You literally just right click and open. Hardly a hoop.

For now that's the case, but since the introduction of GateKeeper Apple is slowly but surely trending the default configurations to make it more and more difficult to run software source outside of their own app store.

I believe the defaults now extend to software sourced outside of the app store must still be notarized by Apple. This impacts developers more than consumers I would guess, but certainly requires more effort from developers to create and distribute software.

People have been saying that for a decade.

People have been talking about climate change for a decade, doesn't mean they're not right.

Well, we have 36 years of evidence that the Mac will not be App Store only and none that it will be.

So basically you’ve seen white swans for 36 years therefore all swans are white? Apple is an evolving company and much different than it was 36 years ago.

Yes because 36 years ago, Apple wasn’t a vertically integrated company that made its own hardware and operating system that it sold at a premium....

Right, until the app needs to access a file, change a setting or do any number of other things.

Is clicking allow when it asks to access your documents folder that crazy? Is that really a hoop not worth jumping through? Those prompts show up after a clean install and on occasion when you install a new app. Those same prompts prevent you from giving ransomware access to your whole FS.

You seem to be arguing against each other without being in disagreement. They pointed out that there is a growing number of hoops and you replied, essentially, that the first hoop is fine and the second hoop is justified.

Perhaps the hoops are fine and reasonable. That doesn't change the fact that hoops are being added.

Have you tried running an unsigned app from the internet? There is no "allow" button. You have to go through security menus and whitelist the app. Who knows if that will still be possible in the future.

You just have to right click and click open. That is the “allow & whitelist” button.

How about when things move to Apple Silicon? Will they then not be just as locked down as iOS iPadOS? Subjected to the same limited app store?

No, why would you think that? Just because they’re on the same processor architecture? That’s a stretch. Macs are Macs whether they have Apple Silicon, Intel, or PowerPC inside; they remain the proverbial truck to iOS’ sleek car.

This will become impossible in future releases.

Simply not true. What is your source?

Pretty sensible speculation. Macs on ARM. Do you think that Macs and IOS will converge? What does the app model look like for the converged platform?

Not sensible at all. Being on the same processor architecture doesn’t mean the position within the product lineup will magically transform.

Macs and iOS devices do different things for different use cases; their strengths and weaknesses are as much tied into their hardware design as software. People love Macs because of what they can do; Apple, too.

Apple couldn’t force people to use the Mac App Store even if it wanted, knowing how few of the biggest Mac apps outside of the larger software companies (Apple, Microsoft, Adobe, etc) actually distribute with it.

The only convergence we will see is the ability to run iOS apps on macOS, and even then that is merely a stopgap effort; any iOS apps that want to truly make the transition to the Mac will be updated as Catalyst apps. Catalyst apps are Mac apps through and through, despite their use of iOS’ UIKit.

See also: speculation in The mid-00s that Apple would drop Mac OS X for Windows during the Intel transition. It was just as devoid of factual basis then as fear-mongered “sensible speculation” is today.

Just as counterpoint, we got iPadOS and that seems to be the opposite of convergence or do you see it in a different way?

Yup that is the ultimate goal - to increase software and services revenue. That is what is mandating push to A chips in macbooks. Once the A chips are mainstream, then Apple will require companies like Adbobe, Intellij and even Microsoft to pay them 30% if they want the privelge of running their apps on MacOS.

Want to run Photoshop, IntelliJ or Outlook, 30% of what you charge is going to Apple.