Ah, the software Robin Hood, here to help the little guy understand how to best use their own computer... This is such a HN comment it hurts. Many people use iPhone and iPads as their primary devices because everything is easy and it all works. side loading apps is just not a concern that people outside of HN even have.

This lawsuit is about Epic trying to not pay the same fees as everyone else not some giant ethical debate over the rights that people should have on their devices. Epic wants rights for themselves, they don't want them for their customers.

This is exactly the point I've been making to my friends who think like the commenter you replied to. "Forcing people to have some ability to load programs" is exactly why so many people use Apple products; because it's extremely intuitive for non-technology inclined people to use.

But Macs can run unapproved software, which makes them too complex and dangerous for the general public, right?

And? They don't know any different or better, we don't make policy on anything based on people like that.

As I've said elsewhere, this is about tail risk not tomorrow.

Why don't they just do the same with Apple, then? Force them to have some basic ability to load programs. You can even make it easy for users and put an icon on the home screen. To make it obvious that you can load apps and programs for it, they would just need to label it as "App Store" or something like that. Problem solved!

Because you don't have to pay Linus Torvalds money to run a program on a Linux installation - that should be the standard.

What does that have to do with anything? You never said anything about paying money. I don't have to pay anything to run Mint or Mario Run on my phone so what's your point?

You have to pay Apple a minimum of $100 a year to install apps on an iPhone, unless you're okay with the apps being automatically disabled every seven days and never need to install more than three custom apps at a time.

You didn't realize this when you bought Mario Run, because Nintendo paid Apple for you.

And if Nintendo tries to sell you something to recuperate that cost, they have to give Apple 30%.

and? the developer whats to put his apps on the app store, why shouldn't they demand a fee. But that has nothing to do with the customer.

Because you can't distribute apps, or even install them on your own phone, without going through the app store. (At least sans the ridiculous restrictions I described above.)

FWIW I don’t consider those particular requirements to be ridiculous.

I do consider to be ridiculous the requirement for me, a British national living in Germany, to keep the US Federal government informed about my use of encryption in all the apps I distribute on the App Store. That’s clearly nonsensical.