Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

You only have that right in advance, though. If I get an iPhone and buy a bunch of software on it and then 3 years later Apple Changes The Terms Of Our Relationship, I don't have any ability to migrate my data (let alone my purchases) to another platform. Not only do I have to buy a new smartphone, I have to re-buy my apps even if those apps are available on Android. Even if the app's developer wants to give me the app for free on other platforms, they can't, because Apple refuses to give developers any information on their customers. This came up previously when some OS X software had to leave the Mac App Store. Likewise any music or videos I bought on iTunes won't migrate over to my Android phone - in the era of physical media this wasn't a problem, you could pop your CD or DVD into any player you want so you had true freedom.

Windows and Mac and Linux environments are not sandboxed like this either. All my data is files in folders, and I can export it as I like to another machine.



Freedom of choice implies that you do have to make choices though. If I buy a Ford, and later decide that a Chevy is what I want, I don't complain...I sell the Ford.

If I have a windows computer, and I buy a mac, I can't run all my windows software. The developers of that software may not even make mac equivalents.

The idea that choices need to be ultimately convenient and consequence free is just not realistic. Depreciation, transaction costs, and functional differences between products are a consumer's problem to manage.

I agree with you on media files, but, I also know that there are plenty of workarounds to exporting iTunes specific media formats if you would rather leave iTunes behind.


If you buy a child seat whatever into your car you are right to assume that it will work on the Chevy as well..


Do you think it would be unfair to the users who bought an iPhone 3 years back considering sandboxed appstore as one of the main reason to buy it?


This is a problem with any store, though, except for some very specific situations. You won’t solve that problem by having more isolated islands. I agree that this should be improved, I have no illusion that Facebook and Epic have any intention of doing that.


You solve it by allowing sideloading (which necessarily means isolated islands can be created too, but that is not the point)




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: