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Elon Musk: Apple's App Store Fees Are a 'De Facto Global Tax on the Internet'

Of course Elon doesn’t want to create a walled garden. His product isn’t established. I know 3 people out of a thousand that own a Tesla. He’s wants market share and the only way that’s happening is if his product ends up getting accepted. Are people really thinking anything else? What a loser.

it you don’t like Apple or any product for that matter, buy something else and use that. It’s a company that does what it does very well. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it expecting it to be any different. If I buy a new galaxy phone - guess what - it’s still some ridiculous screen repair bill. If I use android, I still unwillingly (that’s changing) give google all my data for free. It’s just ridiculous this take that Apple should have to change due to their premium product costing more making it unfair to the awful offerings elsewhere. I tried android a few times. It sucks.
 
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turbineseaplane said:
Completely agree.
I think in Apple land it just confuses people.

The inside of the walled garden can be very comfortable (until it is not - and by then it's too late)

It also requires thought to recognize how much we don't get - what never gets thought of or made - due to monopolization, control, concentration of all talent, etc.
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Check out Android. You are using wrong platform then
 
bookofxero said:
Do not use ASD as an excuse for his nonsense.

He is a privileged son who was able to use his connections and access to generational wealth to eventually achieve success. He does not even have any ideas that don't come out of old PopSci magazines.

Just because he is rich Diane man he actually has any idea or credentials about anything of which he speaks.
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Oh get off of that old privilege line. He’s doing things from old PopSci mags, not dreaming it. And allowing non-privileged or less privileged people build massive careers and their own dreams by going along with him.

Sure there are many Elons out there that did not have his comfy upbringing and connections (who are in career gridlock) but this one is helping to build our future.
 
Denzo said:
Of course Elon doesn’t want to create a walled garden. His product isn’t established. I know 3 people out of a thousand that own a Tesla. He’s wants market share and the only way that’s happening is if his product ends up getting accepted. Are people really thinking anything else? What a loser.

it you don’t like Apple or any product for that matter, buy something else and use that. It’s a company that does what it does very well. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it expecting it to be any different. If I buy a new galaxy phone - guess what - it’s still some ridiculous screen repair bill. If I use android, I still unwillingly (that’s changing) give google all my data for free. It’s just ridiculous this take that Apple should have to change due to their premium product costing more making it unfair to the awful offerings elsewhere. I tried android a few times. It sucks.
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He NEEDs market share to stay alive so that the legacy auto companies don’t force him out or into being acquired. The auto industry is basically impossible to simply enter on the whim of a good idea, drive and desire. Tesla still stands to get eaten alive by the auto monsters. And then turned into a vanilla boring product. Don’t confuse this for greed. It’s strategic .
 
Hoo Doo Dude said:
Musk should focus on improving reliability of the Tesla line. They are absolutely horrendous. He's more focused on manipulating stock prices.
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I certainly agree with the first two sentences. Would be nice to be able to download a firmware update without having to worry about what car features will stop working each time.
 
abhibeckert said:
A user can do that - but software developers don't have the same choice. And it's software developers who have to pay 30% of their gross revenue to Apple.

You have to be on whatever platform your customers use.
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But you have no god-given inalienable right to be on the platform your customers use.
 
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Cosmosent said:
The much BIGGER issue is that Apple has a Complete & Total Stranglehold on "App Discovery".

If Apple had competition WRT "App Discovery", UN-Discovered Gem Apps would (finally) have a chance to flourish !

Otherwise, such apps need an Investment (for marketing purposes) AND/OR a Grass Roots Campaign to gain traction.

Musk looks @ the world through Horse Blinders !

Just look @ the Today tab of Apple's App Store App today !

What kind of apps do you see ?

NOT Rocket Science, Apple knows what some App Devs know, that Apple has driven away most Adults from the App Store !
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I’ve just scrolled the entire length of the Today Only tab and found….drum roll please….

Every type of app…productivity, video, task management, password managers/ secure notes, fitness, music lessons, science, photos, meditation, diaries, AR, .pdf editing and a couple of games.

Not sure what your point is unless they’re targeting apps specifically at you?
 
4jasontv said:
The biggest issue to come of the epic lawsuit was when Apple was prevented from delisting all apps that used unreal. That decision by the judge was inherently biased as it revoked a right Apple should have about managing its own store.
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And if the judge rules that this is a contract dispute and not an antitrust case, Apple will be then free to delist unreal engine too. It was a temporary restraining order, not a permanent direction.
 
He should sort out his quality control before he mouths about other businesses - of the 4 friends that have one 4 have had issues in the Uk now. Easy to be innovative when you dont worry about quality.

www.greencarreports.com

Survey ranks Tesla last among all carmakers in initial quality, points to build issues

The market research firm J.D. Power has ranked Tesla at the bottom of its annual Initial Quality Survey results, due to build quality rather than technology issues.
www.greencarreports.com www.greencarreports.com

"Consumer Reports, which has praised the design of many Tesla models, said poor quality control -- including hair embedded in paint jobs -- meant it could not recommend its newest vehicle, the Model Y SUV. Of the four vehicles Tesla currently sells, only the Model 3 has the coveted "recommended" rating from Consumer Reports, although it briefly lost that designation in early 2019."

43k (at least) for a car full of issues - I can only imagine what the faithful here would tear out of Apple if they tried it on at that price.....
 
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Musk is a smart guy, but he is totally out to lunch on this. Epic is wrong. Epic is getting 70%. Apple is getting 30%. That is a total flip-flop for the publishing industry. Authors typically get 15% and the publisher normally gets 85%. Apple is being generous. The App Store is not perfect, but it is pretty cool both developers and consumers.
 
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DoogH said:
It’s a tax. If you want to deliver an app to the 40% of the US that uses the iPhone, you must pay the tax.

Businesses have no choice. That’s anti-competitive, because they can’t go to someone else if they want to reach that portion of the population.

Walled gardens decrease competition, raise prices, and ultimately result in slower advancement of technology. They are not good and we shouldn’t defend them.
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Actually, you can “deliver” an app without Apple taking a percentage by not charging for it. If you want to sell it then Apple takes a cut because it is a store, and that is how stores work. You can’t go into Walmart and sell your stuff without them taking a cut either, and Tesla won’t sell you GM or Ford parts. Doesn’t Tesla charge for the self-driving feature, then disable it if you re-sell your car? So doesn’t Elon tax every new owner of that same vehicle to re-enable that feature? Maybe they’ve stopped doing that, as it seemed pretty questionable.

And how is it a “global tax on the internet”? I only pay it if I buy an app for an Apple device, at which point the app developer gets 70 or 85% of the charge, which is more than they get if I just keep using Safari like I am right now. I don’t pay Apple when I surf on Windows or Android, or even if I buy a used Tesla that connects to the internet to download software updates which disable features which were enabled when I purchased it.
 
Interesting coming from the CEO of a company who’s model is also a wall garden, one is tied into Tesla with parts not available to others just like Apple also.
 
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villagehiker said:
Musk is a smart guy, but he is totally out to lunch on this. Epic is wrong. Epic is getting 70%. Apple is getting 30%. That is a total flip-flop for the publishing industry. Authors typically get 15% and the publisher normally gets 85%. Apple is being generous. The App Store is not perfect, but it is pretty cool both developers and consumers.
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I agree he’s missing one of the main reasons why iOS appeals to so many that the apps have been vetted and approved by Apple giving it’s guarantee that it’s safe to install with the knowledge if they is an issue one can contact Apple and be refunded if needed

if they were multiple App Stores it would be such a minefield for the average consumer and worries about is it safe I have my bank and contacts on my phone we’re the moment it’s safe

those that want full control like install apps by offloading have an option already called Android
 
theotherphil said:
And if the judge rules that this is a contract dispute and not an antitrust case, Apple will be then free to delist unreal engine too. It was a temporary restraining order, not a permanent direction.
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The issue is that Epic continues to generate revenue as a result of Apple being restrained. Apple is helping to fund Epic's legal counsel while they are in a legal battle. This temporary restraining order only hurts Apple.

Apple should have been able to hold all payments to developers with rights to refund customers 70 to 100% and remove the apps with offending code as soon as they were authorized. That way developers would know now that they should abandon Unreal and prepare to move to a different engine.

Or the judge could have told Epic they were not allowed to collect ANY royalties from customers while the case was in session. Once the case was settled they could begin collecting again.
 
That’s odd. I use Apple devices for hours every day, and 90% of that time I’m using Safari, not apps, and not paying a penny to Apple. And most of the app I do use are free. My friends, who use Android, don’t pay a penny to Apple either.
 
I was astonished to see recently that Tesla manufactured 2,340 Models S and X combined Q2 and delivered only 1,890 of them.
That's worldwide.
This is not a successful car company.
It's a company that has a high stock valuation and it makes most of its money- over $1billion last year- on other car companies offsetting their carbon and that will change very soon
It has a great charging network- a huge advantage- which he is seemingly going to give away which seems like a really dumb idea.
Some of the design has been really good but quality control is near the bottom of the pile and that's on almost no cars being manufactured.
He's forcing the Yoke on S and X drivers which means old guys like me who can afford one will never buy one because there's no way I want to learn how to steer again after 45 years driving for something that doesn't do anything better than what I've had before.
Still, if you can only supply about 10,000 examples per year of 2 of your models, it hardly matters.
And this guy thinks he can give advice to Apple?
 
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Are you using a service which people wasted time and sweat building it up? nice - pay for it.
People deserve compensation for their efforts.
 
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