Apple's Closed Ecosystem

Comments criticize Apple's tight control over its hardware and software platforms, including app store restrictions, resistance to open standards, alternative OSes, and developer tools that threaten their dominance.

➡️ Stable 0.5x Hardware
5,406
Comments
20
Years Active
5
Top Authors
#1462
Topic ID

Activity Over Time

2007
3
2008
79
2009
93
2010
553
2011
229
2012
282
2013
166
2014
124
2015
172
2016
181
2017
175
2018
151
2019
262
2020
689
2021
542
2022
392
2023
418
2024
487
2025
388
2026
20

Keywords

OSX IBM IOS HyperCard AppKit POSIX i.e I.e segmentfault.com OS apple macos software ios hardware ecosystem platform control app store osx

Sample Comments

loungin Apr 5, 2025 View on HN

Apple will never consider doing that. Their actions speak to the exact opposite: total control of their devices and ecosystem, non-cooperation with other companies on standards, stringent app store controls. They gain nothing, in their eyes, to allow that development model.

m463 May 14, 2024 View on HN

I don't understand this comment. Apple has will for many things. They could give you a rubber room to build software on a mac or even an ipad, but keep strings attached and not let you run it without asking permission (like ios now)

sircastor Oct 24, 2019 View on HN

I think OS makers explicitly don't want to do this. In the case of Apple, they prefer you to use all their tools and technologies. It allows them more management of the experience.

loceng Feb 25, 2014 View on HN

Unfortunately it's likely they will go "full asshole" as Apple is a controlled ecosystem.

echelon Feb 19, 2025 View on HN

Only because Apple made a non-open platform.

ieatpaste May 19, 2009 View on HN

If this is merely based on platform, Apple is simply setting a precedent for other frameworks. From a business perspective, they don't want to lose direct control of the development of applications, especially since the Apple app approval ;) process has been shown to have holes as of late.

webmobdev Jan 12, 2021 View on HN

No, it is a deliberate business decision - they are moving towards converting the macOS into a closed sytem like ios.

michaelscott Jul 28, 2016 View on HN

I hear you, but Apple isn't known for developing in this way. Their focus is on controlling the entire experience, hardware to software. Still, anything is possible

gameswithgo Oct 13, 2019 View on HN

apple is built on free and open tools, and you can’t make free and open tools on apple products. it is a sad state of affairs.

robenkleene Jan 25, 2020 View on HN

Point blank I think Mac App Store restrictions, iOS restrictions, and the current decrepit state of AppKit are all a systemic approach by Apple to prevent new powerful tools from emerging that threaten their current market dominance. Ben Thompson wrote the canonical piece about this situation[0], but I think this paragraph from a different article is the best summary[1]:> The reality for Jobs and Apple was that the company’s users needed Office (along with Adobe’s products) more than they