Umm, I tinker on the raspberry pi 4 my son and I share. We tinker on our gaming PCs. We also tinker on our retro electronics (game consoles, computers and receivers).
I don’t have any urge to tinker with my phone, iPad or MacBook’s hardware- and that’s why I have them. We do build software via Xcode & Unity, which is an amazing experience, but I’m ok with the hardware being mostly static.
This whole “modern computers should be hackable like DOS machines of the late 80s” is absurd. By that logic we should never have accepted systems on a chip. The only criticism is that I strongly think these devices should have replaceable batteries, even at the cost of thinness.
You're not the only person in the world, though. But even more importantly, you shouldn't just think of Apple owners, but the entire economic landscape. The businesses that have to raise prices, the startups that have to fight for app store approval, the people wanting to get out immediate fixes, the experimenters wanting to push the platform further than they're allowed...
Nevermind the "famers should own their equipment" argument that states that all general purpose computing devices should allow their owners to run whatever programs they want. The fact that Apple controls banking, dating, email, and a million other economic and social functions should be even more reason. That's an unhealthy amount of power.
Apple shouldn't be able to force literally every company in America to dance to their beat to reach 50% of American consumers.
Really think about it.
Apple controls access to 50% of Americans.
That's monopoly. Only the US Government is more successful in its taxing and regulation regime, and this is theoretically used for the betterment of all citizens rather than just shareholders.
Apple subtracts from our whole industry to add to itself. They're acting like a republic of their own. They're downright impossible to avoid if you want to build a successful business.
Give up your Apple fandom for a moment and think about this.
Is this healthy?
Would you still be happy with it if it were Windows Phone instead of iPhone? Would you still defend it?
You're one person. I think you're missing that Apple controls 50% of the market, and I can't just give that up. There's no way to do business without dealing with Apple. Network effects. Bad network effects.
Is there a desktop computer that takes your wishes into account? None of those behave like iPhone. What about a laptop?
Yes. That is why I chosen Apple to be my gatekeeper - they have appropriate leverage. As long as they understand that my privacy is more important than business need of some developer they will stay in this position.
> Is there a desktop computer that takes your wishes into account? None of those behave like iPhone. What about a laptop?
Expectations are different from smartphone, laptop, desktop tablet, mini PC, gaming PC, console, microwave, car etc.
Those devices need not to be the same, behave the same even if there is CPU that can run arbitrary code under the hood.
That is why we have different markets to cater for different needs.
This is where you fail to accept that others might have different views.
I don’t have any urge to tinker with my phone, iPad or MacBook’s hardware- and that’s why I have them. We do build software via Xcode & Unity, which is an amazing experience, but I’m ok with the hardware being mostly static.
This whole “modern computers should be hackable like DOS machines of the late 80s” is absurd. By that logic we should never have accepted systems on a chip. The only criticism is that I strongly think these devices should have replaceable batteries, even at the cost of thinness.