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Reasons Not to Use Apple (2018)

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Re: Reasons Not to Use Apple (2018)

#111

Post by krn »

mark_l_watson wrote: post #100
krn wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I am really conflicted about cellphones. I was unhappy with the crap ware preloaded on my Verizon Android phones. I am happier with a Verizon iPhone, as far as not having a lot of junk preinstalled. I personally prefer SIM-free Android One smartphones[1], which come without any bloatware and with monthly security updates. Not only they offer the best price / performance ratio, but they are also easy to keep private…

And then I could install a Verizon SIM card myself? Sounds much better. I am stuck with Verizon because they have the best coverage in the mountains of Central Arizona.

I am not sure how the mobile operators work in the US, but I was able to install a local SIM card in every country I have been to for more than a few days, which saved me hundreds in mobile data fees across the world.

Re: Reasons Not to Use Apple (2018)

#112

Post by Hamuko »

saagarjha wrote: post #98

The problem I have with Stallman is that he’s usually right, but he is remarkably horrible at coming across as someone with valid opinions. It is disingenuous to come to the table with clearly cherry-picked evidence, and calling companies and their products with stupid names is just childish. There are a lot of problems with companies, and Stallman is very good at recognizing them, but he’s just pretty bad at getting…

Does this mean that talking about non-harmful voluntary pedophilia is somehow a bad way to market yourself and your ideas? And that people are less receptive to your ideas when you present them like a raving vegan in a sketch?

Re: Reasons Not to Use Apple (2018)

#113

Post by Hamuko »

anoncake wrote: post #109
Hamuko wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Something has to pay for a cleaner to clean the piss and shit from the floor, walls and ceiling.

I think youre using toilets wrong.

I'm not using them wrong, but it seems that literally every other person to ever gone a public toilet is using them wrong.

Re: Reasons Not to Use Apple (2018)

#114

Post by jstanley »

pbalau wrote: post #62
JdeBP wrote: post #34

> If you carry a cell phone, it tells Big Brother where you are. It's worth remembering that if one carries a mobile telephone, and it is not fully powered off, TPC always knows where you are, and the powers that be do not need to go to Apple for that information. A mobile telephone broadcasts to let the world know where it is, and the mobile telephony system only works in the first place if the system knows how to r…

> the mobile telephony system only works in the first place if the system knows how to route incoming calls and SMS messages to a person's telephone Like every other messaging system. Because you know, in order to send a message you need to know where...

Not quite. Ricochet IM[0] is a messaging system based around Tor hidden services. The entire purpose of Tor is the ability to route messages to people without finding out where they are.

[0] https://ricochet.im/

Re: Reasons Not to Use Apple (2018)

#115

Post by kbf »

talkingtab wrote: post #65

The #1 reason not to use Apple is their arrogance toward their users. I don't want them to lie to me about my battery, nor make me choose their music over spotify and engage in other customer-hostile policies to make money. If it were only that simple, sigh. Google is much worse. Apple at least lip sync's privacy, I suspect when it is to their advantage. I believe Apple just has no clue as to how to create products a…

>I don't want them to lie to me about my battery

You say that, but you most likely do. Even if you absolutely don’t, the vast majority of users still do, even if they don’t know it.

The whole point of software is to at least partly obfuscate what the hardware does, to the benefit of users. Making things easier to use and understand and hiding unnecessary complications is not arrogance towards users, it’s acting in their interest.

Re: Reasons Not to Use Apple (2018)

#116

Post by slfnflctd »

ken wrote: post #83
kilburn wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

RMS is an extremist, openly and unashamedly. He doesn't try to hide it, he tries to argue that his extremist position is the morally correct and long-term best for society though. > from a personal bias he has against Apple. Many of the points he is specifically isolating for Apple are quite true of most of the big tech firms. He bashes all big techs for most of those points too. See the links at the top where he com…

So by this standard, is there a computer that I should use, or is all computing in 2019 unethical? I see he's using a >10yr old Intel CPU, presumably to avoid the Management Engine, so presumably he thinks it's OK to pay money to these companies in certain circumstances?

> presumably he thinks it's OK to pay money to these companies in certain circumstances

When they're behaving in what he considers an ethical manner, or at least offering some ethically designed products, I think so. He's hoping to help catalyze a revolution of sorts regardless, and AFAIK is still waiting for the hypothetical ideal entity to arrive (which probably isn't going to happen any time soon).

I look at Stallman's lifestyle as a form of performance art at this point. It's more than this, for sure, but that's the best way to describe its immediate impact much of the time. However, we will likely be chewing on the thoughts he has brought forth for generations to come.

Re: Reasons Not to Use Apple (2018)

#117

Post by josteink »

krn wrote: post #75
mark_l_watson wrote: post #45

+1 Richard Sure, he is cherry picking examples, but there are a lot of examples to choose from. I used mostly Linux at home for about 15 years, then switched to a decade of MacOS. My new laptop is a Linux laptop and I think I will go back to Linux as my main driver. I am really conflicted about cellphones. I was unhappy with the crap ware preloaded on my Verizon Android phones. I am happier with a Verizon iPhone, as…

> I am really conflicted about cellphones. I was unhappy with the crap ware preloaded on my Verizon Android phones. I am happier with a Verizon iPhone, as far as not having a lot of junk preinstalled. I personally prefer SIM-free Android One smartphones[1], which come without any bloatware and with monthly security updates. Not only they offer the best price / performance ratio, but they are also easy to keep private…

> I personally prefer SIM-free

If I can’t insert a SIM card of my choice, how do I choose or switch provider? Is it hard coded to whatever Google prefers?

I’m open to lot of things with phones, but you can take the SIM-slot from my cold, dead hands. That thing is not going.

Re: Reasons Not to Use Apple (2018)

#118

Post by josteink »

krn wrote: post #111
mark_l_watson wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And then I could install a Verizon SIM card myself? Sounds much better. I am stuck with Verizon because they have the best coverage in the mountains of Central Arizona.

I am not sure how the mobile operators work in the US, but I was able to install a local SIM card in every country I have been to for more than a few days, which saved me hundreds in mobile data fees across the world.

Yes. SIM = freedom.

SIM-free sounds like something you are given in oppressive regimes with one state-controlled telecom actor.

Can’t see why anyone would want it.

Re: Reasons Not to Use Apple (2018)

#119

Post by kilburn »

ken wrote: post #83
kilburn wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

RMS is an extremist, openly and unashamedly. He doesn't try to hide it, he tries to argue that his extremist position is the morally correct and long-term best for society though. > from a personal bias he has against Apple. Many of the points he is specifically isolating for Apple are quite true of most of the big tech firms. He bashes all big techs for most of those points too. See the links at the top where he com…

So by this standard, is there a computer that I should use, or is all computing in 2019 unethical? I see he's using a >10yr old Intel CPU, presumably to avoid the Management Engine, so presumably he thinks it's OK to pay money to these companies in certain circumstances?

By RMS's standard, it seems that it is ok to reuse old systems (irrespective of which company built them originally) provided you can use them without binary blobs (irreplaceable built-in no-source firmware is fine though). Quoting his "how I do computing page" [1]:

> I use a Thinkpad T400s computer, which has a free initialization program (libreboot) and a free operating system (Trisquel GNU/Linux). It was not sold that way by Lenovo, however; small businesses buy them used, recondition them, and install the free software. This is one of the computers endorsed by the FSF.

Of course I'm pretty sure he would also approve buying and using any open hardware product [2] (provided it can run using only free software). There are some initiatives popping up in this space, such as:

- The siFive HiFive's [3] (Risc-V based), that can get you a fully open, slow system for $3k (1k for the base board + 2k for the PCIe-and-others expansion board).

- The Talos™ (Power9-based) systems [4], that give you 2019-grade performance at ~2-3x the usual price.

All in all, not a pleasant stance to make, but definitely doable for some folks.

[1] https://stallman.org/stallman-computing.html [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-source_computing_hardware... [3] https://www.sifive.com/boards [4] https://www.raptorcs.com/content/base/products.html

Re: Reasons Not to Use Apple (2018)

#120

Post by mch82 »

dmitryminkovsky wrote: post #78
mark_l_watson wrote: post #45

+1 Richard Sure, he is cherry picking examples, but there are a lot of examples to choose from. I used mostly Linux at home for about 15 years, then switched to a decade of MacOS. My new laptop is a Linux laptop and I think I will go back to Linux as my main driver. I am really conflicted about cellphones. I was unhappy with the crap ware preloaded on my Verizon Android phones. I am happier with a Verizon iPhone, as…

> I am reading Cal Newport’s new book Digital Minimalism that is making me realize that I need to be more focused in how I spend any screen time. To this end I am launching an email service that sends and receives messages once a day. The idea is that with one delivery each day, you don’t need to regulate or discipline yourself as much, and you get a lot more space to think and enjoy your communication. It’s called P…

Cool idea. There’s no contact info on your website... how can people interested in this concept get in touch?
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