The App Store Era Must End

Besides restricting the freedom to run what software we want on our own devices, I also put a lot of blame on the App Store for turning the software industry toward subscription pricing by not allowing upgrade pricing.

I can't blame developers for choosing the subscription model when the other choice is providing free upgrades forever (or crapping up your app with ads).

It was a dealbreaker for me -- I never bought a games console.

It is still a dealbreaker for me -- no longer developing Mac software, having previously given up on developing iPhone software.

And I certainly don't think the Mac now is the model that should be followed by all other computers: one in which a dictator decides what is safe for the little kindergartners to run. Enough with the dumbing down already.

I don't understand Jason's point. Apple has made it crystal clear that this is not the path they are going to go down. Even if they are forced at the point of a gun (i.e. by government action) they are going to resist at every point. We're just lucky they haven't switched the Mac to this model ... yet.

Impatiently awaiting John Gruber's well thought-out and completely unbiased take. 🤣

How many software developers were told that their apps are not permitted? This is not Apples job at all. Their only job should be to prevent fraud. I always found it ironic that they are so bad at dealing with real fraud.

The permissions/entitlements/stupid dialogs need to go. They have become a nuisance and hinder me at doing my work.

And I blame Apple that non-developers think we are all millionaires. Whenever we complain about something the non-developers think that we are whining.

Yes, it’s time to invite Phil Schiller to spend more quality time with his family and explore new opportunities in life. Craig could also be invited to do the same.

The only "problem" is that iPhone is the personal computer that the vast majority of users has access to. Not the Mac.

Furthermore, mobile is a much better computing platform to innovate on compared to the desktop.

I am an Apple Developer dying to write software on Apple platforms and still won't.

This is one of the best mainstream articles ever written on this subject. Bookmarking and linking this every time someone tries to defend Apple's current approach to software on the iPhone. So glad it was Jason Snell that wrote this, too. No one on any side can try to claim he doesn't know what he's talking about.

I pretty much agree with this entire piece. But I think the problems with Apple and the mac go much deeper than this.

For one, it doesn't mention the betrayal of the App Store's original premise: giving the user a curated catalog of good and safe apps. There have been so many examples of scam apps getting past review on the App Store at this point that it obviously doesn't protect users. And the "good" part quickly fell away too when the store got flooded with shovel-ware or apps designed to game the economics of the system. Really the system only serves to flog developers acting in good faith.

So the App Store is an utter failure on all counts. There's no part of it that works, not even as intended.

And then there's the rapidly declining software quality. This is affecting Apple across the board, but I don't think I need to make the case to this crowd how much worse macOS is getting not just in terms of being locked down but in terms of how buggy and unpleasant it's becoming to use.

Apple needs to do a complete about-face if they want to get back to actually making good computers. Right now they're heading straight towards a cliff.

Copy @OUG and @Beatrix Willius.

We do not need even more silly hand-wavy arguments defending the imperfections of an imperfect platform—one that doesn't still ultimately leave total freedom to the user—when we can simply demand one that does. It is irritating to the point of thrombosis! If MacOS is your guide, at least spell out how you think the status quo should change so Apple's involvement is ultimately *completely optional*. Otherwise you're just making a very "liberal" argument for computing tyranny, one which you may find acceptable today in the context of a largely compliant Apple but which may prove problematic tomorrow. It is notable that the DMCA, an obviously and deeply flawed bit of reactionary legislation of help only to abusive rightsholders, is being seen as probably within Apple's remit to comply with despite its flaws, and despite the obvious harm it is doing to developers. No! I want Apple's help, not its hindrance. Let me decide to do without Apple's assessments, guardrails, spot checks, whatever. The App Store can only grow to be the safe place people want when Apple has the clearest possible motivation to compete, and it can only do that when total openness and freedom are the alternative and it is actually forced to do its fucking job.

It is even more than that. For instance, the Apple Watch does not have a visible standalone web browser like Safari and you cannot install other. For me that is a must. As is to be able to configure and use the Apple Watch without any dependency (I do NOT want any smart phone). And last but not least, if the Apple Watch had a telescopic rotating retractable camera in the crown neck (protecting from dust and sweat, besides privacy) I would buy the Apple Watch Ultra 2 even for 1,000 USD.

So much pure copium. Almost all these people will never use not Apple computer. So why should Apple care what they think?

@Scineram,

Not a bad point. Apple isn’t going to care unless it impacts their profits

We can do that by buying used Macs and iPhones and Linux is always an option on the computer

Even switching to Android phones is an option

As you might have heard, Marshall Brain died. He wrote a story called Manna (which you can read at this link), about how capitalism and monopolistic control can create a believable dystopia. The basic theme is that wherever individual control is lost, things get dystopic.

Back in 2022 I wrote about how the App Store needs to change for the benefit of everyone (except maybe Apple). After reading it again, I think everything still applies.

https://ohanaware.com/blog/202151/the_mac_app_store_in_2022.html

@Scineram
Agreed! All Apple cares about is money, as long as people single source their purchases from Apple, the company will not care one whit to change their ways.

I did my part, after the iPad came out I was concerned about the app store changes being made on iOS to make it even more tightly controlled. So around 2010? But I didn't embrace the move away fully from Apple until 2015ish when I finally moved off Mac OS for all my family members (well, the ones I control anyway). I still have that one 2009 MacBook that refuses to die, but it's run Linux on it for, nearly 9 years or so.

To be fair, I started my Linux journey in earnest back in 2004, so it's been 20 years of using it off and on. For phones, I just use Android. I can get really cheap Android phones that are really nice for a fraction of iPhone prices and because I don't solely rely on the Google Play store, Google Services, nor Google apps, I'm able to remain free of the walled garden there. Your mileage may vary of course. Before Android I used Nokia S40 devices, Nokia Symbian devices, and even Blackberry phones. I'm not wedded into any single phone platform really.

@Sam Rowlands
Agreed! Good points made in your article. Funny how many still apply nearly 3 years later.

The only fix needed, for any app store, is to allow side loading. Apple and Google are taking strides in the opposite direction with all this notarization malarkey.

The second step would be to make sure there is full interoperability which would make it easier for those that truly dislike their platform to leave.

That's it. That's all that's needed.

"Almost all these people will never use not Apple computer."

I installed Pop!_OS with the Cosmic alpha 3 on a little 200$ Aliexpress PC last week, just to see. I was blown away by how polished it is, how smartly designed it is, how devoid of garbage, and how fast it runs on an underpowered pos PC.

I can now also buy a notebook from Framework that looks great, can be configured exactly the way I want, can be upgraded in the future, and runs perfectly with Linux.

This isn't the 00s anymore, where OS X was pretty much the only option if you cared about a good computing experience.

@Plume
No doubt, but even with all the choices out there, it's hard for many users to expand their horizons. I'm a very happy user of Linux, but it's not always perfect. I just wish people would try new things.

I'd love to run BSD more as well. Don't get me wrong.

The Cursed Grail of [App Store, App Review, App Sandbox, Yearly Developer Membership, Notarization] has crippled app innovation.

Look at the apps and games built on System 7 or in the Mac OS "X" era vs the shovelware in the Crap Store today. Hobbyist and freeware developers are mostly gone. Game devs are repelled by Apple's red tape and platform-specific nonsense. Everyone else gets whipped around.

There's only a few people left who care about the platform and making crafted apps. Apple's not among them.

So then where did all those hobbyist and freeware developers go? What's the current platform where people experiment and have fun making software? Linux maybe?

@Bri: This is kinda fun. Reminds me of Basicode... and then Java's original bytecode, although its binaries are kinda big.

Then the demoscene is still big on Windows, and on old retro platforms. A few intrepid souls tried iOS & MacOS, but all the barriers meant it wasn't worth it. There's some stuff on Linux.

I've been reading a book called Chokepoint Capitalism, which you can download for free from google (search for it, then "Read now for free" shows up, but the link changes at each access so it's probably tracking people).

It explains how Apple, Amazon, Live Nation, TV script writing agencies, etc all have created chokepoints between creators' audiences and creators, resulting in them receiving rents for doing no work. While I knew Apple had done this, I had no idea how widespread these monopolistic practices were, explaining why it no longer pays to make interesting music or good books, why movies all suck, etc. A bunch of leaches sucking all the monetary value out of creativity.

It's well worth a read (or listen).

@OUG Doctorow's good, so if you liked Chokepoint, you might also like The Internet Con: How to Seize the Means of Computation. Also adjacent and a well-informed precursor is Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism by Yanis Varoufakis.

Enjoy!

@Sebby: I'll have a look, thanks!