> you can install whatever the hell you want on an Android device by merely toggling a button
I can because I'm a computer geek. The majority of the population wouldn't know how to or care to learn how to go through the trouble of enabling "unknown sources" and ignoring all the scary malware warnings. Without that population, the prospect of running a commercial third-party store is hopeless.
> complete anarchy like PCs?
What anarchy? Software distribution on PC is great because users can, and regularly do, go straight to the vendor's website to buy their software. There is no middle-man.
From the security side, since Android and iOS have had sandboxing built in from day one, the risk of downloading software from a random website is much lower than it is on Windows. It's not zero, but it is lower, and it's not that much riskier than downloading a random app on Google Play (which has always been filled with malware).
But lets say it's still too risky for some reason. Fine. That's what anti-virus software is for.
So you want Google to basically advertise/encourage how to install stuff from unknown sources or to enable it by default?
I am not sure that's a good thing for majority of the population. Sandboxing does nothing if you download untrusted apps and give them permission to send SMS or setup a VPN or do whole lot of damage. If you aren't a geek you are saying ok to anything any app asks.
Android actually optionally, with rightful warnings allows PC like anarchy for geeks - if you are arguing that should be the default I am not sure many people will agree with that.
> I am not sure that's a good thing for majority of the population. Sandboxing does nothing if you download untrusted apps and give them permission to send SMS or setup a VPN or do whole lot of damage. If you aren't a geek you are saying ok to anything any app asks.
People already say ok to anything any app asks on Google Play. That isn't a problem unique to competing app stores, it's a problem with Android's permissions UI/UX. Just look at any non-tech-savvy Android user's phone to see that "anarchy" is already the status quo.
> if you are arguing that should be the default I am not sure many people will agree with that.
I can because I'm a computer geek. The majority of the population wouldn't know how to or care to learn how to go through the trouble of enabling "unknown sources" and ignoring all the scary malware warnings. Without that population, the prospect of running a commercial third-party store is hopeless.
> complete anarchy like PCs?
What anarchy? Software distribution on PC is great because users can, and regularly do, go straight to the vendor's website to buy their software. There is no middle-man.
From the security side, since Android and iOS have had sandboxing built in from day one, the risk of downloading software from a random website is much lower than it is on Windows. It's not zero, but it is lower, and it's not that much riskier than downloading a random app on Google Play (which has always been filled with malware).
But lets say it's still too risky for some reason. Fine. That's what anti-virus software is for.