Eu to make Apple open up operating system to rival tech (link added forgot to include it this morning)
Eu to make Apple open up operating system to rival tech (link added forgot to include it this morning)
The European Union says it will outline steps to compel Apple to open up its iPhone and iPad operating systems to competing technologies under the bloc’s tough new digital rulebook, which threatens hefty fines for breaches.
An erra is to come to an end as the Eu says enough is enough and introduces new rules and hefty fines.
Let's go one further and compel Apple, Microsoft, and Google to open source their entire operating systems. :)
I am almost certain there would be two major impacts from that. The first being that operating system development would slow to the pace that the community wishes instead of having big money behind it. And the second is that security updates would come quite a bit faster.
Edit: I figure brand new major features would be slower in coming. But security would be improved.
Open source doesn't mean open source development. But yes on the bugfixes
I figure brand new major features would be slower in coming. But security would be improved.
I feel there's going to be an element of "old man yells at cloud" here, but that isn't inherently a bad thing. I just use Windows at work at the moment but there's very little I do in Windows that I couldn't do as far back as Windows XP as long as driver support kept up. I don't use it for the OS, the OS just enables me to use the applications I need.
Same with MacOS. I know Apple always act like every minor enhancement is the greatest thing ever (look, we added Tabs to Finder 🤩), but ultimately the OS is there to act as the pathway between my applications and my hardware.
If the focus switched from features to security, would we really lose anything of value? At a minimum I wouldn't have family contacting me cause their PC looks different than it did previously (looking at you centralised Windows taskbar 👀).
What does it mean to "open up" an operating system in this context? Do they mean something like the possibility to intall other OSes on their devices, or that the app stores needs to be more open? I'm guessing it does not mean they have to start open source:ing parts of the OS... or?
Probably to allow proper sideloading of apps, instead of the contrived bullshit they already tried to pull.
I would love if device makers were forced to open up their hardware to other OSs. Unlockable bootloaders for all as well as allowing users to install their own signing keys so secure boot can remain enabled.
Granted, there would still be black box firmware required to use half the components inside, but that's another battle.
We are talking about lawmakers making this demand. They don’t have a fucking clue what the difference is between all these possibilities.
From the last paragraph, it sounds like the intent is to make it easier to switch devices and services, which would be great
Hey EU! Microsoft is not letting me play Mario Odyssey on their closed system!! Fix it!
Hey comment section I forgot to add the URL to this post before posting it earlier today, I added it in now.
Let's make them open up their hardware instead with all the software or documentation needed to run it and have them compete with aftermarket operating systems.
Apple opening up would makes to mean toward them more. Still, I'm only going to get a new phone after 2026, after the EU's battery mandate in force.