@jjoelson @matthewstoller I think you are seriously mistaken. I’ve been an Apple user for more than 40 years. Once upon a time, you could argue that many Apple decisions derived from a principled devotion to simplicity. I remember when Apple User Interface Guidelines were like holy writ. 1/

@jjoelson @matthewstoller Apple hasn’t given a F about that for years, has constantly violated the principles it once established. Have you noticed ALL keyboard shortcuts ate gray in current MacOS, when once they installed black vs grey provide information, feedback about available functions, as a key piece of the simplicity and consistency of the GUI Apple pioneered “for the rest of us”? 2/

@jjoelson @matthewstoller Do you think Apple intentionally enshittifies Mail as “simplification” to make room for pro options? E-mail is commodified, with nearly all users using platform defaults or mail-provider webapps like gmail. There’s no “pro” ecosystem. Sure, there are a few apps on the app store that barrly eke a living despite how crappy mail is backed mostly by independent devs, but nothing remotely competed witu cross-device, built-in Mail. It’s just not a priority. 3/

@jjoelson @matthewstoller Or how about Photos. Not only does Apple not invest in Photos, it (1) ensures that 90%+ of pictures Apple users take end up on iCloud by making that the only safe and convenient place Camera to deposit photos and (2) DENIES 3RD PARTIES access to iCloud photos, so no “pro” apps can compete with photos. If you want a randomly shuffles slide show, you have to use a effing SCREENSAVER, because that’s an Apple app that supports it. Photos does not. 4/

@jjoelson @matthewstoller There are 3rd party slideshow apps. YOU HAVE TO DUPLICATIVELY EXPORT whatever album you want to shuffle — don’t try this with your whole library or a smart album that curates your whole library — into a folder, because the apps are FORBIDDEN BY APPLE from hitting Photo libraries that are effectively system services. 5/

@jjoelson @matthewstoller Apple simultaneously insists that Photos libraries belong exclusively to it (because they are a huge source of platform stickiness), and doesn’t bother to invest in the Photo functionality it offers users. Apple doesn’t care because Apple doesn’t have to. It has market power. 6/

@jjoelson @matthewstoller The quote refers explicity to “good enough”, not “simple”, and to the expense of what might exceed good enough. Sure, maybe DoJ is taking the quote out of context, I can’t say. I can say, as a ling suffering Apple user, I sure didn’t need DoJ to tell me that Apple has been abusing its market power for a very long time. /fin