I cannot speak for the grandparent, so here's my best guess what was meant: namely the introduction of a centally managed "app store" as the central/only way to install new software on your device, thereby taking control away from users?!

Was the iPhone the first device to come with that concept?

▲

blibble a day ago | parent | next [-]

carriers had similar stores for j2me apps

on the original iphone the only "apps" you could have were websites, as apple hated the carrier approach

	▲	justsid a day ago \| parent [-]
		The “sweet solution” has long been debunked by the people who worked on the early iPhone OS software. The iPhone was always supposed to have apps, it just wasn’t ready yet. Heck, half the OS wasn’t ready either at launch or the MacWorld presentation.

▲

guyomes a day ago | parent | prev | next [-]

On video game consoles, the concept of taking control away from users seems common. There was some Linux kit for the Playstation 2 for example [1]. On more recent console, the process is not facilitated, to say the least [2].

[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_for_PlayStation_2

[2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homebrew_(video_games)

▲

CharlesW a day ago | parent | prev [-]

> Was the iPhone the first device to come with that concept?

Far from it.

Before Apple, carriers and handset makers 100% controlled what you could install. "App stores" like Verizon's Get It Now, BREW, and Nokia’s operator portals existed, but they were fragmented, clunky, often exploitative, and comparatively laughable in scope and scale.

Apple did what seemed impossible at the time, which was to persuade/cajole/force carriers and handset makers to give up their roles as gatekeepers. They created a single global marketplace with mostly-predictable rules and simple discovery, which finally allowed indie developers to reach users directly just as easily as global behemoths.

	▲	GeekyBear a day ago \| parent [-]
		Remember when Verizon was sued for forcing device makers to disable Bluetooth file transfers if they wanted their device to be allowed to connect to Verizon's network? Verizon wanted you to have to pay a fee every time you used their software to transfer an image from your phone to your computer, or vice versa.