I think your point is mostly correct about iPhones. I included more information to be precise, not to claim you were generally incorrect. It’s true that just the built-in software doesn’t let you do much on an iPhone.
That’s not true on Macs at all. In fact, the only thing I can think of that I actually use my Apple account on my laptop for is photo-sharing, and that only because I happen to use the built-in Photos app. I could just as easily share photos via Flickr or Facebook or Dropbox or any one of dozens of competitors. All my other software was available for free online or purchased from third parties, and doesn’t require any Apple account.
The supported by design piece for the free version includes having a MS account to put in before it let’s you operate the software. There’s no option to ignore setting up sharing in order to try out the software completely locally. I don’t have one. That literally was the first time I’d run into the issue of having one being useful for something I do under Win10. Since one of the other apps I was going to look at for the need was a great fit, I still don’t have one.
You can easily install apps and do other management functions on many Android devices without having GApps (as the Google App Store/etc. package is known) installed. (Or use the Amazon App Store for Amazon’s ~Android devices.)
There are a lot of ways to get .apks. There are even web sites where you enter the apk you want and they’ll transfer it from Google App Store or an alternate app store to your device. Many open source apps are available independently of an app store. And on and on.
I install, upgrade and manage Kodi, for example, entirely outside of any OS app store ecosystem.
It makes it easier, for example, to stick to a particular version of an app. E.g., when the app writer starts including ads in a newer version.
It may not be the most common usage on tablets and phones, but the point is merely that it exists. If people don’t want to use those particular features, they do not have to sign up for an account.
Not having an online account is normal for computer use. Computers do a lot more than tablets and phones. There is no need for an online account on any computer. Hence some people don’t want to have one.
You’d think you of all people would understand, being all anti-advertising and such. Why should people give away information to big companies if they don’t have to? Why let the companies dictate what you do with your device?
Hell, you do realize that Windows 10 is just Microsoft’s advertising platform now, right? That’s how they make money on it after giving it out for free.
I have an amusing(?) anecdote related to the password on my laptop.
Originally the accounts had no passwords. But, after I’d had the machine for many months, I tried to do something (read the web passwords that Chrome saves, IIRC) and it wouldn’t let me. It insisted I enter my computer account password! I tried just hitting enter (no password is same as null string?) but that didn’t work.
Finally I went to the Change Password App, and gave myself a password so I’d have something to type for Chrome. Fortunately the Change Password App didn’t ask for my old password.