"I demand that Apple make more money off of me and give me less choice. And anyone who offers even a slightly differing opinion should bog off to Android."
"Does the world's largest company really get to decide how millions of other businesses can interact with their own customers?“
Yes they can, because it is their ecosystem. Maybe you should have read their guidelines before developing the world’s umpteenth email app and submitting it to the App Store.
You obviously didn't understand what the hell is talking about. Did you actually read the original post? Here's the entire context surrounding that sentence;
"But personally, as the owner of a business, this isn’t just about money. Money grabs the headlines, but there’s a far more elemental story here. It's about the absence of choice, and how Apple forcibly inserts themselves between your company and your (the developer's) customer.
Does the world’s largest company really get to decide how millions of other businesses (ie: developers) can interact with their own (again, referring to developers') customers? In fact, Apple’s policy distances you from your customer."
His implication is, is that with respect to the app or service, the consumer is the developer's customer not Apple's and that the developer has the right, without interference, to manage the relationship between the developer and user of the app or service. And he has a good point. And you can bet that the coming investigation or hearing will take this into account. The major issue is not the 30% cut although no doubt that will play a part in it as well.
You, on the other hand don't understand the bigger point. Apple doesn't have a monopoly in the smartphone market. All complaints about the App Store given that fact are moot. This is how competitive markets work: if you're not happy with the company you're dealing with, go to the competitors and find a better deal. If there are no competitors out there, then yeah, complaints are valid. But Samsung, Google, Sony, and other mega-corporations make up the competition and I don't see how governments can justify tipping the scales to make it easier for some multi-billion dollar corporations (who offer a lousy product, if we are to judge based on how consumers spend their money) to compete.
For every app developer that complains about the Apple App Store, there are millions of users who like it that they don't need to worry about the apps they install because Apple tries its damned best to make sure that those apps don't do funny things, especially with regards to their personal privacy and their credit card numbers. The fact that the App Store is the only game in the iPhone town (as opposed to the free-for-all in Androidland) is a good thing to them and they are willing to pay for it. Apple's choice to make is between pleasing a handful of app developers or pleasing millions of customers. Anyone who is unhappy with how Apple makes that choice are free to switch to Android.
"I demand that Apple make more money off of me and give me less choice. And anyone who offers even a slightly differing opinion should bog off to Android."
You probably haven't heard of the Paradox of Choice. The more choices you present customers, the less satisfied they feel about their purchase.
tundraboy said: You, on the other hand don't understand the bigger point. Apple doesn't have a monopoly in the smartphone market. All complaints about the App Store given that fact are moot. This is how competitive markets work: if you're not happy with the company you're dealing with, go to the competitors and find a better deal. If there are no competitors out there, then yeah, complaints are valid. But Samsung, Google, Sony, and other mega-corporations make up the competition and I don't see how governments can justify tipping the scales to make it easier for some multi-billion dollar corporations (who offer a lousy product, if we are to judge based on how consumers spend their money) to compete.
Just an FYI, the smartphone device market and the mobile app market are not the same things.
The mobile app market is controlled by a duopoly where the two members tacitly agree not to compete on pricing. In 2019 the mobile app market was 83.5bn. Apple's share was 54.2 bn giving them just under 2/3 market share. The mobile app market is not a competitive one and that is why there is talk about antitrust and it's why the EU has already opened an antitrust investigation into the App Store.
"I demand that Apple make more money off of me and give me less choice. And anyone who offers even a slightly differing opinion should bog off to Android."
I prefer to pay Apple to assure UI consistency, app reliability, quality and security standards, and to be able to use a payment system that keeps all the tools and options for managing subscriptions and in-app purchases in one place. I don't want "less choice." I specifically want to be able to choose the things I just described that are the earmarks of the Apple ecosystem. It's why I bought the Apple device in the first place.
What I don't want is for other people to force Apple to become more like Android, which then takes away the thing that I chose in the first place.
Comments
"I demand that Apple make more money off of me and give me less choice. And anyone who offers even a slightly differing opinion should bog off to Android."
For every app developer that complains about the Apple App Store, there are millions of users who like it that they don't need to worry about the apps they install because Apple tries its damned best to make sure that those apps don't do funny things, especially with regards to their personal privacy and their credit card numbers. The fact that the App Store is the only game in the iPhone town (as opposed to the free-for-all in Androidland) is a good thing to them and they are willing to pay for it. Apple's choice to make is between pleasing a handful of app developers or pleasing millions of customers. Anyone who is unhappy with how Apple makes that choice are free to switch to Android.
Just an FYI, the smartphone device market and the mobile app market are not the same things.
The mobile app market is controlled by a duopoly where the two members tacitly agree not to compete on pricing. In 2019 the mobile app market was 83.5bn. Apple's share was 54.2 bn giving them just under 2/3 market share. The mobile app market is not a competitive one and that is why there is talk about antitrust and it's why the EU has already opened an antitrust investigation into the App Store.
What I don't want is for other people to force Apple to become more like Android, which then takes away the thing that I chose in the first place.