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Ask HN: What Apple alternatives are you switching to?

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Re: Ask HN: What Apple alternatives are you switching to?

#241

Post by exhilaration »

AnIdiotOnTheNet wrote: post #91
gjsman-1000 wrote: post #26

To be honest... None. It's a choice. You might wholly disagree, but recent events aren't enough to get me to switch yet, because I think the competition has too many tradeoffs. I can get my photos scanned against a CSAM database... or I can have Google tracking my location constantly regardless of what they say (as they've been proven to be misleading in the past)... or I can use a Linux phone and say goodbye to batt…

I'm reasonably confident that Google listens to every conversation I have within earshot of my phone. It isn't uncommon to find things in my news feed that are related to things I have no interest in but a friend or coworker had just mentioned to me in passing.

Have you considered an even scarier alternative: that Google simply has such an enormous amount of data about yourself and the people around you that they can make incredibly accurate predictions like this?

Re: Ask HN: What Apple alternatives are you switching to?

#242

Post by calebkaiser »

For anyone else who has experienced the frustration of trying to find a Linux replacement for the iPad, I highly recommend the Microsoft Surface.

I tried a variety of alternative tablets/touchscreen options, until finally I bought a used Surface Pro 3 for ~$100 on eBay and installed PopOS. Over the last year, it's been the best tablet I've ever owned (at least for my needs), including iPads.

There's a whole subreddit dedicated to running Linux on Surfaces, if anyone is interested: https://www.reddit.com/r/SurfaceLinux/

Re: Ask HN: What Apple alternatives are you switching to?

#243

Post by Spivak »

withinboredom wrote: post #214
sigmar wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh yes, I'm sure the FBI will be satisfied with using the backdoor to only find CSAM, they definitely will not use the access for 'anti-terrorism' and drug enforcement. That sounds just like the FBI. What good is E2E encryption when they can scan your client with a backdoor? All Apple is doing with this hashing is giving themselves plausible deniability when this access gets abused down the road. "Oh we didn't know t…

Yes, we are one warrant away from just sending all data to the FBI using this system.

But this was already true! I don't get why this is the thing that's made people realize that they have zero control over their phones and that Apple could have any time in the last decade just uploaded all of your data to the FBI if compelled to.

Re: Ask HN: What Apple alternatives are you switching to?

#244

Post by jron »

numair wrote: post #47
przemub wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sounds awesome! I've had huge problems with some recent ThinkPads so it seems that it will be a choice between Panasonic and Fujitsu. Thanks for the recommendation.

It’s pretty much a staple item in Corporate Japan, which probably explains why Panasonic hasn’t offshored production as everyone else did. I think it’d be great to see more overseas business pick up for these computers — it’s one of those classic bits of Japanese technology that looks hopelessly outdated until you use it, and then you hope it never changes. My label for such things is “In-N-Out Burger Technology,” fo…

Is the trackpad comparable to a macbook? I've yet to see an equal or anything remotely close.

Re: Ask HN: What Apple alternatives are you switching to?

#245

Post by istingray »

robertwt7 wrote: post #99

I don’t know man. I feel like I’ve been spoiled by apple ecosystem by having watch, airpods, mac, and iphone. Thinking about moving everything seems to be so much work on top of my daily job and side projects. Unhappy with apple’s decision, but also feel like I’m stuck atm

I hear you, I'm in the same position. I started by turning off iCloud, running Ubuntu in Parallels. Then last night I got Ubuntu dual booting on my MBP!

Once you disconnect from iCloud, or have one non-Apple device, the whole ecosystem benefit starts to unravel.

Re: Ask HN: What Apple alternatives are you switching to?

#246

Post by pshirshov »

gjsman-1000 wrote: post #26

To be honest... None. It's a choice. You might wholly disagree, but recent events aren't enough to get me to switch yet, because I think the competition has too many tradeoffs. I can get my photos scanned against a CSAM database... or I can have Google tracking my location constantly regardless of what they say (as they've been proven to be misleading in the past)... or I can use a Linux phone and say goodbye to batt…

> I think the competition has too many tradeoffs.

I believe that, for example, anticorruption activists and gay people in Russia who may be subjected to state-imposed surveillance won't agree with you. Apple won't leave even the russian market in case the government demands to expand capabilities of the system. And they will never leave chinese market.

> macOS doesn't scan

I'm afraid I have some bad news for you:

"Features to detect child abuse material stored on iCloud coming in updates to US users iOS 15, iPadOS 15, watchOS 8, and macOS Monterey."

Re: Ask HN: What Apple alternatives are you switching to?

#247

Post by jcun4128 »

gruez wrote: post #175
redisman wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find it funny how many people pick a random Chinese phone in their bid for privacy (???)

By "random Chinese phone", are we talking about PINE, or the various OEMs that make android phones?

The Pinephone seems good as far as being mostly open, cheap, physical switches but... I guess the modem is not open. Anyway have I personally tested that the switches actually work/no soft switch somewhere no... I'm mostly after the potential emerging market (apps) over privacy.

I have a KDE edition Pinephone that I intend to use more overtime but primarily an Android user.

Also I get super annoyed when Android bundles stuff on your phone. I realize you can get rid of it/the cheap phone has to get paid somehow... but like having notifications that you can't slide away... things like that. Want more control over I realize Linux phones are lacking in software, pretty bad... Plasma looked really nice, Phosh not so nice (home screen) but it works out of the box though particularly detecting external screens. Anyway I'm looking forward to it improving over time, a cheap Samsung Dex-like experience is my desire.

Re: Ask HN: What Apple alternatives are you switching to?

#248

Post by Syonyk »

redisman wrote: post #135
gjsman-1000 wrote: post #26

To be honest... None. It's a choice. You might wholly disagree, but recent events aren't enough to get me to switch yet, because I think the competition has too many tradeoffs. I can get my photos scanned against a CSAM database... or I can have Google tracking my location constantly regardless of what they say (as they've been proven to be misleading in the past)... or I can use a Linux phone and say goodbye to batt…

I find it funny how many people pick a random Chinese phone in their bid for privacy (???)

That would be... literally all phones available today, wouldn't it? With the possible exception of the $2000 Librem 5 USA.

However, as one who's moved from an iPhone to a Nokia 8110 with KaiOS, which I in no way argue is as secure as iOS:

It has less on it. It has far less on it. It has my phone calls, a handful of text messages, and while it has email access right now, I'm experimenting with if I actually need that, or can remove it (leaning towards removing it). And my calendar.

The camera is horrible, so I just carry a pocket digital camera with me now if I care to take photos, which don't end up on the phone.

If I don't give it wifi privileges (which it currently has, but I've been running with wifi off and cell data off to see how that works, and the answer so far is "quite well"), there's simply not much it can really do to my accounts or network.

Re: Ask HN: What Apple alternatives are you switching to?

#249

Post by city41 »

I used to be a massive Apple fan, all hardware in our house was Apple. About 3 years ago we started switching away, and now only have an iPad Pro left.

desktop: custom PC running Ubuntu MATE 20

laptop: Thinkpad running Ubuntu MATE 20

Phone: Android Moto E

Streaming Device: Roku 3

Car: Android Auto

watch: no watch

tablet: Amazon Fire

I find it interesting that the Moto E is the cheapest smartphone you can get in America. Comcast gave it to me free with my plan. Yet it's totally fine, meets all of my needs no problem. Only thing I did was add an SD card for more storage. Similarly with the Amazon Fire tablet, it was only $75 and easily meets all of my needs. Ignoring the privacy implications of Amazon/Google ran Android devices, Android OS is impressive.

Re: Ask HN: What Apple alternatives are you switching to?

#250

Post by rvz »

gjsman-1000 wrote: post #61
0x0 wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

macOS has been announced to scan just like iOS

Incorrect. It will use a generic model to warn children that they could be exposed to nudity, but that runs on-device and sends nothing to Apple. (It's just a generic nudity detection model). On iOS and iPadOS, they will implement the iCloud Photos CSAM scanning, but Apple left out macOS as having that for now. Rumoredly according to GitHub reverse-engineers of the system, it's due to the mathematical precision of th…

> Rumoredly according to GitHub reverse-engineers of the system, it's due to the mathematical precision of the NeuralHash algorithm being processor-dependent on ARM and not Intel.

If true, it's highly probable that Apple can just port it to macOS and have it work especially for the Apple Silicon line up rather than Intel.

But only Apple knows. But so far, it seems like ignoring the M1 hype was the smart thing do.

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