I don't have a problem with alternative app stores and generally favor openness in computing, however I see no reason that Apple should be restricted from running its platform how it wants to run it. Game consoles have had exclusivity pretty much since their inception and no one seems too bothered about it.
If Apple had a dominant market share to the point of being a defacto monopoly, then I might believe differently, but they don't.
>I don't have a problem with alternative app stores and generally favor openness in computing, however I see no reason that Apple should be restricted from running its platform how it wants to run it.
That's the crux of the entire case, Yes. Jury is literally out so I won't make any judgement on how right/wrong it is.
I'll just note that "monopoly" isn't a clear cut case here. IANAL, but I imagine it very much depends on "accessibility" as well as market share. e.g. it's easy to walk across the street from walmart and shop at Target if they one day change policy. If you don't like android's play store, you can use F-Droid, Amazon's app store, and a few others that aren't beholden to Google's rules.
There's zero other stores to try without voiding warranty on IOS if Apple one day decides to ban a certain kind of app; for all intents and purposes, that form of app is banned from IOS if it's banned from the App Store. And buying an android is more expensive than walking across the street.
>Game consoles have had exclusivity pretty much since their inception and no one seems too bothered about it.
I don't mind the consoles opening up stores either. However, consoles are much more ephemeral than a PC/mobile OS, so the incentive for 3rd parties to make a store every 5-7 years may make the openness moot. So I see very little changing even if they get caught up.
Sony did lose a lawsuit over removing the very niche option for a PS3 to install another OS, so it's not like there is zero precedence there.
If Apple had a dominant market share to the point of being a defacto monopoly, then I might believe differently, but they don't.