It’s not us I’m worried about - I remember getting software for my PocketPC in *.cab form from PocketGear.com some 18-19 years ago (wow...)
The problem is everyone else: the non-experts. People pay Apple and Google (indirectly) to curate and moderate their respective app-stores.
Remember how about 10-7 years ago the web was covered in ads for various DVD/video/movie conversion software? A small number of companies selling thin wrappers around ffmpeg or DirectShow (often but not always bundled with spyware or other crapware even if you paid for it) that only did one specific conversion (e.g. “DivX to H.264 Converter Pro 2009” and “WMV to MPEG-4 Converter Ultimate 2010” etc). I’d really rather not go back to those days for apps for my phone - or anyone else’s phone because then I’ll be roped into fixing people’s phones (instead of their desktops) and Apple will be there laughing all the way to the bank after they get rich selling a phone platform that’s stress-free to consumers because they moderate and curate their App Store.
Yet another refrain of, "but think of the casuals!"
And that's fine. But I'm sick and tired of watching power being taken away from the power users because of the masses
I would happily concede mobile if we could roll back desktop/laptop computing to Windows 2000-level utility, feature-richness, and control (without having to give up Windows itself)
Maybe, but the app can’t install malware outside of its sandbox, access my contacts, location, or any files. Unless it does something like play a silent audio track, I can disable it from running in the background, keep it from accessing cellular data, etc.
With the tight security of iOS and to a lesser extent Android, I know a random app can’t do anything except what I give it permission to do.
I’ll download and try any random crap on my iOS device, I’m very careful about what I install on my computer. Right now, my home computer has nothing more than the standard development tools. My other computer has Office, Vuze (for uhh downloading Linux distros), and a Plex server.
Or is trust a forgotten skill nowadays?