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Yes, you can. That's what the EU is doing. The "gatekeeper" stuff is entirely oriented around software.
Well, I grant you that, though particularly in the case of iOS, you can’t use the software without the hardware, and vice versa. The argument that Apple couldn’t fully subsidize its OS development with the hardware sales, as they had no trouble to do in the past, and as they still do with the Macs, is still absurd.
 
It's not comparable. A one time commission in brick and mortar stores is different from earning a hefty fee on every transaction AFTER the sale.
Apple created IAP as another way for developers to monetize their apps. Again, if you think developers are worthy of charging for things why not Apple?
 
Still absolutely preposterous Apple feels 'entitled' to a fee for software to run on hardware customers PAY for. Imagine having to pay a royalty to Microsoft for every executable you run or distribute on Windows. It's crazy!
Totally agree. And this was a nice gesture by Epic which people can’t even say something nice about. Companies fight just like people - because companies are run by people for the top 1% who are the company shareholders!

If I buy an Apple product, I should be able to do whatever I want with it. And for Apple to force all this is anticompetitive monopolistic behavior!
 
The argument that Apple couldn’t fully subsidize its OS development with the hardware sales, as they had no trouble to do in the past, and as they still do with the Macs, is still absurd.
You've stumbled onto the solution: app developers just need to develop their own OS (easy according to you) and then subsidize the cost by selling their own hardware (also easy according to you).
 
Totally agree. And this was a nice gesture by Epic which people can’t even say something nice about. Companies fight just like people - because companies are run by people for the top 1% who are the company shareholders!

If I buy an Apple product, I should be able to do whatever I want with it. And for Apple to force all this is anticompetitive monopolistic behavior!
The alt store hasn't even reached the fee level anyways. It’s all bostering.
 
Everything "free" is subsidized by something else... like in the a$$le wallet garden... or this concept has been discovered by you only for Microsoft?
That is kind of my point, and when you take away the subsidy, the money has to come from somewhere else.
 
If developing a commercially viable mobile operating system is no big deal, why are there only two in the EU?
And both OSes come from US companies. None originate from the EU.

For one, it's no longer enough to simply have your own OS. You need your own ecosystem, and Apple, for all the criticism levelled at it, is able to enjoy the rewards of having its own ecosystem because it was one of the very few companies willing to invest in building one up from scratch in the first place. Microsoft failed, but at least it tried as well. When was the last time you heard of a company in the EU try something like this? They don't want to, or maybe they can't, due to the EU's own stiff regulatory environment?

As the saying goes, there is good in bad, and there is bad in good.
 
Epic laid off 16% of their workforce back in September due to Tim Sweeney's mismanagement. Glad they have money for petty things like this though!
 
Last time I checked I had to pay for it to legally obtain it.

I just upgraded my sisters laptop to 11, for free, last week.

Our family laptop that we keep in our kitchen for various things is running windows 10 and is offering 11 for free with a nag screen every week or so. I keep declining.
 
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Epic =
I want to have a Stall at the front door‘s to your Shopping Mall.
No. I won’t pay you any rent at all.
No. I won’t pay for electricity or heating
No. I won’t pay you For anythings you have done to make this easy ( APIs )
I expect ALL your customers you have built up buy making a mall to now pay me Instead.
 
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Well, we do it for consoles.

But good for Altstore, though I suspect it's more about trying to get back at Apple indirectly, than any sort of altruism on Epic's part. We will see if it ends up costing them anything in the long run.
Since when is the iPhone (or iPad) a console? Apple has certainly never marketed them that way.
 
How can you say that is convoluted when it's been the standard practice for decades? Software sold in brick/mortar retail was always subject to commission.
Ok fine, then make every app cost something to download and charge the commission on that. Of course Apple would never do that because they know users won’t download apps if they’re not “free”.
 
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