This, from my perspective anyway, seems to be one of the biggest drivers of adoption for closed ecosystems. Users want to feel safe and not vet everything ( because it is hard to do well ) and it is genuinely hard to argue with that stance from a very pragmatic POV. As my friend once put it 'I don't want to spend my valuable time left fiddling'. For the argument you mention, I think I agree, because I still remember getting calls from family members, who installed something and now had constant unremovable popups everywhere.
That said, Apple seems to be more targeted now precisely ( compared to non-Apple linux and Windows ) because it has more people, who are lulled by the sense of security Apple curation model provides.
edit: I kinda get that the article is mostly about mobile devices, but the app-store concept appears to have moved to desktop world as well.
I agree - for most users safety is more important than "alternative stores".
This post is very manipulative in my view. It would be really easy to avoid that for the authors - just list the downsides of allowing any app to be installed on an iPhone. What are the consequences of allowing your parent to install "Bank of Amerika" on their phone? Exactly.
How people access apps is not a on/off switch between walled garden and dog eat dog free for all. Decentralized systems need to be designed with safety in mind, just like walled gardens do. Both can be done badly or done well.
That said, Apple seems to be more targeted now precisely ( compared to non-Apple linux and Windows ) because it has more people, who are lulled by the sense of security Apple curation model provides.
edit: I kinda get that the article is mostly about mobile devices, but the app-store concept appears to have moved to desktop world as well.