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0 pointsscarface747y ago0 comments

It’s only a “problem” for a relatively few techies. Most people would be better served by a wall gardened. Seeing the mess that the average consumer makes on thier Windows computers is evidence.

My mom would never have to worry about getting malware because she searched for a printer driver if she had an iPad. Heck, she wouldn’t have had to worry about a printer driver at all.

And if you want to see what happens on mobile when you have an App Store with an out clause like on Android for the common consumer, look no further than what happened with Fortnight.

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7 comments · 2 top-level

sonnyblarney7y ago· 3 in thread

I totally disagree and the evidence is Android.

A) Android doesn't have some vast and ugly problem with malfeasance.

B) It's entirely possible to educate customers that if they go outside of respected shops - they run the risk of problems.

C) The 'Windows' analogy doesn't really hold because mobile OS APIs are totally locked down. Any app installed on Windows/Mac can effectively wipe out your machine. It's a huge risk. An android app has very limited API access, moreover, the user has to grant explicit rights.

Fortnight is not a bad example of anything really.

There's no evidence that people really benefit from fully walled garden.

Moreover, there's evidence that they can't get the apps and functionality they need, because there are quite a number of apps that simply cannot be easily developed and deployed in iPhone - so many corporate and B2B apps. It's possible in only limited scenarios.

The 'security' issue is not real. It's a tactic by Apple to control the market and that's mostly it.

scarface74OP7y ago

A) Android doesn't have some vast and ugly problem with malfeasance.

https://drfone.wondershare.com/android-tips/top-android-viru...

It's entirely possible to educate customers that if they go outside of respected shops - they run the risk of problems.

People have been saying the same thing about PCs since the 80s. How has that worked out?

An android app has very limited API access, moreover, the user has to grant explicit rights.

Like “Access File System”,”read phone state”, etc.?

Fortnite isn’t a good example of anything.

https://www.cnet.com/news/just-as-critics-feared-fortnite-fo...

There's no evidence that people really benefit from fully walled garden.

Except that you never hear about the malware on iOS that is able to be installed on Android devices.

There's no evidence that people really benefit from fully walled garden.

There is plenty of B2B software on iOS, a large multinational company I use to work for distributed all types of apps for their employees that never went through the App Store. Another company I worked for distributed B2B software for other customers.

Moreover, there's evidence that they can't get the apps and functionality they need,

What apps does the general non techie consumer “need” or “want” that they can’t get on iOS.

sonnyblarney7y ago

A windows app can do anything do your computer. Spyware, malware, erase the hard drive. No permissions needed.

Android - it's very limited what they can do - and they need permission.

This is perfectly fair.

There is basically no reason for a walled garden - that 'there exists some malware' on Android is not evidence that 'open' is a problem, it's just evidence that 'open will have some problems' - which I admit.

The very minor issues that can exist on Android are easily worth the open nature of the platform.

"What apps can't I get" ?

Well, this HN reader for one.

There are 100x more examples of decent apps being rejected from iOS than there are serious problems in Android.

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im3w1l7y ago

There are a few things, but porn games is probably the biggest.

int_19h7y ago· 2 in thread

A walled garden with a discreet gate that one needs to know how to open would still serve the non-techie crowd perfectly well, without compromising freedom for the rest.

scarface74OP7y ago

How well did that work with Windows UAC?

int_19h7y ago

UAC is a bad example - it's more like a walled garden where the wall consists entirely of gates, and when you approach any, it asks you if you want to open that. Hardly discreet.

In any case, this was in the context of app stores. What I meant is the ability to go flip a switch that enables sideloading, as you can do with Android or Win10 Store apps, if you know that one exists - on the assumption that if you do, you also know the risks. On Win10 specifically, this is stashed away in the system settings page titled "For developers", which comes with a bunch of warnings, so it's not something you can turn on by accident.

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7 comments · 2 top-level

sonnyblarney7y ago· 3 in thread

I totally disagree and the evidence is Android.

A) Android doesn't have some vast and ugly problem with malfeasance.

B) It's entirely possible to educate customers that if they go outside of respected shops - they run the risk of problems.

Fortnight is not a bad example of anything really.

There's no evidence that people really benefit from fully walled garden.

The 'security' issue is not real. It's a tactic by Apple to control the market and that's mostly it.

scarface74OP7y ago

A) Android doesn't have some vast and ugly problem with malfeasance.

https://drfone.wondershare.com/android-tips/top-android-viru...

It's entirely possible to educate customers that if they go outside of respected shops - they run the risk of problems.

People have been saying the same thing about PCs since the 80s. How has that worked out?

An android app has very limited API access, moreover, the user has to grant explicit rights.

Like “Access File System”,”read phone state”, etc.?

Fortnite isn’t a good example of anything.

https://www.cnet.com/news/just-as-critics-feared-fortnite-fo...

There's no evidence that people really benefit from fully walled garden.

Except that you never hear about the malware on iOS that is able to be installed on Android devices.

There's no evidence that people really benefit from fully walled garden.

Moreover, there's evidence that they can't get the apps and functionality they need,

What apps does the general non techie consumer “need” or “want” that they can’t get on iOS.

sonnyblarney7y ago

A windows app can do anything do your computer. Spyware, malware, erase the hard drive. No permissions needed.

Android - it's very limited what they can do - and they need permission.

This is perfectly fair.

The very minor issues that can exist on Android are easily worth the open nature of the platform.

"What apps can't I get" ?

Well, this HN reader for one.

There are 100x more examples of decent apps being rejected from iOS than there are serious problems in Android.

1 more reply

im3w1l7y ago

There are a few things, but porn games is probably the biggest.

int_19h7y ago· 2 in thread

A walled garden with a discreet gate that one needs to know how to open would still serve the non-techie crowd perfectly well, without compromising freedom for the rest.

scarface74OP7y ago

How well did that work with Windows UAC?

int_19h7y ago

UAC is a bad example - it's more like a walled garden where the wall consists entirely of gates, and when you approach any, it asks you if you want to open that. Hardly discreet.

1 more reply

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse