Elon Musk is right about Apple

[BlueTex]

Apple is essentially charging a tax on the internet. Spotify and Facebook, for example, are stand-alone sites that you can access on the internet. They can be accessed without an apple product. However, Apple wants a piece of the pie essentially for these companies having their app on an ios device.

It makes zero sense for Apple to get a 30% cut for an in-app purchase when these purchases can be made out-of-the app.

Apple is simply the middleman, and they want a 30% cut. A typical cut for a middleman is 10-15%.

Horseshit.. Apple is not the internet... good lord... You can "access the internet" just fine from an Apple product without using an app... I do it EVERY time I access DP on my iphone..

 

[zincwarrior]

Start their own cell phone company with app store.

At least Apple's doesn't catch fire.

 

[BirdinHand]

What is the point of this 30% tax besides profit for Apple? Seems kind of silly.

Amazon, for example, doesn't allow purchases on an iPhone for audible/kindle purchases.

It isn’t a tax, it is a fee. Companies don’t tax, government does.

And why? Because they can. It’s their sandbox, that’s the cost of playing in it.

 

[BlueTex]

Apple's stock is most certainly will decline in 2023, given they are going against insane 2022 comps.

Apple has, unfortunately, become a very hostile company. If Steve Jobs were alive, he would likely be horrified at the work Tim Cooke has been doing.

Compare that to Microsoft, a company that bailed out Apple in the 90s. They have a much more inclusive approach to partnerships.

The amount of revisionist history is amazing...

"Let me just say it: We want native third party applications on the iPhone, and we plan to have an SDK in developers' hands in February," Jobs wrote in a letter that October. "We are excited about creating a vibrant third party developer community around the iPhone and enabling hundreds of new applications for our users."
Jobs, in adding that the SDK would also allow the creation of apps for the iPod Touch, ended the letter by promising that "we think a few months of patience now will be rewarded by many years of great third party applications running on safe and reliable iPhones." Apple also announced that developers could set the price of their own apps — including free — with the devs keeping 70 percent of sales revenues.

The SDK was officially released on March 6, 2008. Less than a week later, Apple announced that the SDK had been downloaded more than 100,000 times in the first four days.

The revolution Steve Jobs resisted: Apple's App Store marks 10 years of third-party innovation | AppleInsider

The first iPhone saw release in 2007 with a fairly barebones selection of apps, none of which were made by outside developers. That changed when Apple opened the gates to developers a year later with iPhone OS 2.0, invigorating a sector and forever changing what it meant to be an "Apple developer."

appleinsider.com

 

[BlueTex]

What is the point of this 30% tax besides profit for Apple? Seems kind of silly.

Amazon, for example, doesn't allow purchases on an iPhone for audible/kindle purchases.

Do you think creating and managing the App store is free?

 

[Bucky]

Do you think creating and managing the App store is free?

You must really hate the Amy Klobuchar bill stuck in congress:

Senate panel advances bill targeting Apple, Google app store power

The Hill By Rebecca Klar A bill aimed at reining in Apple’s and Google’s app store market power advanced out of the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday with support from all members of the panel except Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas). Other Republicans on the committee, as well as two California...

www.klobuchar.senate.gov

The bill would restrict the owners of major app stores, like Apple and Google, from requiring users of their devices to use only their app marketplace, blocking the ability of developers to use alternative payment systems, and collecting commission fees up to 30 percent. Developers have criticized the practices and argued they are anticompetitive.

 

[BirdinHand]

Do you think creating and managing the App store is free?

Not to mention the single point of purchase that runs through the App Store for ANY in app purchases - meaning that app developers do not have to build in app payment processing capabilities/interfaces that are independent, etc

 

[BlueTex]

Interesting bit of trivia... Mark Benioff actually came up with the name AppStore and ended up gifting the domain to Steve Jobs...

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff came up with the idea of calling the company’s software ecosystem “AppStore” after a meeting with Steve Jobs in 2003, years before the iPhone or Apple’s App Store launched. Benioff even registered the domain AppStore.com. Here’s the inside story of how he came up with the idea and why he ended up gifting the domain to Steve Jobs.

TechCrunch shared the fun story about how Benioff came up with the name “AppStore.com” for Salesforce after getting advice from Steve Jobs back in 2003. The details were shared in Benioff’s book that was released last fall, Trailblazer: The Power of Business as the Greatest Platform for Change as well as in an interview with Salesforce co-founder and CTO Parker Harris.

The inside story of the ‘AppStore’, Salesforce’s Marc Benioff, and a gifted URL to Steve Jobs

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff came up with the idea of calling the company’s software ecosystem “AppStore” after a meeting with Steve Jobs in 2003, years before the iPhone or Apple’s App Store launched. Benioff even registered the domain AppStore.com. Here’s the inside story of how he came up with...

9to5mac.com

 

[BlueTex]

You must really hate the Amy Klobuchar bill stuck in congress:

Senate panel advances bill targeting Apple, Google app store power

The Hill By Rebecca Klar A bill aimed at reining in Apple’s and Google’s app store market power advanced out of the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday with support from all members of the panel except Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas). Other Republicans on the committee, as well as two California...

www.klobuchar.senate.gov

Meh... The junior lawyers at any one of these companies will dispatch the law in court quickly if it ever passes (doubtful)...

 

[BirdinHand]

You must really hate the Amy Klobuchar bill stuck in congress:

Senate panel advances bill targeting Apple, Google app store power

The Hill By Rebecca Klar A bill aimed at reining in Apple’s and Google’s app store market power advanced out of the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday with support from all members of the panel except Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas). Other Republicans on the committee, as well as two California...

www.klobuchar.senate.gov

That has absolutely nothing to do with the 30% fee charged to app developers.

That has to do with jail breaking phones to download software that isn’t available otherwise.

 

[BirdinHand]

Meh... The junior lawyers at any one of these companies will dispatch the law in court quickly...

Eh, you’d see a user policy pop up saying that you void your warranty, can’t have your iPhone /iPad serviced at a Genius Bar, etc if you side load/jail break it.

Basically the same as it is now.

And frankly, if someone jailbreaks their iPhone to download/run off-AppStore apps? They’re an idiot and deserve the malware and hacking they’re gonna get. The average user is clueless.

 

[Bucky]

That has absolutely nothing to do with the 30% fee charged to app developers.

That has to do with jail breaking phones to download software that isn’t available otherwise.

Ummm no.

Did you actually read the quote?

The bill would restrict the owners of major app stores, like Apple and Google, from requiring users of their devices to use only their app marketplace, blocking the ability of developers to use alternative payment systems, and collecting commission fees up to 30 percent. Developers have criticized the practices and argued they are anticompetitive.

 

[BirdinHand]

Ummm no.

Did you actually read the quote?

Users of their devices = consumer. Person that buys and uses the phone. Not the companies that develop/sell apps via the AppStore.

I read it and I know exactly what it is talking about.

You, apparently, do not.

 

[BirdinHand]

Ummm no.

Did you actually read the quote?

Some developers/app companies want an “open” platform to sell their apps direct to the consumer - not paying Apple/Google and not adhering to the security protocols that they require an app to have for it to be available in these markets. Apples’s security protocols are higher than Google/Android platform…but Google market has its own protocols.

They aren’t asking and Congress isn’t saying that the AppStore can’t charge its fees. They’re asking and Congress is considering “making” Apple/Google, etc allow OTHER MARKETS on their devices. Currently, users have to “jail break” or “side load” apps that aren’t available in their “native” store (AppStore for Apple devices…varies for Android devices)

One committee, which doesn’t seem as though they have a real grasp on the issue and implications of what they’re asking, says “ok…let’s maybe do this”.

Personally? It’s an incredibly DUMB idea. With untold security risks to end users that they can’t even wrap their brains around.

Google, Apple, etc all have a certain level of security protocols, etc that they require an app to have before it can be available for download through their stores.

“Open” apps NOT via a major “market” such as Google or Apple, etc - would be like downloading something that “fell off the back of a truck”. Unless you’re a tech geek - it’s just a gigantic roll of the dice.

 

[BirdinHand]

Ummm no.

Did you actually read the quote?

Oh, and that’s another part of the justification for Apple’s 30% fee.

Users can download apps from the AppStore and use them on their Apple device with a high level of confidence that they are not downloading malware, spyware, etc.

Apple has always had very high security levels. Across all their devices since Apple has been in existence. It’s one of the reasons people that love Apple, love Apple.

 

[Bucky]

Oh, and that’s another part of the justification for Apple’s 30% fee.

Users can download apps from the AppStore and use them on their Apple device with a high level of confidence that they are not downloading malware, spyware, etc.

Apple has always had very high security levels. Across all their devices since Apple has been in existence. It’s one of the reasons people that love Apple, love Apple.

Not surprised by all the apple fanboys and girls.

 

[BirdinHand]

Not surprised by all the apple fanboys and girls.

Dismissive response noted.

It’s ok to not understand all this stuff and then once it’s been explained admit that you misunderstood.

 

[Bucky]

Dismissive response noted.

It’s ok to not understand all this stuff and then once it’s been explained admit that you misunderstood.

Nike and apple.

Shill for giant corporations with a heavy presence in China.

 

[BirdinHand]

Nike and apple.

Shill for giant corporations with a heavy presence in China.

What the hell does Nike have to do with AppStore fees?

 

[dairyair]

Apple charges a 30% Apple Tax for in-app purchases yet the ftc is doing nothing about it. They are more worried about blocking Facebook from buying a start up vr app, Amazon from buying irobot and Ticketmaster charging too much for Taylor Swift tickets.

Apple has created such an oppressive environment for businesses yet nothing is done about it. I mean 30%? Really.

Shouldn't the ftc allow a third party competitor who charges like a flat 3% fee or some sort of annual amount?

What does Android charge for theirs?

 

[Bucky]

What does Android charge for theirs?

Why are their only two major players? Isn't that an anticompetitive market?

 

[dairyair]

So a company like Spotify, for example, should just concede 30% of its profits to Apple?

What other options do they have?

Why can't people go directly to Spotify and register an account to download from them?
Why do they need an app on a phone?

 

[BlueTex]

Some developers/app companies want an “open” platform to sell their apps direct to the consumer - not paying Apple/Google and not adhering to the security protocols that they require an app to have for it to be available in these markets. Apples’s security protocols are higher than Google/Android platform…but Google market has its own protocols.

They aren’t asking and Congress isn’t saying that the AppStore can’t charge its fees. They’re asking and Congress is considering “making” Apple/Google, etc allow OTHER MARKETS on their devices. Currently, users have to “jail break” or “side load” apps that aren’t available in their “native” store (AppStore for Apple devices…varies for Android devices)

One committee, which doesn’t seem as though they have a real grasp on the issue and implications of what they’re asking, says “ok…let’s maybe do this”.

Personally? It’s an incredibly DUMB idea. With untold security risks to end users that they can’t even wrap their brains around.

Google, Apple, etc all have a certain level of security protocols, etc that they require an app to have before it can be available for download through their stores.

“Open” apps NOT via a major “market” such as Google or Apple, etc - would be like downloading something that “fell off the back of a truck”. Unless you’re a tech geek - it’s just a gigantic roll of the dice.

The bill isn't going anywhere... Last action was in March...

 

[dairyair]

Why are their only two major players? Isn't that an anticompetitive market?

So you don't know what Android charges? I don't either.
And why do we need apps from them to buy things?

I use my laptop more than my phone, I never need an app on my laptop. Why do people need an app on their phone?
Just get an account directly at a website you like to do business with.

 

[Bucky]

So you don't know what Android charges? I don't either.
And why do we need apps from them to buy things?

I use my laptop more than my phone, I never need an app on my laptop. Why do people need an app on their phone?
Just get an account directly at a website you like to do business with.

Do you realize many people are on their phones for 3-7 hours a day?

Many of them don't even have a laptop.