Apple to Pull 'iDOS 2' DOS Emulator From App Store

[hot-gril]

And it happens in USA: the free country of all places.

Those antitrust lawsuits are well justified imo.

Free country means freedom to express yourself or run your business how you want more so than in other places. For Apple this means this. I don't agree with what they do. I don't even think it's fair to devs, since I've seen how app store rules are applied selectively and how they cowardly carry out the media's witch hunts against devs. But they have the right, and I have the right to ditch them (which I have as a dev and a customer but not as a user).

To all these people parroting "just switch to Android," keep it up, you're right. I also hope some people actually switch to temper Apple's arrogance.

 

[tf_dc]

Buying an Android device would remedy it. No one is stopping you.

In my country there is a meme/saying, which can be politely translated like this:
"If your choice is limited to two rather similar options, the chance they both are total crap nears 100%"

If you want the original, search for "Escobar's axiom of choice".

 

[hot-gril]

You're not understanding how JS and other wrapped apps work. I'm not talking about Chrome and Firefox. I'm talking about React Native apps injecting code -- sometimes the majority of the app -- at runtime. For example, Facebook, Coinbase, Shopify, Instagram, Pinterest, Tesla, Uber Eats, Walmart, Wix, Skype... I can keep going.

I think his point is, the JS code runs in a browser of Apple's choice in a tight sandbox, since browsers are designed not to trust websites much. iOS apps are sandboxed, but not as tightly. They have a broader set of permissions.

I can imagine an exploit via JS that leaks through React Native and into the native code, but realistically that's a lot less likely than someone breaching random emulators.

 

[Wildkraut]

This is the kind of consumer-hostile nonsense that is making me think long and hard about what I intend to replace my XS Max with.

I’d love to hear Apple explain how not letting me play 25 or 30-year-old games for a quick nostalgia fix is for my own good.

Of course they’d probably come up with some mealymouthed nonsense, like when they try to explain why it’s bad and wrong to stream external, unvetted content (games) to an iOS device, but it’s also perfectly fine to stream external, unvetted content (videos) to an iOS device.

Well, first Apple is a totalitarian company.
Second, they know your available spare time is limited.
Lets say per day you: sleep 8hs, work 8hs, commute 2hs, daydream 30min:, poop/pee 30min, watch stuff 1h, eat/cook 2hs.
See 2 hours is left of your day, if you spend these 2 hours playing nostalgic games, they won’t sell any newer games to you, which means, no or less 30% $€£ of games. By prohibiting emulation they simply want to drive you to buy games from their AppStore or even subscribe to Arcade. They are pulling the rope with other entertaining ways, they want to drag you over into the AppStore. These rules are setup just for pure anticompetitive reasons and to lock you in, and make you a potential customer.

 

[hot-gril]

In my country there is a meme/saying, which can be politely translated like this:
"If your choice is limited to two rather similar options, the chance they both are total crap nears 100%"

If you want the original, search for "Escobar's axiom of choice".

But they're not both crap, they're both quite good.

 

[iapplelove]

Just use Android if you want options.

 

[iapplelove]

I’ve never turned on a company like I am with Apple.

Apple likes to bully developers

 

[MacsRgr8]

The future sucks. Unimaginable power in the palm of our hands, but neutered by the whims of the most valuable and powerful corporation in the world.

Or... Unimaginable power lies with the most valuable corporation in the world.
Apple can decide what you may or may not run on your hardware. Apple also controls what they want to do you with your data and personal profile. Currently, luckily, privacy and personal safety is very important to them.
What if that changes..?

 

[tf_dc]

But they're not both crap, they're both quite good.

Let's better say "their strong sides are equally compensated by their downsides, so there is no real choice". Yes, they both are good, and both are terrible. At the end there are only 2 real competitors, and it means the end user is always at loss. Call it "Escobar's axiom" or "prisoner's dilemma", there is no chance to get something that will not have some VERY serious disadvantages. Choice of two is not a choice, that's it.

 

[hot-gril]

Or... Unimaginable power lies with the most valuable corporation in the world.
Apple can decide what you may or may not run on your hardware. Apple also controls what they want to do you with your data and personal profile. Currently, luckily, privacy and personal safety is very important to them.
What if that changes..?

Only if you buy hardware from them. Most people don't.
Btw, privacy is already not important to them. They just say it is in their ads.

 

[hot-gril]

Let's better say "their strong sides are equally compensated by their downsides, so there is no real choice". Yes, they both are good, and both are terrible. At the end there are only 2 real competitors, and it means the end user is always at loss. Call it "Escobar's axiom" or "prisoner's dilemma", there is no chance to get something that will not have some VERY serious disadvantages. Choice of two is not a choice, that's it.

But if you had three, you could say the same thing.

Edit: Also, the lesson of prisoners' dilemma is that they'll probably not cooperate, but it's different since there are actually more than 2 players and it's a repeated game.

 

[bankshot]

Gotta love Gruber's take on this:

Cited for violating rule 11.38, which prohibits excessive harmless nostalgic fun.

 

[pankajdoharey]

Man this is the only reason i have a love hate relation ship with Apple.

 

[Wildkraut]

If there were a site listing all Apps and Games with the reasons that Apple anticompetitive pulled, this list would be very long.

 

[tf_dc]

But if you have three, you could say the same thing.

I don't know why it works, I'm not a behaviorist or economist, but IRL the choice of three alternatives (in our case "multiple vendors offering devices on Android platform" is not an alternative, as the platforms are only two) forces the authors of these alternatives to pay more attention to real, not imposed or invented by a 3rd party, user needs. Look even at the "big" consumer OS market - most is Windows, tiny part is Apple and even smaller part is Linux (and some smaller options) - but none of them requires the end user to surrender as much of their interests/freedom/convenience as iOS+Android duopoly does. No systems without disadvantages there too, but also you are not locked in the situation of a false choice there.

 

[Wildkraut]

Gotta love Gruber's take on this:

Good to see that Apple is even pissing off one of their top fanboys.

 

[groove-agent]

They’re worried these DOS games negatively impact Apple Arcade subscriptions. I’d probably prefer these DOS games over anything in the Apple Arcade.

 

[mrz]

1. some people claim Apple is all about the money and want you to buy their own Arcade subscription rather than play old DOS games. I would like to state that Apple is a FOR PROFIT company and that it's normal for it to want to make money.
2. some people claim that Apple should open up the platform because they are "power users". I would like to state that Apple also has a responsibility to protect dumb ignorant non-power-users, who are the VAST majority, against malware, unexpected code execution, etc. If you are such a "power user" go install Linux somewhere.
3. some people claim that Apple is operating a "walled garden" as if it were a bad thing. Would you want criminals, dead animals, toxic waste in YOUR garden?
4. some people claim that Apple shouldn't complain about a few people wanting to run DOS games. I would like to state that running external code in apps may lead to app fakery: an app that behaves a certain way can become a completely different app once its executing external code. A scam app could be masquerading as a nice childrens game. This is what Apple is trying to prevent.
5. some people claim that Apple's rules are too vague. What exactly IS executable code? In the past I have created apps that could download TXT files containing a rudimentary scripting language I made up myself just to change the apps behaviour remotely. Is that "executing code"? I don't know. I agree that Apple should be more clear on this.

 

[iapplelove]

privacy and personal safety is very important to them.

lmao thank you I needed a good chuckle

 

[tf_dc]

2 ... If you are such a "power user" go install Linux somewhere.
3 some people claim that Apple is operating a "walled garden" as if it were a bad thing. Would you want criminals, dead animals, toxic waste in YOUR garden?
4 some people claim that Apple shouldn't complain about a few people wanting to run DOS games. I would like to state that running external code in apps may lead to app fakery: an app that behaves a certain way can become a completely different app once its executing external code. A scam app could be masquerading as a nice childrens game. This is what Apple is trying to prevent.

2 Unfortunately there are no available/affordable/well supported (by app devs too) full-fledged GNU/Linux phones. The real choice it between iOS and Android, if you are going to use it as a phone/productivity tool, not a tech-toy. I have Linux and Windows on my desktops and laptops, and I didn't buy a new MacBookPro when my 6-year old MBP started dying. Btw, you just said "Linux", as if it were something terrible, LOL.

3 I want to tend to MY garden myself. And I want it to be MY garden. If someone turns their garden in what you just described when there are no nannies and policemen nearby, it is their problem. Most people don't like living in a trash bin and don't turn their homes or gardens into ones. And I don't pity those who need constant supervision not to pee themselves or not to turn their gardens into a public waste disposal place.

4 Apple devices are hacked and the users data goes to the unfriendly hands with a respectful regularity.

I won't quote the old good B. Franklin here, for it would be tooooo obvious a quote.

 

[Alan Wynn]

Apple, stop trying to control what the consumer wants to do with our bought devices.

Did you no know that Apple controlled the App Store and what you could do with an iPhone before you bought it? It is a platform choice. If you do not like the choices Apple provides, buy a different platform.

Why? Just because Apple says so. Jeez.

Yup, it is their platform and this is all clear upfront.

All this kind of arbitrary decisions make very difficult to keep supporting Apple.

Fortunately, you do not need to keep supporting them. Buy and Android device and get rid of all these restrictions that you apparently do not like.

 

[Alan Wynn]

Then make it option. If you need to Apple to baby sit you because you cannot distinguish between a legit and a potential dangerous app, fine. Some of us can take care of ourselves, thank you!

There is an option, buy the other platform. You want something different that the vast majority of Apple customers, stop trying to force everyone else to change to meet your wishes.

 

[Alan Wynn]

As a 20-year veteran of Apple products, Windows 11 is looking more alluring by the day.

Glad you have options! Not sure what Windows 11 has to do with iOS, but fortunately nothing prevents you moving to Windows 11 and Android. Free yourself of the restrictions you hate.

 

[Alan Wynn]

Schools and organizations can already do this. They just force you to download a profile - which you have to comply with in order to get access to "X"

Nope, they are still bound by the App Store rules. With sideloading, they would not be bound by anything.

 

[Alan Wynn]

Thankfully I pulled the trigger anyways, and as long as I have a copy of it, I should be able to load and use it while I can.

Given that you know this application cannot be updated, I guess you will not be upset when it stops working in some future release, right?

People yell “freedom and choice” yet allow Apple to offer no choice and strict control. Baffles me every time I am thinking about it. Makes no sense.

Apple offers a different set of trade-offs than Android does, and most Apple users prefer those choices. You clearly do not. Given that, I would suggest you will be happier on a different platform.