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The rate is irrelevant to the question of Epic vs Apple. In their case, Apple had terms already in place which Epic agreed to in order to develop on their platform. Epic then decided to try to defy those same terms by challenging them in court. The judge pointed out that's not how T&Cs work.

If Microsoft introduces wiOS (Or OS W?) in which you can only run applications you install through an app store, then users and developers will decide whether that's an experience they want and if it is, then an ecosystem will develop around it just as happened with Apple. If not, it will just be an expensive lesson for Microsoft while everyone remains on their preferred OS.

If it turns out all major OSes lock their users into app stores and there remains a significant market for users who don't want that experience, the market will be primed for another OS competitor to take that share.




I'm sorry, but you make it sound very trivial to create an OS. I don't think there's a level playing field there.


? huh? We’re literally talking about Microsoft here.

Of all people, Microsoft could do it. They have before. A Windows X with a appstore only would be a trivial variant for them.

Either way, it’s irrelevant to the parent comment: if you agree to the terms, they willfully defy them... well, you’re violating your commercial agreement.

What next, I sue amazon for discontinuing my AWS services when I start running spambots on it or some other willfull violation of their avceptable use policy [1]?

Its ridiculous.

The only ones winning here are lawyers.

[1] - yes, they do have one, and you will get suspended if you violate it. https://aws.amazon.com/aup/


Microsoft windows on mobile failed. One of the biggest reason was lack of external services and apps. If Adobe stop working on MacBooks, they won't be lucrative to many people anymore. And Adobe won't build for an OS without users. It's the same problem as social media but worse.

Early market movers have an advantage and that will keep growing.

Another reason why many hospital systems, military, etc department pays microsoft to support XP. Those OS aren't "better". Most people using them won't choose them over windows 10 or Mac if given the option.


It failed because Microsoft gave up on it, while not having the patience (and money) they had with XBox.

Windows Phone was already reaching 10% mark when they gave up, and were the Android alternative to many Europeans.

The proof being that in what concerns tablets, most people around here not carrying iPads, are carrying 2-1 Windows laptops with detachable keyboards, not Android tablets.


It's not trivial but not impossibly hard either.

You have open source Android or Linux to start with.


Install Ubuntu ?

As long as Linux can be installed on desktops you technically have a choice.


Didn't they try to add an app store with win 8? And failed miserably for quality reasons?


Yes. Windows RT was what it was called, and it was Windows locked down to only run store apps. The market decided it sucked and it ended up failing.


Windows 10X.


" the market will be primed for another OS competitor to take that share."

No.

There are massive barriers to entry for some markets, particularly platforms, and it's naive to indicate that 'some competitor will come along'.

Many markets are 'locked down' to the point wherein there is very little competition among them, and high tech gives us many examples of that.


Not saying you might not be right this time, but that was literally the view of the mobile phone market in 2007...

Ed Colligan, CEO of Palm: "We've learned and struggled for a few years here figuring out how to make a decent phone, PC guys are not going to just figure this out. They're not going to just walk in.”


There were mobile phones, the 'in between' BlackBerry, then smartphones.

Those were fundamental market disruptions and it doesn't happen very often.

Some markets do that every 'generation' (gaming consoles) but usually not.

Laptops may have presented such an opportunity, but they were slowly differentiated from the desktop.

So 'new markets happen' and during that time, yes, there's opportunity for new participants ...

But who 'won' the 'new smartphone wars'?

Apple and Google. Literally the two richest companies in tech. (Or close to).

That 'new market opportunity' was championed by none other than the giant gorillas of tech (and business) says something about the nature of power and competition.




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