Item — HN Reader

Because interoperability is key to competition...?

Imagine a universe where different hardware doesn't interoperate (e.g. androids can't call iphones, Macs can't use google.com, ChatGPT is only accessible to Comcast subscribers) I hope we can all agree it's a nightmare scenario. Sometimes the free market gets it right without intervention, sadly sometimes it does not.

3 comments

> androids can't call iphones

Oh, you mean like how iOS has a private text chat system Androids can't access, and they're only kinda partially giving access to some of the features a decade later? Wouldn't that be crazy.

I can imagine a universe where payment systems selectively interoperate. It is pretty common now. tells can have multiple pieces of hardware.

> androids can't call iPhones

Nextel had exactly this with the walkie talkie feature and the market sorted it out.