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Why I don't like smartphones

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Re: Why I don't like smartphones

#51

Post by rdl »

I think a lot of these issues actually could be addressed.

Right now, it's essentially a choice between iOS and Android. No serious third platform (Windows Phone, Tizen, BBX, third-party Android ROMs like Cyanogen, etc.)

Apple is decent (but not great) user experience, but has a few serious flaws: Apple's morality policing (and other restrictions) keeping apps users do want off the platform, as well as restricting people to using Apple cloud services for a lot of functionality, and not allowing some core OS functionality to be overridden. Apple's cloud services would be less of a problem if they didn't suck.

Android (well, the two versions; Google vs. the open version) have much more flexibility, but kind of suck. (way better than they used to be, but still inferior to iOS on a strict functionality basis).

I think it's inevitable that more and more computing moves to mobile (the next 2b people on the Internet may ONLY use mobile). Maybe Apple's cloud and policies will improve. Maybe Android will improve in quality. Maybe a new platform will emerge.

"Locked down" is awesome IFF it is locked down to the owner; if the owner has to do some small amount of work to lock down a different config, that's ideal. The "owner" might be an individual for a personal phone, or a corporation for a fleet of phones.

Re: Why I don't like smartphones

#52

Post by raesene9 »

VarunAgw wrote: post #15
raesene9 wrote: post #7

I'm not sure that this article is that contentious. Modern smartphones are unabashedly consumer devices made for the mass market and several of the criticisms in this article are features that most people don't want/need. What most people want/need from a smartphone is a device that lets them do things (e.g. send messages, keep up with friends, make phonecalls, browse the Internet) without getting in their way. They'…

But I am neither getting freedom nor security with smart phones. My 2 year old smart phone have never received a security update. It has become a piece of crap just within 2 years.

I'm guessing you have an Android device? Yep those Android security is nasty. the conficts of interest between the OS manufacturer, the handset manufacturer and the carrier have caused a load of fragementation and lack of support.

My personal opinion is that, unfortunately, regulation is the only way to solve that issue, as the market does not appear to be addressing it well.

Re: Why I don't like smartphones

#53

Post by woofiefa »

barnabee wrote: post #23

Most people don't want or need root access to their smartphone but will complain (no matter how much you tell them security is their responsibility when acting as root) when installing random software they found on the internet results in their banking details being stolen followed swiftly by all their money. There are products you can buy in pretty much every category if you need a general purpose computing device,…

Most people probably don't need free speech either, but we don't remove the possibility anyway.

There are also plenty of examples of mobile devices being infected even though the user didn't have root access.

Re: Why I don't like smartphones

#54

Post by babbleshack »

elboru wrote: post #13
m52go wrote: post #5

> They have ruined web design. Ironically, the site itself looks super good on a smartphone. I didn't check the source (because I'm on a smartphone...), but it doesn't seem to have any CSS styling applied to it.

I had to resize my browser window in order to read this article in my PC. I don't get this kind of "geeky" designs, is there a technical reason why they don't even add basic CSS? I'm not talking about making the articles look "good", but making them readable.

I quite like this style for technical blogs/pages.... I don't have my browser full screen allot of the time though.

btw here is the style sheet for that page :P https://www.devever.net/~hl/style.css

Re: Why I don't like smartphones

#55

Post by qb45 »

joosters wrote: post #39

This person would be happier moving to a pre-computer environment - take a look at their pet hates: https://violations.devever.net/products - including: * AMD x86 CPUs * Intel x86 CPUs ...leaving, ARM CPUs, I guess? Windows ARM machines are also on the list. (And surely ARMs should be blacklisted according to his reasoning; he is unhappy with Intel's secure enclave, while ARM has similar features). Some people will n…

> Some people will never be happy.

... with overengineered, potentially buggy and vulnerable junk stuck into their devices which serves no purpose to them and can't be controlled or disabled.

Re: Why I don't like smartphones

#56

Post by izacus »

newday wrote: post #42
izacus wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What does having an ability to gain root access have to do with installing random malware apps? You can easily have a device with disabled root access and a curated store as a default and make gaining root access an added functionality (similarly how Android Nexus phones require you to issue a fastboot oem unlock command). Where does this idea that the only alternative to not having some non-technical people install…

A large number of malware sites will walk you through side loading and bypassing your security to install their app which may be a compromised game or app like a Trojan. Not having this access is the only way to deal with this.

No it isn't. Just like random scammers leading people to give them money doesn't mean everyone should be banned from having a bank account or a credit card.

Some minimal level of responsibility of action from a users side isn't unreasonable. Being locked out from your own hardware because there are a few uneducated users out there is absurd.

Not to mention that now there are actually viruses and exploits out there that install themselves through security holes on users devices and the users can't remove them because they're locked out!

Re: Why I don't like smartphones

#57

Post by silon7 »

mirimir wrote: post #25
madeofpalk wrote: post #4

The irony in this article is, due to the lack of a sensible line width, it is much easier to read on a phone than a PC

Just don't fullscreen the browser ;)

Perhaps browsers should have p { max-width: 72ex; } by default. And a user setting for this, just like default font size.

Re: Why I don't like smartphones

#58

Post by izacus »

beachstartup wrote: post #43
izacus wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What does having an ability to gain root access have to do with installing random malware apps? You can easily have a device with disabled root access and a curated store as a default and make gaining root access an added functionality (similarly how Android Nexus phones require you to issue a fastboot oem unlock command). Where does this idea that the only alternative to not having some non-technical people install…

it's because the demographic you're talking about is vanishingly small, and therefore apple does not care about it. do you notice them hurting for customers? i installed linux when i was 12. i've been working in this field for nearly 20 years. i'm abnormal, as 'techie' as they come, and i really just don't give a shit about having root access on my iphone. in fact i pretty much use it for a handful of things, primari…

> it's because the demographic you're talking about is vanishingly small, and therefore apple does not care about it. do you notice them hurting for customers?

How do you know?! There are billions of people out there not using Apple devices, how do you just claim that the demographic is vanishingly small? How did you measure it? Apple doesn't even own half of the market.

Re: Why I don't like smartphones

#59

Post by SFjulie1 »

I love my nokia I bought 1€ on the black market in poland that is charged once a week, have the radio, and a correct mp3 player that you can use as an usb key and is not locked, brickable.

In fact I bought 4 of them. I am now awaiting the moment someone will try to smug my phone and show him my wonder and expect him to say: keep your trash!

Just for anyone thinking I love nokia, just remember how cumbersome their software were to use. They are so shitty, I don't have a data plan, thus I am making savings on the accessories, the phone (i dont fear to break it) and the communication plan. ~400$/year

Compared to my old habits, I am sparing money. I can backup my music, I can load music easily and I don't care anymore.

The morale of my story is : don't complain about a market when you are driving it.

So called geeks nowadays are a joke that have high incomes, and shape the market of computer and electronics appliance by early adopting the most stupid ideas possible that cost the most.

The inability of "geeks" to influence positively with their habits of consumption a market on which they are supposed to be more knowledgeable than the mass makes me wonder about the technology they adopt in companies for producing. They really seem to not care about costs, recurrent expanses, adequation to the needs.

Re: Why I don't like smartphones

#60

Post by oxplot »

> Supposedly, with Android you are free to install software from arbitrary sources ...

Certainly. Go to Settings -> Security and tick "Unknown sources" option.

> With Android devices there is a distinction between “rooted” and “unrooted” devices, which sounds suspiciously similar to “jailbroken” and “unjailbroken”.

Sounds like it, sure. But as majority of top Android manufacturers have an official page [1][2][3][4][5] describing how to unlock their bootloaders so arbitrary OS can be installed, that similarity disappears.

> With a PC, I don't have to perform some arcane operation to actually have control of the device.

Ask your average PC user how to install a different OS, or even how to re-install the same OS and you'll soon find, the process is "arcane" on all platforms. Also note that I found all the official links I listed, to unlocking various android phones, in 5 minutes.

> Moreover, it seems to be common to discriminate against people who have the gall to “root” their device, or to disable some functionality of the device if such “rooting” is performed.

Nothing stops a PC app developer to put in checks on what ISP you're connected to for example or whether your user has root access. I use Cyanogenmod on my phone and not one app so far has discriminated against me having root access. Point is that it's very uncommon.

> I believe there are even online banking applications which reserve the right, in their terms, to detect if a device is “rooted” and refuse to operate on them.

Yes, they are the developers and they set the terms. There are also banks whose websites simply reject a particular browser by name, not because it lacks a certain functionality.

[1]: http://www.htcdev.com/bootloader

[2]: http://developer.sonymobile.com/unlockbootloader/unlock-your...

[3]: http://developer.lge.com/resource/mobile/RetrieveBootloader....

[4]: https://motorola-global-portal.custhelp.com/app/standalone/b...

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