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Reasons Not to Use Apple (2018)

stallman.org

141–150 of 238 posts

Re: Reasons Not to Use Apple (2018)

#141

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…

I agree that communicating things differently would convince more people, but on the other hand, the man is like he is, and I dislike when people try to mold you to fit their person stereotype, almost like you can't be different from the rest.

Re: Reasons Not to Use Apple (2018)

#142
post #63

+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…

If your Android phone is compatible[0], you might enjoy the result from installing LineageOS on it. If you wish, you can continue to use the Google Play Services package (which is where Google does all the tracking, and is also the only way to get the Play Store). I chose not to and use F-Droid and directly downloaded APKs, which saves me from running any proprietary code that I haven’t vetted carefully. It also solv…

I haven't really checked out LineageOS before. Just briefly browsing their site gives me a bit of skepticism. It doesn't seem to be very professional. For example, their about page, and one of their most recent blog posts.

I'm definitely looking for an OS to move to from Android. I suspect Librem will have its own flaws, but they inspire more confidence in me than my first impressions of LineageOS from their website.

https://www.lineageos.org/about/ https://www.lineageos.org/An-April-Apology/

Re: Reasons Not to Use Apple (2018)

#143
post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you aware of the limitations of the methods you describe? If yes it is very dishonest to not mention them, if not you should get the details right(find out how can you share an iOS native app you made with your friends)

Does Apple prohibit sending them the source code so that they can compile and load it through Xcode? I realize that requires a MacOS computer, which costs money, but the “free” in free software principles is about the freedom to share the code, not the price of the code. Free software is allowed to be sold. Increasingly, it is also possible to run Swift code on Linux without Xcode or MacOS (recognizing the GUI would…

Are you serious? Does Sony prevent me emailing my friends my game source code? They "JUST" need developer system with expensive proprietary software and developer accounts, certificates and agree to a few EULAs and ToSs but I am not prevented to send them source code.

Re: Reasons Not to Use Apple (2018)

#144
post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If your Android phone is compatible[0], you might enjoy the result from installing LineageOS on it. If you wish, you can continue to use the Google Play Services package (which is where Google does all the tracking, and is also the only way to get the Play Store). I chose not to and use F-Droid and directly downloaded APKs, which saves me from running any proprietary code that I haven’t vetted carefully. It also solv…

Thanks for that comment. I still have a Galaxy 4 and last week I pulled it out of the drawer and charged it. I looked at LieageOS but was concerned about the time spent installing it. Also, my Galaxy 4 no longer has a SIM card; do you know what the LineageOS experience would be like WiFi only?

There is an active community of developers, who are keeping the Galaxy S4 alive by creating optimised versions of LineageOS. It might be easier to consult the guides and resources at XDA. If you feel it is a task you want to undertake - assuming the bootloader is not locked, decide which version you want to install based on the model you own i.e. i9505 or another variant and once you flash custom recovery (TWRP), it a fairly easy process.

You should expect to face some issues initially and will have to go through the forums/comments to trouble-shoot broken features etc., especially if you are picking the latest ROM.

https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s4

Re: Reasons Not to Use Apple (2018)

#145
post #69

Recent examples of why not to use apple: 1. Their new keyboards are terrible, and are buggy. 2. Lack of headphone jack on phones. 3. Vast price increases for relatively little new features. 4. Constant upgrading of the OS which breaks half of the software you use.

And a few good reasons to choose Apple: My new iPhone XR needs to be charged only once or twice per week. For development, I get a certified UNIX machine with an excellent user interface, best of both worlds for the vast majority of tasks we need using computers. Apple makes money off me because I buy their products. I am myself not the product, their hardware is. This has so many natural side effects that benefit us…

> My new iPhone XR needs to be charged only once or twice per week.

It's not the only phone that does that and it's not a new feature. Even with older phones, you can simply get a battery case.

> with an excellent user interface

The user interface is terrible and all the core features are extremely limited with no extensibility whatsoever. Just about every other desktop OS has a better user interface.

> Apple makes money off me because I buy their products. I am myself not the product, their hardware is.

Actually, their iProducts are not even yours after you buy them. If you want to build an app for your own device you have to give Apple $100 every year just to be able to install it. So that puts them into a malignant category of their own.

> The iPad is truly a revolutionary best in class device...

...but only if you think iOS is any good or you don't value your own freedom.

Re: Reasons Not to Use Apple (2018)

#146
post #139

Well Stallman also hates the internet: 4th line on that page is What's bad about: Airbnb | Amazon | Amtrak | Ancestry | Apple | Discord | Ebooks | Eventbrite | Evernote | Facebook | Google | Intel | LinkedIn | Lyft | Meetup | Microsoft | Netflix | Patreon | Pay Toilets | Skype | Slack | Spotify | Twitter | Uber | Wendy's |

The Internet is incredibly vast. The idea that these sites comprise the Internet is exactly the sentiment Stallman is intending to combat.

Re: Reasons Not to Use Apple (2018)

#147
I don't think I'd be where I am today if I lived how Stallman lived. He is once again technically correct but I also think he has immense privilege others do not have.

It's almost like he can't change his principles either, because at this point his livelihood depends on it.

Re: Reasons Not to Use Apple (2018)

#148
post #63

+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…

If your Android phone is compatible[0], you might enjoy the result from installing LineageOS on it. If you wish, you can continue to use the Google Play Services package (which is where Google does all the tracking, and is also the only way to get the Play Store). I chose not to and use F-Droid and directly downloaded APKs, which saves me from running any proprietary code that I haven’t vetted carefully. It also solv…

For a non-Apple laptop I am also really liking the Xiaomi Mi Air with Linux.

Re: Reasons Not to Use Apple (2018)

#149
post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There was an entire controversy about how hard Apple made it for law enforcement to access iPhones, which indicates security benefits. Apple’s business model also aligns with user privacy (so far). It’s also worth considering Apple’s CEO personally values privacy because he had to keep his sexuality a secret his entire life until he reached such a prominent position he felt safe to speak out. I agree that the stronge…

> There was an entire controversy about how hard Apple made it for law enforcement to access iPhones, which indicates security benefits. It indicates that Apple software is secure, it doesn't indicate that it is secure because it is closed-source. It might be even more secure if it were open source, because then many more people would be looking for vulnerabilities in it.

Good catch. I responded to “no evidence Apple is more secure” and missed the “because it is closed” context.

I think Apple’s products would be more secure if they were more open. I appreciate that the core is open (Darwin, WebKit, Swift, LLVM).

Re: Reasons Not to Use Apple (2018)

#150
post #139

Well Stallman also hates the internet: 4th line on that page is What's bad about: Airbnb | Amazon | Amtrak | Ancestry | Apple | Discord | Ebooks | Eventbrite | Evernote | Facebook | Google | Intel | LinkedIn | Lyft | Meetup | Microsoft | Netflix | Patreon | Pay Toilets | Skype | Slack | Spotify | Twitter | Uber | Wendy's |

Airbnb, Amazon, Amtrak, Ancestry, Apple, Discord, Ebooks, Eventbrite, Evernote, Facebook, Google, Intel, LinkedIn, Lyft, Meetup, Microsoft, Netflix, Patreon, Pay Toilets, Skype, Slack, Spotify, Twitter, Uber, Wendy's

...is not the Internet

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