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Re: Musing on why Apple products don't work in the real world

Cross-posted to 3 groups.

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badgolferman wrote:
> Surely the mere fact you downloaded them from the App Store generated
> revenue for Apple.

Hi badgolferman, 

Tom Elam was trying to help, but he was listing apps where I was discussing
platform economics, so it's my fault, not his, that he misunderstood.

Thanks for thinking about this issue, which, I'd claim is likely the most
important strategic insight a human can have on why iOS is what iOS is.

If we don't understand the iOS ecosystem, we understand nothing about iOS.
As you've noted, even if the app is free, Apple takes 30% (or 15%) of:
 a. subscription revenue
 b. in-app purchases
 c. digital goods
Google Photos, Kindle, YouTube Music, etc. all have subscription tiers.

And, even for free apps, developers pay Apple to appear in App Store search
results. But for Apple, the hardware lock in generates future hardware
sales by Apple making their iOS ecosystem never work in the real world.
 a. iPhone upgrades
 b. Apple Watch sales
 c. AirPods sales
 d. iPad/Mac adoption

The App Store is not the revenue center. Hardware is.  
The ecosystem is the prison fence surrounding everyone who owns iOS.	

Apple's security model is real, but it's not unique.
 a. Android's sandboxing, permission model, 
    and Play Protect are comparable (if not better)
 b. Apple's refusal to allow sideloading is a business choice, 
    not a technical necessity for security.

If security were the only reason, Apple could allow:
 a. third-party app stores with notarization
 b. sideloading with warnings
 b. alternative payment systems
They choose not to because control = revenue	.

The the truest test of all that security is not the reason is that there is
no added security in iOS.

If security were the reason, then Apple failed miserably.
Yet, Apple did not fail.

They just propagated a socially acceptable mistruth for what they do.

Apple doesn't need to stop us from installing Google Maps.
They just need to make their product never work in the real world.

Specifically, any all-Apple household is doing EXACTLY what Apple's entire
ecosystem strategy is designed around. It's not safety. It's control.

It's that hardware lock in which makes Apple those ungodly profits.
Security is just the excuse (since there is no added security).

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Thread

Musing on why Apple products don't work in the real world Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-03-13 14:53 -0700
  Re: Musing on why Apple products don't work in the real world Alan <nuh-uh@nope.com> - 2026-03-13 16:23 -0700
    Re: Musing on why Apple products don't work in the real world Chris <ithinkiam@gmail.com> - 2026-03-14 22:05 +0000
      Re: Musing on why Apple products don't work in the real world Alan <nuh-uh@nope.com> - 2026-03-14 15:44 -0700
  Re: Musing on why Apple products don't work in the real world Tom Elam <thomas.e.elam@gmail.com> - 2026-03-14 13:05 -0400
    Re: Musing on why Apple products don't work in the real world Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-03-14 11:01 -0700
      Re: Musing on why Apple products don't work in the real world Tom Elam <thomas.e.elam@gmail.com> - 2026-03-17 10:29 -0400
        Re: Musing on why Apple products don't work in the real world badgolferman <REMOVETHISbadgolferman@gmail.com> - 2026-03-17 11:47 -0400
          Re: Musing on why Apple products don't work in the real world Alan <nuh-uh@nope.com> - 2026-03-17 10:47 -0700
          Re: Musing on why Apple products don't work in the real world Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-03-17 14:16 -0400
    Re: Musing on why Apple products don't work in the real world Your Name <YourName@YourISP.com> - 2026-03-15 10:21 +1300
      Re: Musing on why Apple products don't work in the real world Nick Charles <none@none.none> - 2026-03-14 23:57 +0000
        Re: Musing on why Apple products don't work in the real world Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-03-17 18:49 -0400
  Re: Musing on why Apple products don't work in the real world Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> - 2026-03-14 21:07 +0000
    Re: Musing on why Apple products don't work in the real world Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-03-17 14:25 -0400

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