Comment by Tijdreiziger

> I’m just very surprised that this particular fact was somehow not known to an HN commenter.

Perhaps we misunderstand each other. Of course I have read that sideloading specifically is more difficult on iPadOS; this was not an unknown fact to me. However, that wasn't the sole factor in my choice of device (and if openness was my #1 priority, I could've just asked for (it was a gift) a PineTab).

The usability of the device for day-to-day tasks is the most important, and since I use a lot of apps on my phone, I mistakenly thought that this would also be an important factor w.r.t. usability when it comes to tablets. Therefore, when I read in reviews that the app ecosystem was much worse on other tablet OSes, that pushed me towards iPadOS. Again, privacy was also a factor (when compared to Android).

In 2021, any OS choice is ultimately a balance between usability, privacy and openness. If your last experience with a device class was a decade ago, it can be difficult to balance those factors.

(Now, if the mobile landscape resembled the PC landscape a bit more, trying different OSes wouldn't be so cumbersome. But that's a whole other can of worms...)