Until you need to download something from the app store (happened to me the other day on a mac I wiped and then needed to bring on holiday so now I need to go through the process again afterwards)

You can install things from Windows/Microsoft Store without an account.

I’m sure it has forced me to login. I suppose I could have fallen for some dark pattern in the UI though.

God I hate what this industry has become.

I am also pretty sure that I thought I had to log in years ago I had windows. Probably also fell victim of the UI.

The point is you are not going to be allowed to even install windows without an account to make use of the great privilege of using a walled garden app store.

And no one on this forum really needs app store when homebrew exists

Yes, you can install shit off the play store without a google account. I use the Aurora Store to do so.

(Aurora store might log in to a google account behind the scenes, but I don't have to have a google account to use it.)

Just a matter of time. Look at where their interest are. Apple will probably be second on this, but if it happens it will be for both and the argument of security will be cried out loud at whoever complains.

It is not all a bad outcome, then anybody who wants to do any serious work on a computer will be forced to use linux.

Irrelevant. You can still use the OS and run any code you want.

I didn't have time to code a Vpn client before going on holiday...so I needed to get wire guard from the macos store.

it doesn't matter if you don't need account to access windows app store if you can't even use the os without an account. your point just doesn't make any sense to me

You cannot even develop or use anything that needs a compiler without siging up and logging in to apple to install dev tools.

So nah, same.

The "Command Line Tools for Xcode" don't require an Apple ID to install (and provides a C/C++/Objective-C/Swift toolchain (LLVM/Clang) and things like Make and Git). Not to mention other compilers not provided by Apple that you can just download and install. And yes, while you do need an Apple ID to download Xcode from Apple, you don't need to be signed into macOS with it (you can download it from the Apple Developer site).

Nah. In one case no one prevents you from torrenting third party Xcode at your own risk. You can run any code you want on your device. But in the other case you can't even use the OS. Cope however you want but QED.

It's not perfect, it sucks, but it's better