Apple is reportedly preparing to allow third-party app stores on the iPhone

Now this would be pretty interesting and to be honest I didn't even realize that there were third party app stores on Android as well. And some already exist for the iOS too, see second link. If it's a good idea in terms of how many more malware infections you will get to see, is a different story.

https://www.theverge.com/2022/12/13/23507766/apple-app-store-eu-dma-third-party-sideloading
https://appbooster.com/en/blog/goog...est-3rd-party-app-stores-for-ios-and-android/

 

I'm guessing this won't stretch to desktops (mcOS).

 

Didn't even think of that. But on Windows and macOS there is no way to stop third party stores anyway. With that I mean, I suppose that any app can function as an appstore. Personally I'm not into appstores on the desktop, I rather download apps via websites.

 

In my experience there is only one official appstore and side-loading is pretty well covered by Gatekeeper. Well, hopefully. My experience with macOS isn't as good as with Linux. I had a struggle convincing Gatekeeper to install GIMP. I got it to install and even run, once. Before Gatekeeper in *bovver-boy mode uninstalled it. Finally I figured it out. I forgot the bovver-boy could be set to accept individual apps. I've not got more than about three apps from websites. The Apple walled garden has its advantages.

With Ubuntu I actually prefer the Snapstore. https://snapcraft.io/store

Snaps are sandboxed and safer than from websites.


*(Bother-boy) British slang for a pugilist troublemaker, often a skinhead. Usually pronounced 'Bovver'; Which is mimicking an Estuary (Thames area) accent in which the term probably originated. It is now an accepted expression and essentially a neologism. In the Black Country we have an equivalent expression; 'a Yed-the Ball'. Bother is purported hooligan slang meaning trouble. As in: 'A bit of bother'.

 

I freaking hate app stores, why not simply let people download apps from websites? You can't do this with the Microsoft Store, which is actually broken on my Win 10 machine after installing some patch (I have stopped patching) and it seems like on Ubuntu you also have to use the Snap Store app, with no ability to download apps from the website? This is dumb as hell in my view.

 

I believe the argument is that the store is safer. Have you ever actually used Linux/Ubuntu? The Brave version I use as my default is from the Brave site itself.

https://brave.com/linux/#release-channel-installation

Downloading from Linux repos is the traditional way for Linux download installation anyway (even though it can be unnecessary as many distros contain almost everything required). Firefox is bundled as the default browser. Even snap packages can be loaded in this way or websites. Again, the argument is for stores that they're inherently safer. It's considered one of the reasons Linux is inherently more secure. Mint; fundamentally an Ubuntu fork, refuses to use snaps. Certain Canonical decisions literally split the Ubuntu community in half. Snaps are sandboxed giving them an even greater security. The controversy is that some snaps are better developed than others. The Firefox is superb, Mozilla code it themselves. Notwithstanding everything can be updated in one go in Ubuntu, and most Linux distros I believe. Making updating quick and painless. It might be worth actually using Linux before you make statements or draw conclusions.



It doesn't surprise me that MS can't build a decent store!

 

Thanks for the info, but to clarify, I do understand that app stores are more safe, but why do I need to use an actual app to download other apps? You can also make these apps downloadable from a webbased app store, not? But like I said, you can't via the Microsoft Store, and it seems that you also can't do this on Ubuntu and macOS.

 

I'm not quite sure what you mean mate. Unless snap packages were originally designed to do this by Canonical? Shuttleworth often does things like this and then stops and goes back to more traditional methods, although sometimes he has no choice. Besides, the hardcore Linux users love overcomplicated ways of using the terminal and esoteric stuff. I think it fulfils some primal need they have. I'm pretty sure it's contributed to the commonly held assumption that Linux is abstruse, incomprehensible, difficult to use and not user-friendly.

 

What didn't you understand? To clarify, on Windows there is the Microsoft Store app, that you can use to download all kinds of apps and videogames. But it's not possible to download these apps/games directly via the MS Store website. It will always launch the MS Store app first, how dumb is this? I assume it's the same on Ubuntu and macOS. Don't forget, popular download websites like Softpedia, FileHippo and SnapFiles are also appstores, but they are webbased.

https://apps.microsoft.com/store/apps
https://macdownload.informer.com

 

Yeah, it's Windoze ain't it lol? I just went to the website (in Safari) and downloaded GIMP and others. No need to open the Apple store. I did the same with Brave or Firefox. Admittedly I used the Ubuntu Snapcraft store for GIMP and Pinta. In which case I used Terminal commands. I still went there in Firefox. No need for Snapcraft. I don't understand why you're convinced I needed to use the Apple store & Snapcraft in either case. I open the Ubuntu repo first thing after boot. It checks to update the snaps.

 

Oh OK, then I misunderstood. So on macOS and Ubuntu you can download apps directly via your webbrowser? On Windows this isn't possible, you really need to open the MS Store app first. Since the MS Store app is broken on my system, I can't download certain apps. For example I wanted to download this file manager, but I can't.

https://files.community

 

Windows eh? . Now you know why I changed to Unix.

 

There is no reason for me to switch since I can download just about any app directly from the web. I just think this whole ''app-based appstore'' approach sucks in general. That's why I also hate apps like Steam. The only advantage is that apps in first party appstores are supposed to be clean. But I have never been infected in the last 25 years while downloading apps from all over the web. This doesn't mean it will never happen of course.

 

ok

 

You know, I think this is a case of misunderstanding. I will tell you why I was convinced, it's because I can't find direct download links to apps in the Ubuntu Snapstore. I do see a link to ''View in Desktop store'', which I assume means you need to open the app similar to the Microsoft Store on Windows.

And even worse, I can't even find a link on Google to the Mac App Store, perhaps because a webbased version simply does not exist? Are you saying that on the macOS you can open Safari, Brave, Edge or any other browser and go to a webbased Mac App Store and download apps directly from them (.dmg files) as you would on let's say a site like Softpedia?

 

The apps in the Ubuntu store are usually downloaded with the terminal. Apple apps (GIMP etc) can be downloaded from websites.

 

You still didn't answer the question. Is there a webbased Mac App Store? Because that's what I'm trying to figure out. If you say no, then there isn't any difference between Windows and macOS when it comes to app stores.

 

You must be having a bad day. Yes Apple has an App store.

 

You must be having a bad day too LOL. I'm asking where I can find the webbased Mac App Store, if it exists in the first place. There is a difference between an app and a website. Obviously the Mac App Store app is only available on macOS. Just like the Microsoft Store app is only available on Windows.

 

Apps distributed via Apple’s App Store have a Preview (page) on the web, but can only be downloaded via Apple’s App Store App.

Example:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tweetbot-for-twitter/id1527500834

Apps distributed outside of the App Store can be downloaded directly from the web (manufacturer’s website or any other).

 

Rasheed, just buy a Mac and get it over with. You know you want to.

 

That's not the same store, or at least it's not the same view as the one as seen on an iMac/Macbook.

 

OK thanks, this is what I was trying to figure out, but seems like Daveski17 somehow misunderstood me. So this means that there is no difference between the Microsoft Store and the Apple Mac Store apps.

Too expensive and I don't think I can get used to macOS, I'm the type of user who can get irritated by small things, a true geek. Windows is not perfect, but it's good enough.

Interesting, but the question is, can you also download software directly via Safari on the website that you get to see? And the point that I was trying to make is that on mobile devices, app stores make sense, on PC's not so much. For example here are some other web-based appstores for the macOS:

https://mac.filehorse.com
https://en.softonic.com/mac
https://www.macupdate.com

 

No, I assume that's why it's called the app store. However, it contains links to homepages of developers so I assume Safari could download from them.

 

I have no idea what happened in the above post. This site is getting seriously weird.