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Comment by pentae | Hacker News Reader

What you really want is the ability to sideload apps without the App Store. Then you'd get your alternative browser rendering engine as well as tons of other useful apps that will never be available. Apple can do their best to make it difficult and warn users of the risks but it should be possible.

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This exists, albeit limited: https://altstore.io/

> What you really want is the ability to sideload apps without the App Store

Not really. The curation and verification of the App Store is a feature. I don’t want to have to download a must-have sideloaded Google app for work that snuzzles up all my data to Mountain View.

We wouldn't have had the insane progress when it comes to software and hardware if everything was locked down from the beginning as it is with Apple.

There are multiple ways to allow sideloading without your grandpa getting infected.

> if everything was locked down from the beginning as it is with Apple

Everything isn’t. Just one device among many.

Then don't, you still have the option to get everything from the App Store.

If not using the App Store is an option, then a developer could just not use it and you could be forced to get an app from an insecure place. That defeats the purpose of the App Store.

Developers will want to use the app store because they'll want to reach a broad userbase, just like on Android with the play store. (The Play Store has lots of scummy apps, but that's down to Google doing an awful curation job.)

> That defeats the purpose of the App Store.

It puts pressure on the App Store to not be so restrictive and greedy with royalties.

You still have the option of not using that app.

On Android, It can install apps from anywhere if user set a config. But most apps are still on Google Play Store so rarely need to install app from external sites/apps. I expect similar thing happens if Apple allows it.

> snuzzles

This word is a treat, thanks :D

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