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0 pointssmoldesu2y ago0 comments

> I don't particularly enjoy the idea of Google being able to have even more of a stranglehold on the Browser market by them pushing Chrome heavily on iOS.

Aren't you just describing... competition?

If Apple's browser product is superior, users will use it. If those users want a feature Chrome has, Apple can either implement the feature or ignore it. That's no different than things are today, if you wanted to avoid a Chrome hegemony then we should have invested in a better cross-platform delivery mechanism than Electron. We didn't get one.

Apple's support to WebKit and Safari is entirely compulsory. I agree that it's a positive impact on the web as a Firefox user, but I'd also argue Apple's ends did not justify their means. The development of Safari is very distinctly neglected to increase demand for native (read: taxable) APIs.

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nerdjon2y ago

My problem here is Google, we can't deny they have used their position in Search, Gmail, Maps and others to push users towards Chrome with constant reminders to use their tools. I mean if I sign into Google on my iPhone I basically instantly get an email about setting up my iPhone with google or something, which is ridiculous.

Competition in this space is great but Google has far too much control of the browser market for my comfort and we are seeing the harm of that with third party cookies, tracking, AMP, and other things.

And again I welcome this particular change, I am just worried about what it will mean as Google pushes harder.

smoldesuOP2y ago

You're not wrong, but unfortunately I'm hard pressed to treat Apple any differently now. Apple also uses their position on the web, desktop and mobile to set unfathomably destructive standards for modern computing. AdSense and the App Store are two sides of the same con; circular marketplaces where the players scramble and the house always wins. They both feed back into terrible UX decisions and encourage the darkest, most manipulative side of either company.

It'll be different regulation that comes for Google, but you can take solemn certainty in knowing they're up next. My biggest concern is that Microsoft won't receive enough scrutiny, but on the other hand I can barely trust them not to capsize Windows over the next decade.

Regardless, 10 years from now I hope we'll have a more competitive and vibrant future for local compute and the web. It's a shame (but not unexpected) that regulation has to draw the line.

darkwizard422y ago

Apple is just as guilty of this. They regularly push users into Apple Maps for any address or location bit, can't even change the default app to which it would open. In fact, if I highlight and copy the address and then go into Google Maps, I get asked to grant permission to copy and paste every time...

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