What would happen if apple forced the app store on macs? (THEORETICAL QUESTION)

[iAppleOrchard]

I have a very interesting question. Its theoretical because if Apple were to do this, it would end the Mac.

So you know the App Store and how it has strict policies, but side loading exists on the Mac.

Since my sources say that iOS 17.1 will introduce side loading in the EU, a question came to my mind, what if Apple forced the App Store on the Mac as well?

Very likely won't happen as this is a stupid idea, but would developers comply with it? I mean, the Mac is like 20% of the computer industry...

As a developer myself, I would not care as I make iPhone and Mac Catalyst Apps only, and already do use the App Store to distribute my Catalyst apps, but I would like to hear from other developers that made dedicated Mac apps what they would do if Apple forced this.

If you aren't a developer, how would you respond if you updated your Mac to macOS Crisis (real place btw) and saw all your side loaded apps did not work and you had to download from the App Store? What would you do if they didn't have an App Store version as well?

 

[gilby101]

Your premise is very unlikely particularly as the current regulatory climate is pushing Apple to open, not close, access to third party software and stores. As such, I really don't think it is worth discussing at present.

If I were a developer I would be more concerned about Apple removing (in the name of security) APIs, interfaces, frameworks, etc. from macOS without, in many cases, providing alternatives.

macOS Crisis? Please explain. I can only find references to 10 year old malware called OSX Crisis.

 

[bogdanw]

Theoretical answer: I will switch to Linux

 

[Basic75]

Everybody switches to Linux or Windows?

 

[iAppleOrchard]

macOS Crisis? Please explain. I can only find references to 10 year old malware called OSX Crisis.

Chisis California is a place, and since people would switch to windows/linux, that would be the name.

 

[thebart]

Back to windows I go. Majority of apps I use are not on the store. I don't even look for apps on the app store, I just Google. While many of them would probably be on the app store if forced, a lot of devs would simply not bother

 

[vagos]

I have willingly forced this concept upon myself. I only buy software from the app store. There's great software in there and the ability to keep all my purchases together across macs is superb. I have only downloaded the bare minimum of apps possible. Like firefox and iterm2. But were they in the app store, I'd installed from there for sure.