iMessage, explained • Hacker News Board

Re: iMessage, explained

#11

Post by frizlab » Tue, Dec 05, 2023, 6:42 PM UTC

crossroadsguy wrote: post #9

catlover76 wrote: post #6

I just got an iPhone for the first time, and it is a noticeably better device than my previous Android phones. One downside is that I can't use iMessage on my Windows and Linux computers. Will look into pypush Honestly, the iPhone is nudging me further to giving a Macbook/OSX a try one day, but the major blocker to me is the poor state of gaming on Macs.

Personally, for communication I never use a device platform specific/locked app/service. Maybe you could keep using the app(s) whatever you were.

I’m curious, what do you use then?

Re: iMessage, explained

#12

Post by kotaKat » Tue, Dec 05, 2023, 6:47 PM UTC

bgorman wrote: post #2

My prediction is that Apple will start to use attestation (device check) to lock down iMessage. The problem is that this would require a software update for older devices.

They already partially do.

> Warning: In order to generate the “validation data”, pieces of information about the device such as its serial number, model, and disk UUID are used. This means that not all validation data can be treated equivalently: just like with Hackintoshes, the account age and “score” determine if an invalid serial can be used, or if you get the “customer code” error.

The "customer code" error is a prompt from Apple, basically an attestation failure -- you have to contact Apple Support to get your Apple ID unlocked once you've tripped the failure. Legitimate customers will breeze right through (eg, just approving your login from your legit device), but Hackintosh users use crafty means to fake their way through the process.[1]

[1]https://old.reddit.com/r/hackintosh/comments/gij9rt/getting_...

Re: iMessage, explained

#13

Post by beretguy » Tue, Dec 05, 2023, 6:50 PM UTC

catlover76 wrote: post #6

I just got an iPhone for the first time, and it is a noticeably better device than my previous Android phones. One downside is that I can't use iMessage on my Windows and Linux computers. Will look into pypush Honestly, the iPhone is nudging me further to giving a Macbook/OSX a try one day, but the major blocker to me is the poor state of gaming on Macs.

A much more major issue with Macs is planned obsolescence. It’s the only reason I am not buying any Macs.

Re: iMessage, explained

#14

Post by matwood » Tue, Dec 05, 2023, 6:57 PM UTC

catlover76 wrote: post #6

I just got an iPhone for the first time, and it is a noticeably better device than my previous Android phones. One downside is that I can't use iMessage on my Windows and Linux computers. Will look into pypush Honestly, the iPhone is nudging me further to giving a Macbook/OSX a try one day, but the major blocker to me is the poor state of gaming on Macs.

But the internet keeps saying the iPhone is just marketing. /s

I’ve developed for and used both, and I’ve settled on iPhones for the last few generations. Though, I think flagship devices of either are fine nowadays. The ‘slab of glass’ phone is basically a solved problem at this point.

Re: iMessage, explained

#15

Post by bobchadwick » Tue, Dec 05, 2023, 6:57 PM UTC

beretguy wrote: post #13

catlover76 wrote: post #6

I just got an iPhone for the first time, and it is a noticeably better device than my previous Android phones. One downside is that I can't use iMessage on my Windows and Linux computers. Will look into pypush Honestly, the iPhone is nudging me further to giving a Macbook/OSX a try one day, but the major blocker to me is the poor state of gaming on Macs.

A much more major issue with Macs is planned obsolescence. It’s the only reason I am not buying any Macs.

My late-2013 MacBook Pro recently gave up the ghost. I'd used it daily in the ten years it worked. Are there other PC manufacturers who make laptops that are still useable after ten years?

Re: iMessage, explained

#16

Post by benoror » Tue, Dec 05, 2023, 7:01 PM UTC

More on this: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38531759

Re: iMessage, explained

#17

Post by lxe » Tue, Dec 05, 2023, 7:04 PM UTC

This is phenomenal work. You should write a little on how you got into this whole field. There are high school and college kids all over reddit struggling how to excel at technical stuff, learn programming, get a job in tech, and I feel like they can really benefit from your perspective.

Re: iMessage, explained

#18

Post by gumby » Tue, Dec 05, 2023, 7:09 PM UTC

frizlab wrote: post #11

crossroadsguy wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Personally, for communication I never use a device platform specific/locked app/service. Maybe you could keep using the app(s) whatever you were.

I’m curious, what do you use then?

There are lots of choices depending on your community and desired feature set: whatsapp, fb messenger, instagram messenger, telegram, signal, discord, or the direct messaging features of other programs like Slack.

imessage is an outlier in that it also has a bidirectional link with SMS. I just read today that FB messenger used to have this (who knew?) but no longer does. My reading of the EU's complaint is that if imessage didn't have this feature they would not be in trouble since they'd be no different from the other services in being a silo. Weird!

Re: iMessage, explained

#19

Post by IntelMiner » Tue, Dec 05, 2023, 7:11 PM UTC

bobchadwick wrote: post #15

beretguy wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A much more major issue with Macs is planned obsolescence. It’s the only reason I am not buying any Macs.

My late-2013 MacBook Pro recently gave up the ghost. I'd used it daily in the ten years it worked. Are there other PC manufacturers who make laptops that are still useable after ten years?

Both desktop and laptop computers have been perfectly serviceable for that long for a while now. Computers are "good enough" for tbe overwhelming majority of tasks most users (note, most regular users, not the HN crowd) would throw at them

Re: iMessage, explained

#20

Post by catlover76 » Tue, Dec 05, 2023, 7:14 PM UTC

crossroadsguy wrote: post #9

catlover76 wrote: post #6

I just got an iPhone for the first time, and it is a noticeably better device than my previous Android phones. One downside is that I can't use iMessage on my Windows and Linux computers. Will look into pypush Honestly, the iPhone is nudging me further to giving a Macbook/OSX a try one day, but the major blocker to me is the poor state of gaming on Macs.

Personally, for communication I never use a device platform specific/locked app/service. Maybe you could keep using the app(s) whatever you were.

> Maybe you could keep using the app(s) whatever you were.

I was using Android Messages, which has a web app. The experience was mediocre because the web app had trouble connecting to my phone all the damn time.

I text some people almost exclusively through Facebook Messenger, and I think the rest I will try to move from text to WhatsApp. Both Meta-owned, unfortunately, but those seem to be easy to use cross-device and almost everybody has them.