“Apple’s success gives it numerous benefits and privileges,” Mike Elgan writes for Computerworld. “One of these is that it gives Apple the ability to exert a previously unheard of level of control over both its App Store and its retail Apple Stores.”
“This has always been Apple’s modus operandi. But, increasingly, the more successful Apple gets, the more it seizes control,” Elgan writes. “Or could it be that Apple’s control freakery is the key to its success?”
• Apple drops Nest Thermostat
• Apple insists on designing every package in the Apple Store
• Apple bans apps from giving purchase alternatives
• Apple bans reviews for iOS 9 beta testers
“Does Apple’s industry success and insurmountable dominance enable its unprecedented control over all aspects of its stores?” Elgan writes. “Or is the control freakery itself the secret to Apple’s success?”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Both.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
Okay, I get what you’re saying and I do agree on some of the points. However, absolutely NO ONE should be reviewing 3rd party apps based on their experience on iOS 9, an unreleased iOS that’s not out yet. Its not fair to those third-party developers.
I wonder why Burger King doesn’t sell Big Macs.
No, but BestBuy sells Macs. So much for control “freakery”. Worst marketing and sales experience Apple could have.
It’s called a business model, Elgan. And based on results, it seems to be an extremely good one.
And other than having a media platform available to you to write drivel like this, what qualifications do you have to criticize Apple’s model?
… NO. One of Apple’s worst enemies is the insistent bullshittery from people haven’t got a clue why Apple is GREAT. Forget about Apple being perfect. But they continue to be, may they ever continue to be, better than ALL the alternatives.
So dopey analcysts: Just STFU and LEARN from Apple.
It’s called free enterprise — capitalism. If you don’t like it spend your dollars elsewhere.
The ban on beta testers has always been there. They have their own forum to discuss issues and hopes and fears.
The packaging design is new, but I suspect all major retailers do this. Walmart, Target, etc, because they want to optimize shelf space, and overall shelf appeal.
Apple has said in the passed, if you use their service to advertise and charge for products, then you offer 30% cut. Yes this seems high to some industries. However, Apple is pretty consistent here. They are treating everyone equally.
So then, what’s the problem? Oh, I see now, hit whoring.
Past
Not to mention this isn’t the first beta of iOS that restricted app store reviews. It just happens to be the first public beta.
Apples control over package design of partners products seems a bit extreme. I guess we will see if those products have an increase in sales or not.
Elgan’s a sometimes effective reporter, e.g., as host of Tech News Today finding stories and interviewing guests, but generally runs off on tangents when acting as pundit….
Personally, I think it could go a lot further. Picture this. You buy a $15 app. The app is supposed to be one of the coolest, most useful things you’ve ever needed. But when you open the app, the button labels look blurry and say things like “menu-open-blue btn” and some buttons, some very important to the usage of that app, seem to not even be there. Others are simply lank, black things with no hint of what they do. And you can’t forget the first time you opened the app, and came across the usual pages of info on how to use the app. You flicked and flicked, and the pages turned but nothing else happened. You had to just tap tap tap the screen until something happened. And when you finally got the app to actually start, you get the weird buttons and horrible uselessness of a $15 app. Now, of course sighted people don’t have to worry about that. But the millions of blind people who live under the ignorance of app developers who may or may not even know what the warnings about “unlabeled buttons” and such mean, deal with it every day, almost on every purchase of an app. So yes, Apple could force all labelable elements to be labeled and useable for admittance into the app store, but until Apple’s anger is roused against ignorant devs, its up to the developers that listen to make a change.:.
Sent from my iPhone
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The question is very poorly framed. It is not Apple’s success that allows them to be “control freaks”. And Apple is not successful because they are control freaks.
Apple is successful because they are good at what they do. And they say “no” to bullshit, which makes them good.
So both phenomena — Apple being good and Apple saying “no” — are the consequence of the same root cause: Apple knows what it is doing