mdrockwell
mdrockwell

I want an alternative to the App Store. I want a vibrant Wild West to push the boundaries — inevitably improving the platform as a whole.

Will that lead to malware? Yes. But it will also give developers more options for monetization and users more control over their devices.

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mdrockwell
mdrockwell

@gr36 I mean, you can install software from anywhere on the Mac. And I keep much of the same data on my Mac as I do my iPhone. I think it would work like that — signed software and the App Store by default, but you can flip a switch to let you install from elsewhere.

You could continue to only install software from the App Store if you’d like. It would just give developers a legit way to release software without the App Store. And users that want to use that software would have a legit way of doing so.

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numericcitizen
numericcitizen

@mdrockwell I'm afraid of this idea. I'm not sure I want to pay the "malware" price in the name of choice. Not for such a personal device like an iPhone.

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mdrockwell
mdrockwell

@numericcitizen but I don't think it would result in any increase in malware for users that stick to the App Store. And it would be all the same risks as on the Mac — if you stick to reputable devs and the App Store, you're good.

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mdrockwell
mdrockwell

@numericcitizen I'm not concerned about malware on the Mac at all.

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mdrockwell
mdrockwell

@mdrockwell and I have pretty much all the same data on my Mac as I don on my iPhone.

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gdp
gdp

@mdrockwell My complaint against the Android app system, which has always allowed side loading, is that the quality of apps is just abysmal. For all its faults, the QC of having to submit an app to Apple for approval guarantees (sort of) that apps have a starting line much further down the road than where most Android apps finish.

That’s largely an aesthetic argument, though, and I do see how allowing side loading would be helpful. It could be helpful for Apple, too. Devs who want the exposure the App Store brings could be willing to pay Apple’s commission and devs that are willing to take on their own marketing could cut their costs.

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mdrockwell
mdrockwell

@gpittman I’m less familiar with the Android ecosystem, but my impression is that the ability to side load isn’t a key factor in the overall quality of apps. But that could just be me on the outside looking in.

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mdrockwell
mdrockwell

@gr36 yeah, it doesn't seem like app piracy is much of an issue on the Mac. And software quality there is still quite good. So I think there is something else to blame.

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pimoore
pimoore

@gpittman @mdrockwell Not just the Android app quality, but the security and lack of ongoing support for updates. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve read about major malware issues in the Play Store. And phones stop receiving security updates far quicker than iOS/Apple.

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In reply to
pimoore
pimoore

@ohBananaJoe Same with my wife’s 6s+, which is going on 6 years old and still is running iOS 14. You’ll never see any Android phone get near that amount of support, not even the Pixel.

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pimoore
pimoore

@ohBananaJoe And with the price of the Pixel increasing, especially for the latest flagship model, it could justify the iPhone cost even more.

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pimoore
pimoore

@ohBananaJoe just looked it up and it’s $699 USD, and you can get the iPhone 12 mini for the same price. In that case Google is twice the price if you need a new phone after 3 years. Obviously it would be different with higher end iPhones, and it seems there’s no Pixel XL now.

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