But Apple CEO Tim Cook comes closest to offering outright alternative facts to Congress in a defense of the company’s App Store that essentially erases the history of online distribution before the 2008 debut of the App Store. “When the App Store was created, the prevailing distribution options available to software developers at the time did not work well,” Cook says. Lemke began selling in the Mac App Store when that option arrived, with the same 30% Apple share, but he still does some 60% of his business outside the Store. Apple did not answer a query sent Wednesday morning about how much of the Mac software market now takes place on the Mac App Store. “The App Store certainly added efficiency and greater breadth, which I wouldn’t argue with—but that’s a function of improving technology,” emailed Mark Vena, an analyst with Moor Insights & Strategy (his firm also posts on Forbes).

Source: Forbes July 29, 2020 15:45 UTC