It’s really interesting to observe the way that we can all read that exchange with different interpretations. I don’t see the conflict you’re pointing to at all— to me, it makes sense that Cook can say users don’t want to navigate multiple stores if they had done, for example, focus groups.

Meanwhile the experiment that he didn’t want to run is whether users could distinguish between good quality app stores and bad quality ones, which he doesn’t know because they’ve never had to do it before.

That all seems sensible enough to me.

I think you have a good point, but is there any proof they have focus tested it?

My second question would be, are focus groups equipped to make a decision for potentially billions of users (given the sheer volume, and that focus groups are cherry-picked)?

Focus groups? Who is unaware of what they are buying at this point? We have had no choice but one store and if we demanded two stores we would be on Android. Why in the hell do you think they’d go out to do market research on a key marketing plan they already devised? Privacy is their next marketing angle and third party app stores don’t go hand in hand with that desire.

I don't get the whole Apple thing though. I can see the prices as inflated, but there are literally dozens of other options to iphones if you don't like iphone. Do you just want government to step in and run Apple as it sees fit like corps in China?