I forgot to add one thing to my post:
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...ary-update-forces-users-to-pay-again.2023270/
I also gave up buying new contents from the Apple-Store when I updated an app (english dictionary, that we all know don't need new updates often) and the developer rendered it useless, unless I paid for it again. Funny thing is that this update was somehow removed later, the Apple-Store didn't notify me anymore of it.
Of course I removed the version that wanted me to pay for it again and had the previous one downloaded from Apple-Store installed in its place (with help from the old .IPA). With this last iTunes update? Not possible. And this was a paid app, I am not even talking about a free one that received a new version that did that.
Also think about apps that had some feature removed, such as the players who were forced to disable support for a codec or apps that are capable of downloading Youtube videos. Yep, no way to save a .IPA file, no way to continue using these.
This is what Apple does in benefit of its users. You can all be damn sure this sort of expedient is not unique from that dictionary case. With each new iOS or small change they are going to exploit us to buy new devices or contents and remove all our freedom.
Most (developed) countries have laws (created by these large corporations) that don't allow users to create a backup for private use (in a few others like Brazil this is legal), and when you buy Windows or any other OS you don't own the thing, meaning you can't install in more than one machine or create a backup by circumventing technological protection measures.
When we create a copy of an app or any other stuff we download (free or paid) we are only making sure that we can use later and protect ourselves against arbitrary removal or if we want to use an old OS version with it. Or if the app got an awful version and we want to switch back to another one.
For God sakes, we can't even revert to a previous iOS version! And when a new one is released, it is downloaded even if we didn't ask for it (the download can be removed, yet it keeps pestering you again).
Tomorrow Apple is going to force us to update iOS regardless of our wishes, or modify iOS in a way that even using this iTunes version that allows copying .IPA won't work. Do you want to bet that will happen, too?
And you know what that means, right? Years from now the iPADs or iPhones sold today will become useless (as in not capable of running smoothly iOS). Planned obsolescence, for devices that already have this limitation due to the limited charge cycles their battery can have.
In the future we won't be able to buy a new battery unless we pay for half the price of the new iPAD/iPhone.
All these abuses have to stop. I never jailbroken my devices. With this last antic from Apple I won't support them any longer and will consider that option. When any respect for faithful customers cease to exist (and I have only bought from them since 2012) it's time to either move to another company or give up playing by their rules. I advise anyone reading me to fight for your freedom, since Apple never will.
They only care about extending their control over us.
