tobybeagle

ajl said:

 🤔 Is there something I'm missing at all?

Yes. There are a number of professionals who go 3rd party memory solutions. Back in the day when I sold SUN systems, I had a customer at Army Research Labs who would buy big buck SUN servers and workstations but wouldn't buy RAM from SUN because of the price. Instead he would max out his systems with memory from Kingston. Had another customer at NOAA who did they same as well as several customers who worked in the various "alphabet agencies". They had massive budgets for IT equipment and would think nothing about spending $10+ Million for a SUN E10k server, and would still buy 3rd party memory. In fact, there was an internal gov't blog about various systems performance with 3rd party memory. These same customers would think nothing of spending a few grand a year for a support contract for their equipment.

On the commercial side, I had many, many customers, (GE, Oracle, ALPA, Teamsters, UPS to name a few) who did the same thing. 

I've been reading about this topic here as well at other sites and I'd like to add some thoughts:

When you buy a smartphone, you do in fact own the phone, but you don't own the operating system. Before Apple, you had Windows Mobile, Nokia, Palm and BlackBerry. As I recall, the enduser agreed to the terms and conditions to the use of operating system. If the enduser didn't like them, then the only option was to return the device and get their money back.

Installing apps on these devices was hit or miss at best. Some carriers restricted what apps were available and where you could get them. If an app bricked your phone, you had to deal with the developer directly and often the app may be in conflict with another app and you'd end up going down a rabbit hole trying to resolve the issue.

Apple came up with another model which basically tells the carriers "you manage your network and we'll take care of the phone." At the time, this was unheard of.
Then, Apple leveraged its success with iTunes to develop the iOS App Store which is a huge success. 

From a developers perspective, Apple provides the development tools, support, hosting and a curated potential customer base which minimizes the potential for credit card fraud, removes the need for each developer to have a CC merchant account and presumably pays the developer on time. For this, Apple charges 30% on the app purchase and 30% on in app purchases. The developer gets to decide what price to charge for their app, as well as in app purchases. I would presume the developer knows his cost structure and would price their app so the developer can make a profit. The developer doesn't have to deal with all the other issues of running an online store and can concentrate on developing apps.

I would think that developers have read and understood the terms and conditions of their developer agreement as well as the implications that agreement entails. If it makes business sense to them, they move forward; if not then they would find another venue for app development.

Epic is just a bunch of greedy folks who are willing to renege on their agreement to make some extra coin, and really don't care about the consumers.

Do I have issues with the App Store? You bet. I'd like to get my money back from several apps I've bought that, IMHO, did not deliver what was advertised. My recourse is to review the app and express my dissatisfaction and think twice before I purchase another app from that developer.

What I like most about Apple's approach is I don't have to be concerned with an app stealing my data, bricking my phone. At the end of the day while it is a "computer in your pocket" its primary function is a phone.

Thanks for reading.

The NSA can byte me!

hammeroftruth said:

darkvader said:

Hopefully Apple will be hit with severe sanctions for filing this frivolous action.  This may even qualify for California's SLAPP law because it's such an egregious and obvious attempt to silence Epic (and ultimately the rest of us).

This isn't really about Epic.

This is about MY right to install any software of MY choice on MY iPhone. 

NOT Apple's iPhone.  MY iPhone.  Apple sold it to me, it's not Apple's any more.  And Apple is illegally denying me the right to run software of my choice on MY iPhone.

Actually, Apple has proven that Epic has not acted in “good faith”.  Especially since all of Epic’s actions were premeditated and not reactionary. This proves motive of ill intent to try to void a contract illegally. 

This is why the judge would not compel Apple to restore Epic’s program to the App Store. She noted that Epic harmed themselves by maliciously acting to cut Apple out of their agreed 30%.
its going to be very hard for Epic to prove that Apple has a monopoly or an unfair advantage because Apple does not compete with Epic, but is a distributor of software for a device they make. Epic has had about a decade to bring up issues of lost revenue, or claims that Apple’s 30% has harmed them, but didn’t because Apple hasn’t. 

You should read the EULA before setting up your iPhone, because you agreed to the terms and conditions that Apple set forth when you powered it on and accepted them. So next time, don’t buy an iPhone or read the EULA. 

If you buy a new iPhone and don’t agree to the terms and conditions, the seller is required to give you a refund. 

spot on.

Gilliam_Bates said:

johnbear said:

Imagine visa and MasterCard charging merchants 30% to use their system;)

Eaxctly what products do Visa and Mastercard sell through their cards? I must've missed their "card stores".
But sure, let's imagine that. You're free to imagine anything. Let's imagine pigs flying. That would be so fun.

I guess johnbear doesn't understand how a merchant account works. There is a monthly fee whether you process a CC transaction or not. When you process a transaction, a percentage of that charge goes to Visa & MC via the clearinghouse. AMEX charges a higher fee, which is why some merchants don't accept AMEX, or if they do, will charge the buyer a surcharge.

crowley said:

I don't really understand the request.  Click on a link and open your default browser.  Click on an email address open your default mail app.  What are you clicking on to open the default messaging app?  There is no universal messaging ID so this doesn't seem like a problem.  Phone numbers are the closest, but I don't think Facebook Messenger works witha phone number anywa, though WhatsApp, a Facebook company, does.

Facebook can quite easily implement a schema for opening Facebook Messenger via a link.

Actually, there is an app in the App Store for Messenger. Just like other apps, you can set location and notifications when you get a message. I used it for a while but then the majority of my acquaintances got iPhones and we use Apple's app