>the $99 fee IS a barrier to entry that I would argue has made the iOS ecosystem better than Android

Citation needed.

Are you seriously asking them for a citation on their own opinion?

In their opinion, the barrier to entry has had a good result.

In your opinion, it's akin to BMW's heated seats subscription.

On the face of it, whether I agree or disagree, the first opinion at least makes more sense.

Since both are opinions, "citation needed" is a non sequitur. Or do you have citations for your opinion?

If BMW started the heated seat subscription over 15 years ago, would people still be complaining today?

The citation is his own experience (and mine) and "doing the right thing" from whose perspective? All that matters is Apple's.

> Just because a company's gouging and gatekeeping has a side effects of keeping the great unwashed masses away, doesn't mean it's the right thing.

And yet, in a world filled with actors with malicious intent - cybercriminals, spammers, secret services, dark spyware vendors, scammers cashing in on "popular" brands or sometimes outright cloning applications - it is the only way to enforce some honesty.

I don't like it either, but I do not see an alternative.