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> If Apple and Microsoft could go back in time and change macOS and Windows to be like iOS where everything has to be approved and signed by Apple they almost certainly would.

What was Windows RT if not an attempt to move Windows over to a walled garden model?

The thing is that people run Windows because they want to run Windows apps. That is, Windows is an important OS not because it is such a great OS in itself but because it has a great selection of software. Same is true for Linux or any other mainstream OS.

Sure, but the thing is that Microsoft has taken multiple swings at "Windows that can only get apps from the Microsoft Store".

Windows S was another attempt.

(Your comment reads to me as having a tone of disagreement, yet you seem to just be providing further evidence of the point: we are confident that this is the case as Microsoft is actively trying -- if failing due to some of the other things you didn't bother to quote about existing expectations -- to gain this kind of control.)

>I think the idea of a general purpose OS without a company involved in deciding whether you are allowed to run programs or not is a thing of the past.

Android is the most used OS on the planet, so no. Not even close.

They already have.

The easiest way for me to buy something from any stripe or Shopify website (when on an Apple device) is to use Apple Pay.

But they aren't collecting 30% from Apple Pay. I assume they only collect juicy data and maybe even charge CC companies for making the service available?

Would love an informed reply, sorry for Google Laziness as I'm outdoors

Apple doesn't charge businesses to use Apple Pay. They do charge the CC companies a fee of 0.15%. This fee might be passed on to the merchant, but I'm not sure if credit card processing fees have actually increased since Apple Pay's introduction. It's been a while since I had any involvement in that world.

https://www.checkout.com/blog/apple-pay-for-business

Thanks for your reply & perspective!

Apple's ad business is fairly limited in scope (I think they only sell ads in the App Store and the News app) so user data is not as valuable for them as it is for Google and Facebook.

They definitely do make some money off Apple Pay transactions via interchange, but it's probably something like 0.1 to 0.3%.