Apple just kicked Fortnite off the App Store

Imagine if Microsoft did this on PCs. a) prohibiting the installation of non-windows store software (sideloading) and b) insisting that all purchases done via apps give them a 30% cut. I think this is a ridiculous practice on the behalf of Apple.

Microsoft already does exactly this on console. When will we see the Google Stadia game streaming app on the XBOX? Does Microsoft really not take a cut of VBucks bought on the Microsoft store?

This is just three big corporations fighting over their respective slices of the pie, if you think any of this is being said or done for your benefit I’m sure Epic has a plentiful supply of really tasty Koolaid for you. But no pie, sorry.

i’m not sure it’s fair to equate a general computing platform to a game system

I'm not sure it's fair to equate smartphones to general computing platforms, regardless of the marketing speak surrounding the newest iPads.

Personally, I like iPhones precisely because they're not general purpose platforms. I'm also not sure the phrase "general computing platform" can even be well-defined in the era of "smart" everything.

One definition may be that you can use the device to write and compile all the programs it uses (any part of the OS, including the kernel itself), so that you don't need anything else. Kind of like a self-hosting compiler.

Not that you'd want to, but if you decided to do it, the option would be readily available.