Setapp Will Be One of iPhone's First Alternative App Marketplaces in EU

[HobeSoundDarryl]

I think it has become standard in many regions around the world. I lived in the US for some time and could never get used to your system of measurements. So confusing, when you did not grow up with it.

We Americans can be a stubborn bunch. There was a national effort to go metric way back in the 1970s... but teaching "old dogs new tricks" is sometimes hard. So too many of us rebelled and we stuck with the old imperial system. Too bad: the world has moved on to a great science-based system and hopefully we'll try again at some point... and succeed this time.

I'm an older dog now but would be happy to jump through some hoops to adopt that global system. Now it's just a matter of convincing about 339.9M other Americans to learn a new thing too, spend a bunch of money to make the change, etc. As much as we may want to rebel again, the rest of the world will probably not come back around to the Imperial system to save us the trouble.

 

[nrose101]

And I have been using Macs since 2006 and… no security issues whatsoever.

I didn't say my Mac. Since I always have been the IT person for family and friends, I have to fix their Macs when they get them. I am savvy enough and have been online long enough to not fall for any. But the general public... scary at times.

 

[nrose101]

We Americans can be a stubborn bunch. There was a national effort to go metric way back in the 1970s... but teaching "old dogs new tricks" is sometimes hard. So too many of us rebelled and we stuck with the old imperial system. Too bad: the world has moved on to a great science-based system and hopefully we'll try again at some point... and succeed this time.

The UK still supports the system that America uses. They are the ones who gave it to us. No standard is a pain, but hey that is choice.

 

[Woochoo]

Congratulations EU friends on now having another choice of app supply, access to apps that the rest of us will NOT be able to access, etc... with many more app stores and app buying options to follow. Inevitably, competition will lead to lower app pricing too (as only competition can), so enjoy getting some of the same apps the rest of us get... but paying less for some of them. And of course, those of you in the EU who have bought the whole "doomed" scenario still have access to the Apple App Store too, so you can keep getting apps the way you always have if you prefer.

Meanwhile, the rest of us will try to keep spinning how doomed you are (virus, trojans, crime syndicates, identity theft, fire, brimstone, locusts, frogs, plague, etc) and how much better we have it with a single "Company Store" fully controlling what we can and cannot access on devices we own... in spite of having the very same seller:buyer relationships with Mac, where we have all of the same freedoms you are beginning to enjoy (and no dramatic consequences in enjoying such freedoms ourselves).

Also congratulations to developers of amazing apps for now having a way to optionally charge a bit less but make more for the work in creating and maintaining iDevice apps... by not having 15%-30% coming right off the top if they are so inclined... exactly as it is with Mac apps should those developers wish to run their own App Store and sell their Mac apps directly to any of us.

Time will now show how all that security spin was mostly a pile of nonsense... as we all already know by not having our Macs compromised by the very same arrangement for all these years we've used Macs.... and as we recently learned against the great outrage of "forced USB-C" NOT resulting in lint extinction, wobbly ports and broken tongues at every turn (I'm still finding lint everywhere I used to find lint... and nary a single USB-C port repair kiosk has popped up in popular places to fix all those wobbly ports with broken tongues).

Will there be a few instances of virus, etc? Likely, as there are already a few instances of bad apps getting to people through the Apple App Store too. But I don't expect any more as a percentage of all EU iDevices than infected/compromised Macs as a percentage of all EU Macs. If EU people make intelligent app acquisition choices, they'll be just fine... just as we all are the we make intelligent Mac app acquisition choices.

Enjoy your new freedoms of choice EU Apple people. As an American, I envy this great advantage over my own highly-constrained potentials and only a single choice as shopkeeper.

All this doom and gloom is hilarious. You have a choice in the EU, any one who is frightened can still use the App Store FFS. Been downloading from third Parties on my Mac for years, never had problems. I’m in the UK, so I still have to use the App Store, but I do anticipate the UK CMA to following the EU CMA, in fact many other territories probably will follow the EU lawmakers?

It’s just fanboys defending their beloved company and some jealous americans, but indeed it’s funny they are more worried about our “safety” than we are lol

 

[djphat2000]

Like I said before. Subscription solves the .50 euro fee problem.

 

[Mrkevinfinnerty]

The UK still supports the system that America uses. They are the ones who gave it to us. No standard is a pain, but hey that is choice.

The UK uses the metric system.

 

[Apollo68]

The UK uses the metric system.

The UK drinks and drives in imperial though

 

[aj_niner]

The UK still supports the system that America uses. They are the ones who gave it to us. No standard is a pain, but hey that is choice.

The US best transition to metric like the rest of the world. The transition creates American jobs.

 

[one more]

I have never had a burglar in my house, but others have. So what exactly do you want to say ? That there are no security issues or that hey are rare because you hav not encountered any ?

I am saying that if you don’t click on “Install Mac Cleaner” pop-ups you should be alright.

Remember, Apple praised macOS for its security and now, all of a sudden, having no closely guarded AppStore becomes a security risk?

 

[Apollo68]

The US best transition to metric like the rest of the world. The transition creates American jobs.

The government for the most part has. Private industry is the hold up. The Mars climate orbiter for example, was lost because Nasa specified metric, but Lockheed Martin provided a thrust control system that worked in imperial/american traditional units.

 

[breenmask]

And of course, those of you in the EU who have bought the whole "doomed" scenario still have access to the Apple App Store too, so you can keep getting apps the way you always have if you prefer.

except when the app leaves the App Store.

immediately your whole post goes up in flames.

 

[Apollo68]

except when the app leaves the App Store.

immediately your whole post goes up in flames.

except the incentive isn't really there. alternative app stores and sideloading are also available on android, and yet the play store is still doing fine, even though it has a very similar royalty scheme to the app store.

 

[mejsric]

The choice is to buy an android device.

they dont like android, that's why they want to make iPhone like android

 

[laptech]

Apple's app store is free for users, Setapp charges a monthly fee to access it's app store. I think we can see what is going to happen here, a case of thanks but no thanks to charging to access an app store.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

except when the app leaves the App Store.

immediately your whole post goes up in flames.

Here's reality...

The whole iDevice planet is 16+ year programmed to get all apps through the Apple App Store. Anyone voluntarily pulling any apps out of it- and I acknowledge some certainly will try- will see the plunge in established revenue flow from NOT being where most shoppers shop. The sudden cessation of that revenue will motivate them to get right back in there again. I doubt that many will choose to sacrifice that easy, established money... even if they know they can make more per app unit sold by selling direct or in other stores with lower seller commissions. The smart thing for most to do is both stay AND go.

Now, I also expect many to offer their apps direct and/or through collaborations with other independents in shared stores, etc too. I think some who are long-term frustrated with Apple taking the first sizable bite out of each sale will even try to go exclusive but then the termination of easy, established money will likely bring most of them right back again... ASAP.

Net result: most apps will still be for sale in the Apple App Store too. Does this make sense? How is it in the Mac App Store? Apps are for sale there, cutting Apple in big on those transactions and some of the same apps are available direct (and/or in bundle offers, and/or still on retailer shelves or digital downloads), etc. So obviously, that works.

However, let's put my "flames" towards your take and fan them by imagining some app sellers want OUT of Apples store so badly, they'll just forego that easy money to go their own way. If EU people want those apps, they would then be pressed to buy direct- exactly as that situation works with some Mac Apps not in the Mac App Store but available direct or in other stores.

Let's further push your apparent point that some customers won't want to buy elsewhere so what will they do? There are MILLIONS of apps in the App Store. Pick almost any given app and you can find a bunch of similar ones with similar capabilities. If someone yanks a desirable app from the store and EU customers want those functions, they will likely just adopt another app with those features.

And if some features are somewhat unique to some app and that creator yanks the app, some other app developer will seize upon the opportunity to work those unique features into their app so that "App Store of Bust" customers can buy the same FABs but in a different app, still in the Apple App Store.

Along with previously-offered, very-tangible benefits of competition, ANOTHER BIG ONE is that it makes product creators more aggressive in competing on FABs too. In other words, it's not only PRICE competition, but also VALUE competition. So I basically dare many apps below the very big dogs with deep marketing budgets to yank their apps with a "shoot themselves in the easy revenue foot" stubbornness to stay OUT... and then watch other app developers replicate their FABs in alternative apps that remain for sale in the App Store too.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

indeed it’s funny they [Americans] are more worried about our “safety” than we [in the EU] are lol

THAT was a fantastic, LOL line. Good job!

 

[wbeasley]

While the "free our iphones" gang cheer and rally around this announcement, how many are actually going to subscribe to the limited group of apps they will rent through this store?

this isnt the outcome the freedom fighters wanted.

the alt app stores still only have Apple vetted apps. signed and approved.
not the games emulators or any old app they wrote and want to spread.
and the fee structure still sees Apple getting a large commission for technology platform.

this alt store is nothing more than a monthly app rental of existing apps. suits some people.
but if you already own any of the apps or use them for long enough, you may find it was cheaper to just buy them.

 

[mcnallym]

Congratulations EU friends on now having another choice of app supply, access to apps that the rest of us will NOT be able to access, etc... with many more app stores and app buying options to follow. Inevitably, competition will lead to lower app pricing too (as only competition can), so enjoy getting some of the same apps the rest of us get... but paying less for some of them. And of course, those of you in the EU who have bought the whole "doomed" scenario still have access to the Apple App Store too, so you can keep getting apps the way you always have if you prefer.

Meanwhile, the rest of us will try to keep spinning how doomed you are (virus, trojans, crime syndicates, identity theft, fire, brimstone, locusts, frogs, plague, etc) and how much better we have it with a single "Company Store" fully controlling what we can and cannot access on devices we own... in spite of having the very same seller:buyer relationships with Mac, where we have all of the same freedoms you are beginning to enjoy (and no dramatic consequences in enjoying such freedoms ourselves).

Also congratulations to developers of amazing apps for now having a way to optionally charge a bit less but make more for the work in creating and maintaining iDevice apps... by not having 15%-30% coming right off the top if they are so inclined... exactly as it is with Mac apps should those developers wish to run their own App Store and sell their Mac apps directly to any of us.

Time will now show how all that security spin was mostly a pile of nonsense... as we all already know by not having our Macs compromised by the very same arrangement for all these years we've used Macs.... and as we recently learned against the great outrage of "forced USB-C" NOT resulting in lint extinction, wobbly ports and broken tongues at every turn (I'm still finding lint everywhere I used to find lint... and nary a single USB-C port repair kiosk has popped up in popular places to fix all those wobbly ports with broken tongues).

Will there be a few instances of virus, etc? Likely, as there are already a few instances of bad apps getting to people through the Apple App Store too. But I don't expect any more as a percentage of all EU iDevices than infected/compromised Macs as a percentage of all EU Macs. If EU people make intelligent app acquisition choices, they'll be just fine... just as we all are the we make intelligent Mac app acquisition choices.

Enjoy your new freedoms of choice EU Apple people. As an American, I envy this great advantage over my own highly-constrained potentials and only a single choice as shopkeeper.

Then why on earth did you buy an iPhone? Knowing that it is a closed walled garden ecosystem if you wanted all of that for your phone.

 

[mcnallym]

The issue is that too many choices are bound up in just two options (iOS or Android), for no good reason. Your point would be valid if sideloading was the only difference between iOS and Android. But it’s just
one difference among many. Your argument is like saying “Oh, you prefer chocolate over vanilla? Then get a milkshake instead of ice cream.” Well, people would like chocolate ice cream, thank you very much.

However I like a walled garden iPhone, thank you very much, and I bought an iPhone in a walled garden.

Why is their "would like" more important then mine, when I bought the product as is, not bought a product and then complain about it not being an open platform.

My like doesn't stop you having an open platform phone available.
However your like takes away my option of the walled garden that I deliberately bought into.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Then why on earth did you buy an iPhone? Knowing that it is a closed walled garden ecosystem if you wanted all of that for your phone.

I didn't. I own no iPhone. I do own an iPad that stands in as my phone with buds + VOIP app. Pretty much the apps that are on it (for years now) are the only apps I want on it.

That doesn't stop me from appreciating the much more open markets for iDevice apps that are going to be coming available for our EU Apple friends. They want Epic games? They'll get them... instead of the "helicopter" deciding the rest of us shall not have access to them. They want some MAME? They will get that. They want a number of apps previously only available with jailbreaking, they'll have access to them too. The rest of us will NOT.

Competition always leads to competitive pricing. I can appreciate them having that too. We consumers do not "win" with a single "Company Store" setup. We're about to see that play out very clearly as our EU friends keep making us aware of how all is fine for them and they are enjoying a bunch of apps that we can't use and a number we can that they are getting for lower costs, lower in-app costs, etc.

I'm NOT in the EU so I won't get any of these new benefits. But I can easily appreciate what those consumers will gain. I can even envy their greater freedoms of choice and the utility therein.

And if I'm wrong and this leads to an endless pounding of virus, trojans, plague & pestilence, loss of first-born, 4 horsemen, etc, etc, neither I, nor most of us commenting about this will be affected in the least... and those so certain that this will be a security nightmare for the EU will be able to "I told you so" just as they are doing all these months later about that total lint-magnet, wobbly, broken tongue USB-C iPhone disaster we were so certain was going to doom us all. Where's THAT certain doom again???

However anyone feels about this topic, there's no stopping the grand experiment in the EU. Will it be the disaster some of us are spinning? Or is this another USB-C disaster that we also spun and ended up much ado about nothing? Stand by and see first hand without any risk of being affected by any of it if you are not within the EU.

And if you are within the EU and afraid, keep getting your apps, etc only from the Apple store and let your neighbors obliterate themselves... or not. You'll see the outcome much sooner than us armchair economists/marketers/CEO/security experts in the other hemisphere.

If you have been a long-term Mac user with these very same freedoms and flexibilities, you already know how this is going to turn out. But even if you have 1% concern, let 6 months pass and witness the EU destruction... or learn a valuable lesson like the very same one we just learned about the USB-C "forced" change... against the great tsunami of disaster spin that replacing Lightning was going to deliver.

 

[Fandroid killer]

Don’t you know the risks of viruses, your information being stolen, and your life being ruined! /s

Unless you are actively on cp sites or snooping around cyber criminal activity, the chances of this happening are as low as the apple app store 🤦‍♀️

 

[Fandroid killer]

Don’t you know the risks of viruses, your information being stolen, and your life being ruined! /s

Unless you are actively on cp sites or snooping around cyber criminal activity, the chances of this happening are as low as the apple app store 🤦‍♀️

 

[truthsteve]

still have access to the Apple App Store too, so you can keep getting apps the way you always have if you prefer.

did you even read the new App Store rules?

 

[Samplasion]

They saved you from cookies; oh wait ... you get to click on a popup for every website you visit, even if you don't live in the EU.

Thank the data-hungry, lazy as hell companies that can't be bothered to respect users' privacy

 

[bousozoku]

Why am I suspicious of Apple causing these app stores problems by their rushing to provide a solution that will cause a disruption in their software development plans?

I hope that things go well and there are no problems, though.