I think platform, marketplace and distribution channels are pretty intertwined these days. I mean, if you're writing an iPhone app you're targeting the iOS platform and as a result tied to the iOS marketplace and Apple's distribution channel.JiggeryPokery wrote: ↑19 Nov 2017The features you list there are largely to do with the install or management process of the plugin or platform hosting. Mattias specifically referred to the "Rack Extension SDK and platform", as being "amazing and unique". He's intentionally conflated the two, but they are somewhat independent, and IMO you've rather fallen into his trap there, and only considered the platform aspect in terms of feature-as-hyperbole. (This is based upon my interpretation of the RE SDK being what an RE can do, and the platform being how the RE is managed by the host; I'll concede others' definitions may differ here).
I'm guessing when speaking about the platform Mattias/PH also includes the marketplace and distribution channel since they all come as a package deal.
In terms of hyperbole, the sum that results from each of the parts makes it pretty amazing and unique.
Sure you can get copy protection (that seems to actually work and with no upfront cost), platform independence at native speeds (without garbage collection or running via a VM) capable of low latency / high frequency processing, write once portable GUI and online sales and distribution with additional usability perks such as sync for all outside of the RE SDK and platform. But not all at once.
The platform independence is something I think can manifest in so many ways, such as offering demos in the browser! If they want to be clever they could even create something like a Muse box but with REs.
The submission by LLVM bytecode for platform independence was certainly unique at the time, though webassembly may encourage similar APIs for platform independent GUI applications and games. Well. Apart from the lack of installation and a proper system for webassembly plugins that is pretty much what they have now.