Tim Cook Delivers Speech Emphasizing Apple's Opposition to Sideloading

[boss.king]

Actually, they kinda did. Apple did express how they are not satisfied with the security of macOS (thus they are slowly putting more restrictions on macOS). If you use a current macOS now and the old OS X, you will find the experience of installing 3rd party apps to be quite different, with current macOS putting out a slew of warnings and blocking installs.

They said they're not satisfied with its security, but what they meant was that they're not satisfied with its profit margins. Their greatest wish is to lock it down as tight as the iPhone so that they get a cut of every transaction that takes place on your computer.

 

[turbineseaplane]

They said they're not satisfied with its security, but what they meant was that they're not satisfied with its profit margins. Their greatest wish is to lock it down as tight as the iPhone so that they get a cut of every transaction that takes place on your computer.

That would be the end of the Mac for a lot of people.

I doubt they do it.

I know I'd instantly be done with it -- after decades..

 

[Beautyspin]

Here is the thing about that. Yes, it is sad about the whole censorship, but in the end, there certain laws every company has to abide by in every country. People blast Apple due to doing business in China, but last I checked, almost every American company does business there and they all have to follow those same rules & laws.

If these people need to side load due to censorship, you have Android. Why touch the iPhone?

Well, the company you all guys like to hate, Google, left China for this very reason. Looks like it had more balls.

 

[0924487]

And Walmart has a monopoly on their shelves. But you don't have to shop at Walmart.

The difference is iOS app distribution is a valid "Economic market" but Walmart shelves are not.

 

[0924487]

"can still work" and "must still work" are not the same thing, there would be no enforcement on side loaded apps, for any security aspects.

You do realize that even with App Store, the wording is "ask" not to track, right? It's not "prevent apps from tracking". Apple does not have the technical ability to enforce that, but Apple has the ability to pull all the VPN apps and apps such as FB and YouTube in some regions, and users cannot obtain them on their phone without sideloading, which Apple does not allow.

Apple also doesn't allow apps that go against their values, such as war crime tracking, legal pornography, gambling, torrenting, NFC apps that violate intellectual properties even for education and research, 3rd party YouTube apps, etc.

 

[germinator]

The idea that software that runs on a device YOU OWN must be approved by Apple has to die.

 

[applefan69]

I so hate the term side loading.... they are acting like its a new thing to install your own software without the manufacturer's permission....

The iPhone is one of the highest volume general purpose computers in the world.....that users can spend up to $2000 to own.... not lease, not borrow, but own.... we should have the right to use it how we see fit, whether within the Apple controlled garden or however else we would want to use a general purpose computer.

As long as the software you install doesn't have direct access to cause trouble with the cellular network, I see no issue...

Yeah but it is also the most SECURE computer to ever be mass produced and mass consumed. Think about that for a second. And not just by a small margin. We are talking insane secure. Beyond the wildest imagination of early computer engineers. This is an incredible feat of humanity, yet we got people complaining about it? We can go crayz about "choice for the consumer" all day long, but the point is fair to say that opening iOS up to sideloading brings new vulnerabilities to others & completely destroys the idea of "insane secure".

I do not care what you say. I guarantee there will be people tricked into sideloading things they don't want, leading to potentially ugly things. Just like our current computer system, it most definitely happens. Maybe not to you, but it happens whether you like it or not. Fact is only reason Mac OS was ever secure was because usage % was always low. The iPhone is a completely different market share situation.

I am with Tim here. When Steve announced the iPhone he emphasized security. He knew a closed garden was the only way to the ultimate handheld computer experience. Frankly I think he was right, and I know for a fact I am not alone. I think rest of you are just spoiled by your perfectly secure device, do not know what you have until it is gone.

Only reason sideloading existed in old dinosaur computers is because the engineers didnt know how to stop it LOL.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Yeah but it is also the most SECURE computer to ever be mass produced and mass consumed. We are talking insane secure, beyond the wildest imagination of the minds of early computer developers.

Not because of the App Store

That’s the mistake people keep making.

The iOS security model and OS design is where essentially all the security comes from.

 

[turbineseaplane]

When Steve announced the iPhone he emphasized security. He knew a closed garden was the only way to the ultimate handheld computer experience. Frankly I think he was right, and I know for a fact I am not alone.

Steve didn’t want any third party apps and had to be convinced.

His “vision” was so closed that the iPhone never in a million years would have been the success it’s become had it stayed with his initial vision.

 

[mikethemartian]

Well, you don't get to be the richest company in the world by doing the right thing by consumers!

 

[Seoras]

Why are they in the Google Play store and not forcing users to sideload and do all the scary things you mention?

Facebook - Apps on Google Play

Explore the things you love

play.google.com

View attachment 1990634

...because google hasn't enforced privacy on them. Duh!
Have you forgotten about Zuck crying over the changes Apple made in iOS14/15 than screwed his numbers?

 

[Seoras]

But Apple still control the platform, like they do with macOS......

Expand on your logic please. "control the platform"....?
If the doors wide open and there's no "policing" there's no control or protection from stuff getting added.
We've already seen on Play and even in App Store, apps that do things they shouldn't be doing (e.g. forcing a user to give a rating of min 3 stars)

 

[Seoras]

Why?
Have they done this on Android? Far more users there.

...because google hasn't enforced privacy on them. Duh!
Have you forgotten about Zuck crying over the changes Apple made in iOS14/15 than screwed his numbers?

 

[Beautyspin]

Isn't that simply "Privacy to the extent allowed in the country"? I'm sure there's some nuance here but your obvious bias towards the guy would hide that. Are you expecting Tim Cook to lead a revolution in China and Russia?

At least he could have left China the way Google did.

 

[boss.king]

That would be the end of the Mac for a lot of people.

I doubt they do it.

I know I'd instantly be done with it -- after decades..

It would be the end for me too. I don't think they'd be able to do it without major backlash (at least not anytime soon) but it's pretty clear that they want to.

 

[Naraxus]

And Walmart has a monopoly on their shelves. But you don't have to shop at Walmart.

But where can you get apps for iOS?

 

[ian87w]

Well, the company you all guys like to hate, Google, left China for this very reason. Looks like it had more balls.

While making deals with Tencent

Google inks patent deal with Tencent | TechCrunch

Google has yet more news from China after the U.S. search firm announced a patent cross-licensing agreement with Chinese tech giant Tencent. The terms

techcrunch.com

Yup, oh holy saint Google... LOL.

 

[ian87w]

I was speaking more to how he approached business. Remember, this is a guy who would shoot out angry emails to customers, telling them that if they don't like the way they were doing things, to buy something else. I can't imagine Steve Jobs taking this one sitting down. If he were alive right now and healthy, he'd be going full on atomic. And I seriously doubt he'd be worried about share-holders as well.

Yup. Steve Jobs would've been more colorful. He would probably hold a special event just to lambast Facebook and Epic.

Remember how Jobs wanted to spend all Apple's money to destroy Android?

 

[devinci99]

I don't buy it. Sideloading on Android works just fine and hey, all major corps are still putting their apps in the PlayStore. I don't see a single reason why that should be different on iOS. Sideloading is a hassle for users, so the majority of users will stick with the AppStore therefore no "big" company is going to skip the store for a different solution.

How about some of us customer like to have a buying choice of having a closed garden system like Apple and a phone that is full feature enough that doesn’t allow side-loading.

It’s not like Apple iPhones are the only choices in the market to choose from. Anyone who doesn’t like Apple ecosystem and iOS has the option to choose the alternative. Last I check Samsung made some awesome Android Galaxy phones, their high end competes well against Apple too.

I don’t choose Samsung because I don’t want side-loading, so I choose iPhones AND I would gladly recommend and defear my friends to Samsung if Apple’s closed system isn’t for them; I would also recommend iPhones for those who do prefer a closed and tight system.

 

[Beautyspin]

I moved to Apple 20+ years agro because Dell went cheap and moved customer support to India, leaving me with malware that could not eb taken care of after two weeks of struggles with India, That motivated me to take a brief trip to CompUSA to chat with the Apple Rep and leave with a 15" PowerBook, plus software to run one critical PC app. There was a LOT of transferring data (especially accounting data) and it left me with no return to casual protection of my data. The same is for today, but my medical records and data are at the top of my list for protection and I don't want Apple to get casual on security,

I guess it is time for you to move on from Apple too. It has also gone cheap and moved manufacturing to China (a long while ago) and India (recently). Nobody is cheaper than Apple, I guess.

 

[ian87w]

How about some of us customer like to have a buying choice of having a closed garden system like Apple and a phone that is full feature enough that doesn’t allow side-loading.

It’s not like Apple iPhones are the only choices in the market to choose from. Anyone who doesn’t like Apple ecosystem and iOS has the option to choose the alternative. Last I check Samsung made some awesome Android Galaxy phones, their high end competes well against Apple too.

I don’t choose Samsung because I don’t want side-loading, so I choose iPhones AND I would gladly recommend and defear my friends to Samsung if Apple’s closed system isn’t for them; I would also recommend iPhones for those who do prefer a closed and tight system.

Exactly. That's choice. If iOS is just like Android, that's no longer choice. Having two or more things that are more of the same are not choice.

 

[devinci99]

"By checking this box, I confirm that I understand that sideloading apps will reduce the privacy and security of my data, and Apple will not be responsible for any privacy leakage"

Sorted

Not that simple.

a lot of people don’t know what it is and can be social engineered to check that box or tricked to do it.

Consumers have choices: iPhones or alternatives like Samsung Galaxy S’s. Apple isn’t forcing or putting guns to people heads and force them to buy iphone. If you don’t like Apple’s system or Terms of Service, buy something else.

Don’t want to buy an Apple because they don’t let you side-load apps, buy an Android. Sorted.

Apple iphones also presents a choice of a product that —- believe or not, people want that choice over Android.

App Store develops also makes more revenue on App Store more than they do on Android. They are making those earning through Apple’s customers, not Android customers. These people had the choice to buy Android or Apple and they choose Apple.

LEt’s not ignore that iOS isn’t the largest chunk of the mobile phone market anymore.

 

[usagora]

The idea that software that runs on a device YOU OWN must be approved by Apple has to die.

Actually, the software runs within iOS, which APPLE OWNS.

 

[usagora]

Consumers have choices: iPhones or alternatives like Samsung Galaxy S’s. Apple isn’t forcing or putting guns to people heads and force them to buy iphone. If you don’t like Apple’s system or Terms of Service, buy something else.

Yes, I simply cannot comprehend why people can't grasp this concept. To advocate that a government force Apple to allow something within THEIR OS that Apple doesn't want to do is beyond the pale. If people want to hoot and holler and sign a petition to send to Apple Inc, then fine, but to actually support a government butting into this to force a change is absurd and is a sad testament to the rampant, out-of-control entitlement mindset prevalent throughout so much of society. It's sickening really.

 

[bushman4]

Buy Apple for Security and Privacy
Side loading Apps will only bring back all the viruses, scams, phishing and Malware which windows and Android is known for
Think about it