• ForgotAboutDre@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      Apple forcing WebKit on its mobile devices is one of the few things stopping Chrome’s dominance on web standards. It controls the majority of the market. As well as most browsers that aren’t chrome are using chrome’s web engine such as Edge, brave, vilvaldi, opera, kiwi, Samsung web browser, electron etc.

      This move is good for Firefox, and good for making web technologies more accessible.

      However, it makes it easier for Google to force their vision for the future of the web. Now Google can push it’s browser on to iOS users as a solution to web pages not rendering correctly in WebKit. Rather than being forced to adopt and implement common web standards that safari and Firefox also follow.

      The best solution would be forcing all significant platforms to allow alternative browser engines (include iPads) and start to consider punishing websites that don’t fully support all major browser engines. Such as safari, chrome and Firefox.

      • uis@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        WebKit is chromium basically. Or chromium is webkit. You get the idea.

        If crapple wasn’t so anti-consumer, EU wouldn’t create law in first place.

        • ForgotAboutDre@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          Yeah, this is part of the big issue with chrome being internet explorer for this generation.

          Chrome forking WebKit has the dog wagging the tail. Apple need to follow chrome’s web ‘standards’, else they break compatibility. As well as the billions Google give Apple every year, no doubts influences their implementation of safari.

          But this change means Chrome can stray further from WebKit and use this change to get people using chrome on apple devices.

          The best thing for the future of the web is to use Firefox and boycott websites that don’t support it. If another new browser technology comes about that too would be worth supporting.

    • uis@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      Or EU move to everyone. I wouldn’t mind, EU is much better than bunker rat.

  • rottingleaf@lemmy.zip
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    8 months ago

    Well, there are separate cooler Japanese versions of some things. Why not this? Only then why Apple at all.

  • EarMaster@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    That way Firefox has to submit a different app for Europe, splitting its userbase and making it more complicated for developers. They are pulling every trick they can…

  • SuperSpruce@lemmy.zip
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    8 months ago

    Apple. I live in the US. I’m thinking of replacing my current iPad with another tablet. If you let me have real Firefox, I’ll probably buy a $750 iPad with a 1500% storage markup as my next tablet. If not, I’ll choose an Android tablet. It’s so simple, Apple. Huge profit or a lost customer. All because of something so easy to implement.

    • EarMaster@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      Just think about it. Let’s assume that 1% of users will do the same and choose another device on their next purchase. That means that the profit loss Apple has to expect is less than the profit loss for losing their app store monopoly. For Apple this is a somewhat simple business calculation and it shows how much more profit they earn from app store purchases than from hardware sales.

    • rab@lemmy.ca
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      8 months ago

      They don’t care, it’s more important to suck users into the apple ecosystem than it is to just sell devices

    • DreamlandLividity@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      I feel like “so easy to implement” still understates it. It is literally the default option: don’t crate and enfore a dumb rule. They have to go out of their way to make their product shittier.

      Also, you should not buy an apple product, if for no other reason, than because they can just change their mind at any time. As long as the appstore is the only way to install apps, you have no control over your own device.

      • SuperSpruce@lemmy.zip
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        8 months ago

        The problem is that Android tablets in the US have little competition, allowing for very high prices. The Samsung Tab S9 series are more expensive than the iPad pros.

        Also, basically all non-budget Android tablets outside of Samsung has copied Apple’s anti-consumer decisions to remove the headphone jack and MicroSD slot from their tablets. There’s not much reason to buy an Android tablet as Apple literally gives you superior performance per dollar.

        Also in my case, my current iPad is the only way I can use iMessage, which is how almost all of my friends communicate. And, the iPad really does have the superior stylus experience with the Apple Pencil (I have one, and it works great).

        One of the biggest weaknesses of the iPad is no true Firefox, which means that your best way to browse the web is through adblock Plus, or Brave browser. They block most ads, but don’t provide the blanket security and powerful features of uBlock origin.

        Fixing this one thing hugely swings the pendulum from “lean Android” to “likely Apple” for me. It turns the 6/10 product into a 7/10. And allowing sideloading would turn the decision into a no-brainer, as the iPad would suddenly turn into a 9/10.

        • dustyData@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          the superior stylus experience with the Apple Pencil

          I laugh at you in S pen. Having tried both, Apple pencil feels like a knockoff S pen.

          • SuperSpruce@lemmy.zip
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            8 months ago

            Interesting. I’ve never tried the S pen, and I thought reviews leaned towards the Apple Pencil. And every other stylus experience I’ve tried so far is subpar. I should give the S Pen a try.

    • ShortFuse@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      I thought you meant this:

      Microsoft insisted that Internet Explorer (IE) was not a product but a feature that it was allowed to add to Windows, although the DOJ did not agree with this definition.[6]

      The government alleged that Microsoft had abused monopoly power on Intel-based personal computers in its handling of operating system and web browser integration.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Microsoft_Corp.

      Also in the EU:

      Under the commitments approved by the Commission, Microsoft will make available for five years in the European Economic Area (through the Windows Update mechanism) a “Choice Screen” enabling users of Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 to choose which web browser(s) they want to install in addition to, or instead of, Microsoft’s browser Internet Explorer.

      https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_09_1941

      • wikibot@lemmy.worldB
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        8 months ago

        Here’s the summary for the wikipedia article you mentioned in your comment:

        United States of America v. Microsoft Corporation, 253 F. 3d 34 (D. C. Cir.

        to opt out, pm me ‘optout’. article | about

  • Gianni R@lemmy.ml
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    8 months ago

    I’m all for this change, but hopefully it means Mozilla will put some more energy into Gecko to make it competitive with WebKit in speed and multimedia capability (P3 colors, HDR images, JPEG-XL, etc)

  • vamp07@lemm.ee
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    8 months ago

    Just wait till the first security vulnerability are discovered in the code that now will be able to run on iOS and which Apple can’t control directly. Nobody will remember that the cause was forcing Apple to open up their system. They will just blame Apple.

  • Allero@lemmy.today
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    8 months ago

    Mozilla itself lashed out at this decision, as it means they have to maintain both Gecko (for EU) and WebKit (for everybody else) editions of the browser.

    This is, in essence, malicious compliance.

  • AutoTL;DR@lemmings.worldB
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    8 months ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:


    With iOS 17.4, Apple is making a number of huge changes to the way its mobile operating system works in order to comply with new regulations in the EU.

    One of them is an important product shift: for the first time, Apple is going to allow alternative browser engines to run on iOS — but only for users in the EU.

    Apple is clearly only doing this because it is required to by the EU’s new Digital Markets Act (DMA), which stipulates, among other things, that users should be allowed to uninstall preinstalled apps — including web browsers — that “steer them to the products and services of the gatekeeper.” In this case, iOS is the gatekeeper, and WebKit and Safari are Apple’s products and services.

    Even in its release announcing the new features, Apple makes clear that it’s mad about them: “This change is a result of the DMA’s requirements, and means that EU users will be confronted with a list of default browsers before they have the opportunity to understand the options available to them,” the company says.

    Apple argues (without any particular merit or evidence) that these other engines are a security and performance risk and that only WebKit is truly optimized and safe for iPhone users.

    But in the EU, we’re likely to see these revamped browsers in the App Store as soon as iOS 17.4 drops in March: Google, for one, has been working on a non-WebKit version of Chrome for at least a year.


    The original article contains 596 words, the summary contains 248 words. Saved 58%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!

    • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      Other than creating the M1/M2 CPUs, when in the last 20 years haven’t they been? Fuck apple.

      • sir_reginald@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        those CPUs just happen to have a huge marketing budget behind and a very loyal fanbase. They aren’t anything revolutionary. Sure, more battery life. In terms of daily usage, the difference with a high end AMD or Intel CPU is unnoticeable other than having a shiny apple on the back of your laptop.

        • BigDaddySlim@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          I’ve got a 13" M1 MBP about 2 years ago and I wanted to test it’s power after I set it up. I loaded up Final Cut Pro, got to work editing a 15ish minute 1440p video with a lot of elements to it. The render time was about 3 minutes, which is on par or faster than my 5950x/3090 K|ngp|n desktop, and the fans didn’t even turn on. It’s not over hype. M2, sure I can agree since it was marginal uplift over M1. I’m not even an Apple fanboy, but that M1 chip is damn good for an off the shelf workstation.

        • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          Well I went from an Intel to m1 (work) MacBook and the difference was quite stark. Even at times feels as fast as my home desktop, which is beefy.

  • DJDarren@thelemmy.club
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    8 months ago

    OF COURSE this doesn’t apply to the UK, giving me yet another reason to wish kidney stones upon the architects of Brexit.

    • sir_reginald@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      I mean, I’m sure they sell Android phones in the UK. Why do you buy Apple products if you are aware of their monopolistic practices that have to be battled with legislation?

      • DJDarren@thelemmy.club
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        8 months ago

        The fuck would I want to actively give all that data to Google for?

        Also, I’ve blagged a couple of fairly old Samsung tablets to use at work, and they’re absolute shit to set up when compared to an iPad. There’s all the stock Google apps, and all the stock Samsung apps that offer the same fucking features, and they keep bugging you to set them up.

        Nah mate, fuck using Android. All power to those who do, but it’s not my bag.

        • sir_reginald@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          it’s funny how you think that Apple isn’t recollecting your data. It seems like their marketing is effective.

          fairly old Samsung tablets to use at work, and they’re absolute shit

          Can’t argue with that, Samsung is absolute shit. Never used a tablet tho, so I can’t comment on that.

          The nicest part of Android is that it’s open source and therefore the community makes Android builds that aren’t plagued with spyware or any corporate bullshit.

        • FutileRecipe@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          The fuck would I want to actively give all that data to Google for?

          Heard of GrapheneOS on the Pixel line? “GrapheneOS is a privacy and security focused mobile OS with Android app compatibility developed as a non-profit open source project.” https://grapheneos.org/

          fairly old Samsung tablets to use at work, and they’re absolute shit to set up when compared to an iPad. There’s all the stock Google apps, and all the stock Samsung apps that offer the same fucking features, and they keep bugging you to set them up.

          Samsung is not the best manufacturer, plus you said old. Either one is bad, but that’s a terrible combo. And all the Google apps and OEM bloatware is fixed (gone) with a deGoogled OS like Graphene’s.

      • smolyeet@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        not OP, but for me, using an iPhone and wishing it had a few features android had feels a lot better than using android and wishing it had features iOS does. It’s not like they both don’t participate in monopolistic practices

    • AlexJD@feddit.uk
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      8 months ago

      I’m pretty sure the haunted Victorian pencil that is Jacob Rees-Mogg said that the UK not having universal USB-C was a “Brexit benefit”. God help us all.

      • Honytawk@lemmy.zip
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        8 months ago

        It is a benefit though.

        For the corporations that want to force users to buy their proprietary cables. To them it is a gold mine!

      • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
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        8 months ago

        Yeah but he only says that sort of thing because he thinks that anything to electronic is voodoo magic.