
Microsoft backs Epic against Apple in legal fight over Unreal Engine on iOS - Nitrolo
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2020/08/microsoft-backs-epic-against-apple-in-legal-fight-over-unreal-engine-on-ios/
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ksk
With phones replacing traditional uses of laptops and desktops, "but its a
phone, and their software/their rules" will not be an appropriate defense of
Apple. We would never accept Microsoft banning Chrome or Firefox from being
installed on W10 because it "duplicates native functionality". Or maybe that's
unfortunate way computing is headed with Google/Apple tightly locking in their
platforms and their rent-seeking policies on their App stores. Time will tell.

Tim Sweeney is the epitome of geek success. Hes a self-made wildly successful
programmer-businessman with nerd-cred that rivals John Carmack. It's sad to
see that he is not getting enough support here. (I fully accept that MS is
probably just backing the anti-apple sentiment in this case)

~~~
EricE
"With phones replacing traditional uses of laptops and desktops, "but its a
phone, and their software/their rules" will not be an appropriate defense of
Apple."

Really? Despite the hand wringing Apple is not a majority of the market, nor
anywhere near market capture MS was during the antitrust days. That did
nothing to alter Microsoft's perch. The only thing knocking MS off the top of
the hill was the innovation of the smartphones/tablets.

For me the appeal of the iPhone _is_ the walled garden. It just works. No,
it's not perfect but it's way better than general purpose computers. Which I
also use and also have their place.

To me iOS is an appliance. A tool. Pick it up, use it and move on. No thinking
about managing/maintaining it is required. It's why for many of my family
iPads are their primary computing devices. Because they don't want computing
devices - the want devices that will let them surf the web, talk with friends
and family and do other tasks. Period. They don't give a rats ass about
"computers" (hint - an opinion shared by the majority of people on this
planet, whether we like it or not).

Why isn't there room for both models? Why can't there be tightly managed
platforms, totally open platforms and then anything in between? The mere
existence of iOS doesn't prevent people who don't want the rules imposed by
iOS to pick some other solution. Yet ironically you want to dictate to Apple
how they should be able to run their platform while complaining they are too
restrictive?

And as I made in another comment, the hypocrisy of Microsoft in particular on
this is hilarious. I'll take them seriously on this subject when the Epic
Store shows up on Xbox Live and MS isn't taking a cut out of it either.

~~~
ksk
I don't want to beg Apple or Samsung or Microsoft or Google to be given the
ability to program a computer. I don't know if you realize it, but that is the
way things are headed now.

To be supremely clear - You can support convenience without compromising on
these ideals. What you seem to be alluding to is a "kiosk" / zero-maintenance
feature, or an OS mode with stripped down functionality that makes things
simple and convenient for people who need it. I am not opposed to such
functionality whatsoever. It is an orthogonal issue to having control over
your own computing devices.

>Why isn't there room for both models? Why can't there be tightly managed
platforms, totally open platforms and then anything in between? The mere
existence of iOS doesn't prevent people who don't want the rules imposed by
iOS to pick some other solution. Yet ironically you want to dictate to Apple
how they should be able to run their platform while complaining they are too
restrictive?

What choice are you referring to exactly? Or rather, is there even a choice in
the market?

Has the market "spoken"? Things don't just happen by themselves. What's wrong
with demanding things from companies? Don't we demand that manufacturers stop
using supply chains that exploit slave labor? Don't we demand companies spend
money on workers' safety? Don't we demand that companies pay a living wage?
Don't we demand companies to respect our privacy? Don't we incentivize
companies to donate to good social causes? These things were considered not
mainstream-important at one point in time. What a horrible time we would be
living in, if people would have just said "take it or leave it". Even in a
capitalist society, we have a long history of getting companies to focus on
things way more important than money.

------
EricE
Of course Microsoft will be announcing the Epic Game Store on XBox Live any
day now.

Right?

~~~
eightysixfour
You mean like they offer EA Play (Game Pass competitor) on Xbox Live?

