7 ms·

I do disagree. They've funded macOS R&D for decades without charging developers anything. Why should iOS be any different?

by robhlt 29d ago

Despegar 29d ago
It's not against the law to create a better and more profitable business.
- ragazzina 29d ago
  It's not, it just means when they say they "need to", they lie.
- EMIRELADERO 29d ago
  Better business for a specific company doesn't mean better markets for consumers and other participants, and we make laws to ensure the latter even if it's at the expense of the former.
- barnabee 29d ago
  It should be against the law to create they kind of business they have, though
  - Invictus0 29d ago
    go ahead and make the law then. until then it isn't
    - fsflover 26d ago
      https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49358814 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49358814
  - y1n0 29d ago
    Why? Android has 72% of the market in 2025. As an individual company Apple has 20% of the market. Samsung has 19%. Just don't buy an iphone and move on with your life.
    - Gud 29d ago
      I still wish to sell to users of iOS. Apple has conveniently, for them, set themselves up as an unwanted middleman. This is only possible for them to do because they make billions per quarter and I’m a struggling solo developer. I can’t believe people are defending apple.
      - swat535 28d ago
        > Apple has conveniently, for them, set themselves up as an unwanted middleman. I don't see users complaining, it's mostly developers.
        Gud 28d ago
        What’s your point? You don’t think users wouldn’t prefer to pay less for their software? Do you think most users have given this a thought? Do you think they are even aware of the issue?
    - tcfhgj 29d ago
      Companies can't simply do that. In fact, you will have a guarantee of failure if e.g. your messaging app doesn't support iOS
      - NetMageSCW 28d ago
        If companies had a product people cared enough about, people would stop buying iPhones.
        tcfhgj 28d ago
        well, they seldomly do, which is exactly why companies are forced to it
    - Aachen 28d ago
      Google is also listening though. They are slowly introducing similar restrictions after seeing what absurdity Apple gets away with as "compliance" of needing to also allow anyone to offer software for iOS. Our mistake is thinking it's fine that apple believers get vendor lock-in because there is still Google and Android lets you run whatever code you want. Yeah, until it doesn't
hadlock 29d ago
[flagged]
y1n0 29d ago
They charged for the operating system. The first MacOS X was $130.
- protimewaster 29d ago
  I think the point is that they didn't charge developers anything specifically to be developers or sell apps. They just needed the same hardware and software as everybody else, which, yes, they probably had to buy.

I do disagree. They've funded macOS R&D for decades without charging developers anything. Why should iOS be any different?

by robhlt 29d ago

I do disagree. They've funded macOS R&D for decades without charging developers anything. Why should iOS be any different?

Despegar 29d ago

It's not against the law to create a better and more profitable business.

ragazzina 29d ago
It's not, it just means when they say they "need to", they lie.
EMIRELADERO 29d ago
Better business for a specific company doesn't mean better markets for consumers and other participants, and we make laws to ensure the latter even if it's at the expense of the former.
barnabee 29d ago
It should be against the law to create they kind of business they have, though
- Invictus0 29d ago
  go ahead and make the law then. until then it isn't
  - fsflover 26d ago
    https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49358814 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49358814
- y1n0 29d ago
  Why? Android has 72% of the market in 2025. As an individual company Apple has 20% of the market. Samsung has 19%. Just don't buy an iphone and move on with your life.
  - Gud 29d ago
    I still wish to sell to users of iOS. Apple has conveniently, for them, set themselves up as an unwanted middleman. This is only possible for them to do because they make billions per quarter and I’m a struggling solo developer. I can’t believe people are defending apple.
    - swat535 28d ago
      > Apple has conveniently, for them, set themselves up as an unwanted middleman. I don't see users complaining, it's mostly developers.
      - Gud 28d ago
        What’s your point? You don’t think users wouldn’t prefer to pay less for their software? Do you think most users have given this a thought? Do you think they are even aware of the issue?
  - tcfhgj 29d ago
    Companies can't simply do that. In fact, you will have a guarantee of failure if e.g. your messaging app doesn't support iOS
    - NetMageSCW 28d ago
      If companies had a product people cared enough about, people would stop buying iPhones.
      - tcfhgj 28d ago
        well, they seldomly do, which is exactly why companies are forced to it
  - Aachen 28d ago
    Google is also listening though. They are slowly introducing similar restrictions after seeing what absurdity Apple gets away with as "compliance" of needing to also allow anyone to offer software for iOS. Our mistake is thinking it's fine that apple believers get vendor lock-in because there is still Google and Android lets you run whatever code you want. Yeah, until it doesn't

hadlock 29d ago

[flagged]

y1n0 29d ago

They charged for the operating system. The first MacOS X was $130.

protimewaster 29d ago
I think the point is that they didn't charge developers anything specifically to be developers or sell apps. They just needed the same hardware and software as everybody else, which, yes, they probably had to buy.