apple roger mcnamee terrible mistake
3 months ago
Published April 13, 2022 by

Roger McNamee: ‘Apple is making a terrible mistake’ (video)

From “Apple’s Tim Cook making mistake in enforcing control over App Store” which aired Tuesday on CNBC:

Roger McNamee, Elevation Partners, joins ‘Squawk on the Street’ to discuss why regulators will force change for Apple, how he believes Apple views its position and more.

Cue the YouTube:

My take: McNamee’s got a point about the need for more nuance and flexibility.

18 Comments

  1. Tommo_UK said:
    Apple is not making a mistake with its strategic objective of maintaining control. It has been making strategic – and terrible tactical – mistakes in how to maintain this by using a simple consistent narrative that is so self evidently a truism that the common sense of it cannot be denied.”

    Or as SJ put it so eloquently:

    “Find a central metaphor so good that everything aligns to it” Steve Jobs

    7
    April 13, 2022
  3. Fred Stein said:
    But what does Roger propose?

    Is it alternative payments? If so, who protects our credit card info?

    Is it lower prices? If so, how much? Apple’s pricing is already competitive. No case has been made to dispute this.

    Is it competing with their 3rd parties? Nearly every major store, physical or virtual, competes with their 3rd parties.

    I wish interviewers would ask these questions.

    4
    April 13, 2022
  4. Fred Stein said:
    Roger is also wrong when he asserts that Congress wanted to work with Apple until just a year ago. We’ve seen the articles and video clips right here in River City for much longer.

    1
    April 13, 2022
  5. Greg Lippert said:
    I think Roger has a point. This is going to be forced down Apple’s throat and if they dont compromise the terms will be onerous to Apple and its customers.

    How about a no sideloading proposal that contains the following:
    1) customers can be contacted by vendors (if they opt-in).
    2) alt payment platforms, (at the customers own risk) and Apple still takes a cut of sales (20%).
    3) Lower App Store commissions to 20%.

    Would that satisfy EU and keep the walled garden /privacy intact?

    4
    April 13, 2022
  6. Thomas Williams said:
    Apple’s legal team no doubt has all sorts of precedent lined up to defend against assaults on the walled garden customers count on. Try to force mods or 3rd party add-ons upon complex new Caterpillar or John Deere equipment. Right to repair meets corporate power to carry out business as the Board & CEO see fit. In the end some app users will see more payment options but none will skip Apple’s commissions entirely or allow barbarians past the garden gates.
    Note: AV’s are already operating in farm fields, admittedly less risky places than I95 rush hour but the lessons learned with combines will drive improvements in other autonomous vehicles.

    3
    April 13, 2022
  7. Michael Goldfeder said:
    Tim Cook is telegraphing to all Apple customers that side loading will be done at your own peril. It’s doubtful that many consumers will elect to opt out of the App Store and put their personal data at risk.

    Roger was also advocating that Apple needed to settle with Epic as opposed to having a trial. Apple built the App Store and they’re not going to give it away nor kow tow to the demands of ignorant regulators, politicians, or the Coalition for App Fairness which is a complete joke.

    This is just getting started and the customers are not going to turn their iPhones into Androids anyway.

    7
    April 13, 2022
    • David Emery said:
      “and the customers are not going to turn their iPhones into Androids anyway.”

      Google released “an app for that” to ease the transition from iPhone to Android. I don’t expect many takers.

      1
      April 13, 2022
  8. Timothy Smith said:
    Other than Apple Music, is there an App that Apple arguably favors in the App Store over the competition?

    3
    April 13, 2022
    • John Konopka said:
      Exactly. I’ve tried looking at this and I don’t see Apple promoting their own software very much. Most of it they give away. A few pro apps are sold (FCPX, Motion). Do regulators expect Apple to supply an iPhone or iPad with no apps? That is absurd.

      3
      April 13, 2022
  9. Greg Lippert said:
    Unfortunately we have seen the EU do stupid and ignorant things in the misguided areas of competition. Why would they wise-up now? They will pass something anti-Apple, privacy be damned.

    5
    April 13, 2022
    • Tommo_UK said:
      Gregg L this is not an “EU” thing it’s a global regulatory movement as proMinent in the US as everywhere else. Apple has just lost control of the narrative in a way SJ never would have done and is now in detention with all the other misbehaving bullies, even though it doesn’t deserve to be.

      Rolling out lawyers is something you don’t want to be seen to be making a habit of.

      TC was great until about 3 years ago. Then I think be began to lose sight of the company’s heritage and revert to type a bit. The pandemic happened at just the wrong time in that respect for Apple, midway through a massive transformation and change programme spanning continents and now in tatters waiting for decision and circumstances to allow some vision as opposed to firefighting to return.

      0
      April 14, 2022
  10. John Konopka said:
    It is curious that Congress has so much energy to go after Apple and Google. Thousands are dying from gun violence but they don’t have the will to enact simple registration and tracking or insurance. Life on the planet is choking from CO2 emissions but they still shovel billions in subsidies to the oil and coal industries. Cancer causing chemicals are spread through the environment but they don’t have the spine to control that. People are dying and going bankrupt for lack of medical care but we can’t supply health care to the needy. Somehow, the tech industry seems like a safe target.

    5
    April 13, 2022
    • Steven Philips said:
      It’s congress’s magicians trick. Wave your hand around “Apple! Monopoly! Big Tech! Corporations!!!” over here to distract the audience. “The Great and Powerful Oz – er, congress person.” Vote for me, I’m tough! (On whatever!)

      2
      April 13, 2022

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