> Comparing Unix/Linux running on a PC and a iOS/Android running on a smartphone is insanity. And comparing software repos with app stores is just as bad.

Strange idea. How is comparing two types of consumer-market computers and ecosystems is "insane"?

The parent comment is pretty legit IMHO.

Calling Unix/Linux a "consumer-market" OS is quite a stretch.

You should update your knowledge of modern operating systems.

My mom and my wife parents are extremely happy with Ubuntu computers. They do browsing, email, Skype, print stuff and whatever else they need just fine. That are way more happy with Ubuntu than they were with Windows, and I am, too, cause in the last three years I have spent exactly zero minutes maintaining their computers. If that's not a consumer-market OS, I don't know, what is? Windows? When mom used it, she always had one problem after another with it. I'm truly sorry for anyone who has to deal with it every day.

I like the idea of being able to connect my phone to different software repos.

Play Store would be one among many.

I think then there would soon be curated repos for well behaved apps that don't abuse push notifications and background abilities.

That is basically what f-droid allows you to do, add different repos. Though google play doesn't provide a repo that fdroid, obviously.

Alternative app stores are not a problem on Android. There are lots of them. Alternative way to deliver push notifications is a problem. Currently, to solve it in a satisfactory fashion you need an alternative ROM to connect to a different push service.