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Alice wants to use a program made by Bob. Apple won’t allow Alice to do so unless Bob pays a fee to Apple. With third party app stores, they’re just allowing _different_ middlemen. What we actually want is to be rid of middlemen imposing arbitrary restrictions on how Alice can use her own device.
Isn’t it difficult to do this without rolling out a welcome mat for NSO et al?
This is a value statement. There is more public concern and support for security and freedom to use commercial software than there is for using it as a Stallmanesque general-purpose computer.
I'm not your grandma, though, and I'll thank you (and Apple) for not treating me as if I were.
Sideloading blows a hole in that security guarantee
I am afraid that making it too easy to install anything you want on modern smartphones is going to be a problem. Imagine how many are going to end up in botnets.
Android _already_ has this problem. It takes a few extra taps / coaching to get somebody to install an arbitrary and malicious APK but it's doable now. Moving towards a "if google didn't sign it and distribute it, you shall not run it" future won't really prevent the ignorant laity from installing malware regardless. The rest of us, however, are going to get screwed.
It does? Last I checked you just had to click install for a f2p mobile game on the Play store and voila, you're an exit node for various botnets
Either Bob or Alice could set up an app store if this is done right.
What do you mean "usual"? Android had always had app stores without too many restrictions (though for a long time it was complicated to have auto updates) and it's never been a problem.
On which platform did this happen?
I think there would be a few different models. Epic, of course, would lead as a gaming store, but I could easily see competition between Epic and Steam for this space. But there could also be other audience-focused stores as well, such as for creative professionals, like we had prior to iPhones. Then there's also suite apps that will maintain their own stores as well.
Just because Apple locked down the entirety of the mobile app world for 20 years, and told us we didn't want alternatives, doesn't mean it won't happen. If anything, it's evidence to the contrary.
And one may argue - it's not malicious compliance. It's just how world is setup for big companies. Any other strategy is leaving huge amount of money on the table - that's not what shareholders want. Unless you're willing to have fines that exceed the profits (and not just say about possibility of those, but actually impose and collect them) it's not going to change.
Apple first Users second Developers third
Not only that they still live with ptsd from the times when they almost disappeared, and will do everything in their power to keep as much revenue as they can squeeze.
Because of this, the Japan appstore will be as crappy as the european one. And the apps as surpar as the ones from the appstore.
Because let’s be honest, apps quality have gone downhill
Apple: "I never thought I'd die fighting side-by-side with an advertisement monopoly..."
Google: "What about side-by-side with a friend?"