Download your free issue of Admin magazine thanks to Tuxcare: https://bit.ly/43XnjhTGrab a brand new laptop or desktop running Linux: https://www.tuxedocompu...
And you, what’s your operating system to code ?
Me, I use Arch btw
So many praises for Windows and Mac about ‘premium features’, ‘corporate environment’ and ‘device support’. But not enough talk about how they treat customers like crap and cash cows. Windows is replete with spyware and ads. It doesn’t respect the user’s choices, like when not to do an update or opening the links with a browser of user’s choice. Heck! Some versions don’t even allow you to register users without a cloud account. And now they are taking definite steps towards ensuring that you can’t do anything they don’t approve - with TPM and pluton non-sense. Praising windows is like being in an abusive relationship and finding justifications for it.
Mac is on the other extreme. They lock down their platform more and more in every revision in the name of security. It’s getting harder to side-load apps. Why? For security, of course! No mention of how security comes primarily from platform design. Then there is the hardware, where everything is glued, soldered, riveted, digitally locked, etc, etc. Any small issue, and it’s garbage. Not even parts from another genuine Mac can be used. Macs also have the strange distinction of needing calibration and signing of any part that can be replaced at all. It’s deliberately designed to extract more money from you and create a tonne load of e-waste (iWaste?). Mac fanbois have a habit of justifying it in the name of ‘miniaturization’ and progress. Honestly, that’s just hand-wavy and completely wrong technical argument. And Apple says it is all for ‘privacy’ and ‘security’ while their actual reason is the pursuit of double-digit growth (not just profits). So, in effect, Apple is saying to their customers “Oh honey! You’re are just too stupid to take care of it. So let me just decide for you” - all the while squeezing you for money. Does it end there? Oh no! They need developers to pay a yearly fee and want to take a huge cut from their profits. All that for “providing the engineering, platform and services”. As if the exorbitant price they extract from their customers isn’t enough.
The hardware situation on Linux distros and frankly even BSDs isn’t as bad as it is projected by some. Most devices just work even on a live installation medium. Even Nvidia works. (Have you considered the possibility that if any device doesn’t work, it’s the manufacturer’s fault and not the OS’s? There are plenty of devices for which the community maintains the drivers, just because the device manufacturer isn’t an utter trashbag). There are tonnes of games too - thanks to Valve and Proton. And as for the ‘corporate env’, you are probably just locked in or too used to them. There are users who have been on these platforms for decades now without complaints. And there are companies built entirely on them. Can you say the same about any of the company that makes your OS/devices? Is there one among them that doesn’t use Linux or BSDs?
Look! I’m not claiming that everything is rosy on the Linux and BSD side of things. Sometimes you have to find an alternative way of doing things (there are plenty of options). Sometimes, you have to configure a lot. Sometimes, you have to carefully choose your hardware so that your life is easier with Linux and BSDs. But there is one thing they don’t ask you to do- and that is to surrender your self-respect. You don’t get treated like cash cow. You don’t get spied on as if you are a thief. You don’t get restricted like a school kid. You’re not told that your choices are wrong. Your choices are not disrespected. You don’t get treated like you owe them after you paid your hard earned money on the devices they make. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide if the little conveniences are bigger than your self-respect.
The monstrous thing is locked down tightly on a hardware level that even they can’t repair it. And the hoops you have to jump through to install a software is getting ridiculous by the day - I’m saying this from my unfortunate opportunity to use a Mac. And you say that my statement is misleading? It’s true what they say - you Mac fanbois have deluded yourself out of touch with reality.
I agree with you about the hardware. I was referring to the software.
And the hoops you have to jump through to install a software is getting ridiculous by the day
How? I have installed a variety of apps from different sources and I’ve never had any issue at all. It’s hard to take someone’s claim when they don’t have any concrete examples.
Did you miss the part where I said they use the security argument to lock down the device and restrict the user? In addition, Linux distros in their default configuration may not be secure - but there are plenty of packages that can secure it down to a deep level. It just depends on the user’s threat level assessment. That military establishment vs homeless tent analogy is just pure hyperbole and FUD.
Security doesn’t work like that and I find it important to share the insecure nature of most linux distros with many people, hopefully to make it improve one day.
Currently a make install can do literally anything to your computer besides installing a video card driver (as per the old xkcd comic) and sure there is firejail… but let’s be honest, how often do you use it? Defaults matter, and thus linux is insecure.
Also, again, how is osx locked down? What’s a concrete thing you can’t do on it?
So many praises for Windows and Mac about ‘premium features’, ‘corporate environment’ and ‘device support’. But not enough talk about how they treat customers like crap and cash cows. Windows is replete with spyware and ads. It doesn’t respect the user’s choices, like when not to do an update or opening the links with a browser of user’s choice. Heck! Some versions don’t even allow you to register users without a cloud account. And now they are taking definite steps towards ensuring that you can’t do anything they don’t approve - with TPM and pluton non-sense. Praising windows is like being in an abusive relationship and finding justifications for it.
Mac is on the other extreme. They lock down their platform more and more in every revision in the name of security. It’s getting harder to side-load apps. Why? For security, of course! No mention of how security comes primarily from platform design. Then there is the hardware, where everything is glued, soldered, riveted, digitally locked, etc, etc. Any small issue, and it’s garbage. Not even parts from another genuine Mac can be used. Macs also have the strange distinction of needing calibration and signing of any part that can be replaced at all. It’s deliberately designed to extract more money from you and create a tonne load of e-waste (iWaste?). Mac fanbois have a habit of justifying it in the name of ‘miniaturization’ and progress. Honestly, that’s just hand-wavy and completely wrong technical argument. And Apple says it is all for ‘privacy’ and ‘security’ while their actual reason is the pursuit of double-digit growth (not just profits). So, in effect, Apple is saying to their customers “Oh honey! You’re are just too stupid to take care of it. So let me just decide for you” - all the while squeezing you for money. Does it end there? Oh no! They need developers to pay a yearly fee and want to take a huge cut from their profits. All that for “providing the engineering, platform and services”. As if the exorbitant price they extract from their customers isn’t enough.
The hardware situation on Linux distros and frankly even BSDs isn’t as bad as it is projected by some. Most devices just work even on a live installation medium. Even Nvidia works. (Have you considered the possibility that if any device doesn’t work, it’s the manufacturer’s fault and not the OS’s? There are plenty of devices for which the community maintains the drivers, just because the device manufacturer isn’t an utter trashbag). There are tonnes of games too - thanks to Valve and Proton. And as for the ‘corporate env’, you are probably just locked in or too used to them. There are users who have been on these platforms for decades now without complaints. And there are companies built entirely on them. Can you say the same about any of the company that makes your OS/devices? Is there one among them that doesn’t use Linux or BSDs?
Look! I’m not claiming that everything is rosy on the Linux and BSD side of things. Sometimes you have to find an alternative way of doing things (there are plenty of options). Sometimes, you have to configure a lot. Sometimes, you have to carefully choose your hardware so that your life is easier with Linux and BSDs. But there is one thing they don’t ask you to do- and that is to surrender your self-respect. You don’t get treated like cash cow. You don’t get spied on as if you are a thief. You don’t get restricted like a school kid. You’re not told that your choices are wrong. Your choices are not disrespected. You don’t get treated like you owe them after you paid your hard earned money on the devices they make. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide if the little conveniences are bigger than your self-respect.
You can literally install Linux on a Mac. Even on MacOS you can run whatever app you want, there’s no need for sideloading.
Well so can you install Linux on Windows, Windows on macOS, Windows on Linux, macOS on Windows and macOS on Linux.
From that point of view, all OSs are identical (and to be fair, they pretty much are, nearly everything runs on a VM called ‘web browser’ already).
Yeah but op specifically said Mac’s were “locked down” which is a misleading statement at best.
The monstrous thing is locked down tightly on a hardware level that even they can’t repair it. And the hoops you have to jump through to install a software is getting ridiculous by the day - I’m saying this from my unfortunate opportunity to use a Mac. And you say that my statement is misleading? It’s true what they say - you Mac fanbois have deluded yourself out of touch with reality.
I agree with you about the hardware. I was referring to the software.
How? I have installed a variety of apps from different sources and I’ve never had any issue at all. It’s hard to take someone’s claim when they don’t have any concrete examples.
Macs are actually secure. Not as much as ios, but compared to the general linux userspace, it is like a military establishment vs a homeless tent.
Did you miss the part where I said they use the security argument to lock down the device and restrict the user? In addition, Linux distros in their default configuration may not be secure - but there are plenty of packages that can secure it down to a deep level. It just depends on the user’s threat level assessment. That military establishment vs homeless tent analogy is just pure hyperbole and FUD.
Security doesn’t work like that and I find it important to share the insecure nature of most linux distros with many people, hopefully to make it improve one day.
Currently a
make installcan do literally anything to your computer besides installing a video card driver (as per the old xkcd comic) and sure there is firejail… but let’s be honest, how often do you use it? Defaults matter, and thus linux is insecure.Also, again, how is osx locked down? What’s a concrete thing you can’t do on it?