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Comment by brunoluiz | Hacker News Reader

Considering all the bad press Apple is having with devs at the moment (from Spotify and EPIC, to this), I wonder how these behaviours haven’t back-fired yet.

At the end of the day, a platform without apps or developers dies (Windows Phone users say hi). If devs get so mad at some point and stop pushing new apps or updates, I wonder if Apple would change their position.

Of course, I suppose this is still hard because 1) they are the most profitable mobile platform 2) many companies kinda rely on mobile. But well, no one predicted 2020 who knows what will come

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Most people/developers don’t care about these “issues”. Jessie Squires, while I am a fan of his, tends to be very outspoken on a variety of topics. It’s not out of character for him to write a profanity-laced tirade on the internet about something that doesn’t matter to 95% of people. This isn’t meant to be a dig on him or his beliefs (I wish I could be an anarchist) but just a matter of fact way of saying that most people and developers simply do not care about these “issues” and are just happy being developers for a great ecosystem that can line your wallet with fat stacks if you play your cards right.

As with most things on the internet, outrage drives engagement, so stuff like this will easily reach the front page of HN, even if most people really don’t care much at all.

many developers have really no choice (at least not individually). They don't really have the means to vote with their wallets, as foregoing the whole iOS market is.. not a choice.

What EPIC is doing is trying to rally people on their side of the fight.

This is the same reason why people (workers) have unions, in the traditional job market. It's not really comparable because developers are not workers, but there are some similarities: Apple benefits from the developers (immensely, with your Windows Phone example) and the developers too.. but Apple has the upper hand, by FAR.

Epic doesn’t care about anything except for their own profits.

I believe so too, but that does not mean anything for my argument. They are trying to rally people so that they can get better profits. The fact that maybe (and i'm skeptical about it) other people do too, it's coincidental for them, i'm sure.

Just because it's in their self interests does not mean getting rid of the forced walled garden does not benefit other developers.

At the end of the users own the devices not apple. It should ultimately be up to the user.

I agree, but that’s not what Epic is fighting for. They are just fighting for a part of the walled garden for themselves.

Rather than supporting Epic as if they are on our side, we need to actually think about what really would be a good alternative.

The walled garden has been hugely beneficial for developers, the relative app sales rates between iOS and Android is proof of that. And iOS customers overwhelmingly prefer the walled garden, it’s the main reason they buy iPhones.

If the walled gardens was costing Apple customers instead of attracting them, the iPhone would have failed years ago. Android devices are cheaper, more diverse, and more flexible. There would be scant reasons to buy an iPhone.

That’s the very definition of choice.

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