civil, more effective one. It's something to be hopeful of. If only we could only get it right.
In iOS Safari too… it’s janky indeed. Everyone and their grandmother won’t use it…
https://apps.apple.com/nl/app/kagi-for-safari/id1622835804?l...
There’s also the “xSearch” app, for other / custom search engines: https://apps.apple.com/nl/app/xsearch-for-safari/id157990206...
It is alas a bit complicated I'm that this particular spec allows for multiple query-parameters. Where-as most browsers seem to have a single substitution, %s.
Then that would imply that only the Safari Technology Preview should be eligible.
I don't understand why lately on iOS, MacOS, Android etc the app icon has that black (dark blue?) background. The Firefox website does not use a dark background icon anywhere, there's not one available in the design kit, although it does mention the preference for either light or dark backgrounds due to the color gradients being potentially confusing with mid-tones and color mixes. I still don't see the need to distribute such a broken-looking one - it makes it look like they messed up the transparency setting on a png somewhere. Compare it to Chrome's (in the OP) which looks fresh, lively and friendly.
I dearly miss skeuomorphism. Making everything look identical is just horrible for ergonomics.
Looking at the screenshots there are several browsers (Chrome, Edge, Brave and even Safari) for which the icon neither has a background nor rounded corners.
why is firefox ranked so low in popularity to other essentially wrappers of safari?
marketing perhaps?
(Acorn was the original "A" in ARM, the Acorn Risc Machine.)
They are not list alphabetically, but randomly.
More discussion:
Perhaps if you think this is anti-user, then it may be logically congruent to conclude that the DMA is mildly anti-user. I would agree, generally speaking.
That said, what is most convenient and easy for most users is ultimately bad for society and markets. The lack of sideloading specifically on iOS is a big danger, but day to day protects many users from malware.
Many users don’t want more options, they just want an opinionated and reasoned one-size-fits-all experience. Such a desire is incompatible with a fair and open market for browser software or app stores, for example.
Allowing a user to choose any app store means the user can no longer choose not to ever be able to choose an app store, for example. This increases the chance for malware or deceptive software to end up on the user’s device.
The only way I can think of squaring this circle is for Apple to sell two different SKUs of every iPhone: one that can sideload (and allow apps such as alternate app store apps to install other apps), and one that cannot. Then users can choose their overall security model once at time of purchase.
Absent that, the DMA is choosing the “you must have more choices” choice for users, whether users prefer that or not. Many users choose iOS because the security choices are already made for them and can’t get fucked up by their own configuring.
Well, no, the Android model for unlocking the bootloader works well here - just make it awkward enough that a typical user can't do it without jumping through a few hoops.
Remember the whole Facebook surveillance VPN thing?
A kitchen knife isn't foolproof, you could convince someone with a sufficiently low IQ to stab themselves with it.
Many users want what marketing told them they'd want, and that's not snarky, I include myself in it. Guess what, I even own an iPhone and two Macs. It's all fun and games until this create megacorporations which are more powerful than democratic states. If the price to pay to try to reduce monopolies is "forcing" normal people, which, on average, are not stupid, to use their brain for literally 3 seconds per couple years, I do think it's not that stressful.
But have no fear, they'll choose Chrome as automatically and with the same level of stress that they'd just open Safari before that. So they'll 100% abstract away the responsibility of keeping a phone secure and free of malware ... to Google.
> Allowing a user to choose any app store means the user can no longer choose not to ever be able to choose an app store
Wait what ? This sentence doesn't even make sense. And furthermore you just have to tap the App Store icon to not choose not to use the App Store (lol).
> The only way I can think of squaring this circle is for Apple to sell two different SKUs of every iPhone: one that can sideload (and allow apps such as alternate app store apps to install other apps), and one that cannot. Then users can choose their overall security model once at time of purchase.
Mmmmmh, so now you think the users can choose. But let's go deep in your theory. Let's say that Apple chose to do that. You understand that this would translate to the same object with just a software flag somewhere ? Why couldn't I, a responsible human, owner of this iPhone 13 Mini, decide to switch this theoretical flag without buying a new phone ? And they don't even sell 13 Minis anymore.
> Absent that, the DMA is choosing the “you must have more choices” choice for users, whether users prefer that or not. Many users choose iOS because the security choices are already made for them and can’t get fucked up by their own configuring.
The DMA doesn't disallow users to choose the Apple way. In fact it's still the default everywhere in the OS, the process to sideload other stores is pretty hidden and clunky. But yes, you are right, DMA forces them to click on "Safari" on a setup screen and maybe it'll be the root cause of a future PTSD epidemic.
They can't assess >10 browsers in 3 seconds. I haven't even heard of a few of them, it'd take me an hour or so of research to figure out if some of those options were reliable if I didn't already know what browser I wanted because I install things like Debian for fun.
> very annoying
Mildly annoying at best. And it's a screen you see once every few years at best.
> Confusing
Not any less confusing than opening an app that requires a paid account, but with absolutely zero indication on how to attain said paid account (Apple's anti-steering rules for Netflix / Spotify / etc.)
> Stressful
If a simple browser screen stresses someone out, I fear for how they navigate the rest of their digital life.
More importantly, what is anti-user is two tech giants using their market power to force companies and users into a duopoloy, in which they can then suck 30% out of every single bit of value created.
Most of these have terrible, cruddy, confusing interfaces. In the grand scheme of things, a one-time crystal-clear popup list where all he needs to do is press the familiar "red yellow green blue" (Chrome) icon is not what is going to stress him out or undo him.
> Grandpa also needs to do his banking online, his taxes, needs to manage his online identity, car registration, medical things.
No, they don't. They can use paper, phone, and fax still (at least in the USA). One of my grandparent's did this until very recently (when they sadly passed away) for most things. I was at one point told by the same grandparent that the "the familiar 'red yellow green blue'" you so describe they suspected was a virus and they don't understand how it appeared on their computer. Another grandparent struggled with the concept of folders (as in file explorers), and when they first received their a phone would shut it down and then was confused on why it wouldn't receive phone calls. These people were successful and educated (they had gone to college and used their degrees in their professional life). They just don't care about technology and when Apple makes a choice for them on the default browser they are happy.
I have relatives who don't own or use smartphones.
I fully understand the issue, and you’re selling your (grand)parents short. Keep your anger, you’re just wrong.
The confusion in signing up for Netflix, Spotify etc is just as bad or worse, I agree! It’s bad for consumers to have confusing interfaces.
If I’m trying to use my phone for the first time and I have to choose from a list of software I’ve never heard of, with no information about the impact of the decision, then if you aren’t stressed, you don’t realize the meaning of the choice, back to the confusion.
I don’t think it’s anti-user to have a built-in web browser. Let’s regulate what the platforms can do with the data, sure, and force them to allow other options, yes. If it’s so valuable to own the default web browser in an OS then we are far too loose with what web browser vendors are allowed to do.
Thanks to Apple and their exceptionally high standards, you can be sure that no matter what you choose, you'll get a safe, private, and awesome user experience ... at least that's what the arguments in favor of their app store monopoly say.