Tell you what: you seem to really resent the process so feel free to stop developing for the platform. There is a competing platform that has all the properties you espouse.
And there's even a natural experiment running on the Mac: there is an App Store like the iOS one and you can just download apps from the net. And guess what: users seem to prefer using the Mac App Store (which surprises me but, well, it's data).
Oh boy. Don't you think an actual, fair experiment would have to consist of two preinstalled app stores? "Apple taxed App Store" and "Free App Store", the former with $99 developer payments, a 30% tax and reviews, and the other a free-for-all (not using Apple's CDN, same sandboxing security model).
> There is a competing platform that has all the properties you espouse.
Thanks. This platitude was refreshingly insightful, and not obvious
> users seem to prefer using the Mac App Store.
Citation needed. Also, notarization is mandated by Apple, or the app isn't allowed to run. Guess what? The notarization certificate costs more than the Mac Store review (developer account).
Lastly, are you an Apple employee, or just a fanboy?
And there's even a natural experiment running on the Mac: there is an App Store like the iOS one and you can just download apps from the net. And guess what: users seem to prefer using the Mac App Store (which surprises me but, well, it's data).