PS4 is just a shitty PC, why not join us, the PC gaming master race?

Here you're talking about AppStore distributed Apps, you don't have to use that channel of distribution. You can code sign whatever you like and distribute it anywhere, Apple has no say other than it'll get past Gatekeeper if built in Xcode tied to a dev account.

I agree that their policing method for the AppStore is perhaps a step too far (I've gone toe to toe with them many a time) but on the flip side with little control you get the Android store and while I don't mind my Android too much the playstore is just a shit storm of shovel ware and almost every apps claims it's going to use personal data.

I see what you're saying about learning by doing, I first got started on an Amiga and Workbench but I think you have a disillusioned view of the general public. They haven't got a clue and I don't think they want to have a clue. My dad has been running a computer store for 10 years now and I'd say 99% of the buyers want a machine for Facebook or Minecraft for their kids and that's it. Any large corporations hire tech people to manage the nitty gritty for their employees and will continue to do so. Those that aren't hobbyists are convenience whores and that's just the way it'll be and that's the way it'll stay.

The huge shift in the market to easier, brainless apps and closed environments is being driven by market demand and nothing else. That'll always receive push back from people like ourselves but then we're also the people who know how to circumvent such restrictions and those methods are still there for us to use, if Apple had enforced Gatekeeper then I'd totally agree with you 100%.

EDIT: I also think I'm ok with it as well now because as I'm getting older I just stopped giving a shit about all of the neat little tricks, I actually prefer the convenience. While I'm an Android user at the moment for Dev purposes, I cannot wait to get back to iOS because the freedom just irritates me. I kinda like being told how it should be otherwise I waste most of my time tweaking and messing around with stuff for no real gain.

 

I've seen it a few times over the past couple of years (I fix PCs professionally and for family and friends), it's mostly either down to corrupt or mis-installed drivers, or to physical memory errors (MEMTEST86+ is *so* useful for finding memory faults, http://www.memtest.org/ ). Thankfully, BSOD errors, like any other errors, are far less common on modern Windows versions than with Win9x/NT.

 

Can you distribute B2B without Apple's consent? Surely that would mean that cracked apps would be easily distributable?

I've just started in iOS Dev... The hardest part was provisioning my iPhone and signing for development on a hackintosh IMO

 

I'll just stick with the NES, N64, NGC, Genesis, Dreamcast, Gameboy, Game Gear, Game Boy Color, Game boy Advance, Atari 2600, and PS3.

And eventually the Saturn, SNES, Neo Geo Pocket Color, and Wii U can be added to that list.