Ubuntu wants to collect more diagnostic data

Martin Brinkmann
Feb 16, 2018
Linux
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60

Canonical's Will Cooke revealed in an email to the Ubuntu development list that the company plans to collect more diagnostic data from desktop.

Many programs and operating systems collect diagnostic data. While the degree varies from program to program, it is fair to say that diagnostic data may provide developers with insights into issues and feature popularity.

Canonical wants to collect data such as the Ubuntu version, hardware information and selected location during installation to "focus our engineering efforts on the things that matter most to our users".

Cooke revealed what the data that Canonical plans to collect would include:

  • Ubuntu Flavour
  • Ubuntu Version
  • Network connectivity or not
  • CPU family
  • RAM
  • Disk(s) size
  • Screen(s) resolution
  • GPU vendor and model
  • OEM Manufacturer
  • Location (based on the location selection made by the user at install). No IP information would be gathered
  • Installation duration (time taken)
  • Auto login enabled or not
  • Disk layout selected
  • Third party software selected or not
  • Download updates during install or not
  • LivePatch enabled or not

The company won't collect or store user IP addresses but wants to use Popcon and Apport. Popcon collects data on package use and Apport will be configured to send anonymous crash reports. All data is sent over HTTPS and aggregate information is made available publicly so that anyone may look them up.

This would reveal the number of Ubuntu users on AMD or Intel hardware, or how many users select Germany or China as the location.

Cooke notes that the data collecting will be opt-out, but that users can uncheck a box during installation or in the Gnome privacy settings to turn the collecting off.

Any user can simply opt out by unchecking the box, which triggers one simple POST stating, “diagnostics=false”. There will be a corresponding checkbox in the Privacy panel of GNOME Settings to toggle the state of this.

Closing Words

Canonical, at least at this stage, does not want to collect as much data as Microsoft does on Windows 10. That's a good thing, and it is even better that the company plans to display an opt-out choice to users during installation and in the privacy settings. While some privacy advocates might have liked an opt-in choice better, giving users an option at all is something that is not self-evident anymore in this day and age.

Now You: What's your take on this? (via Bleeping Computer)

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Ubuntu wants to collect more diagnostic data
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Ubuntu wants to collect more diagnostic data
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Canonical's Will Cooke revealed in an email to the Ubuntu development list that the company plans to collect more diagnostic data from desktop.
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Comments

  1. John said on April 28, 2018 at 12:07 pm
    Reply

    To bad people are too stupid to understand in advance the risks of all these data collection about them.
    Ubuntu has now the same spyware that Windows 10 has built-in.
    Such a shame!

  2. skopje said on March 3, 2018 at 5:14 am
    Reply

    As for Ubuntu’s status with this, I am disappointed in Canonical and their Google prostitution, and have been for years. Still, I advertise Ubuntu to people as it is free and is the only way I can think of helping a poor person break free from the mentality that they have to use criminal actions to use a computer due to stupid legislation when there is a free platform that they can use, and Ubuntu is close to what they are used to. Still just another letdown in society for people’s motives.

  3. skopje said on March 3, 2018 at 5:10 am
    Reply

    @John Fenderson

    What annoys me is that Google has domineered Android in the first place. It is open source but has been googleyformed so I don’t see the fair deal from google at all. The same goes for Chrome, taken from Chromium. Not a fair deal at all. The question arises though “what are the alternative companies, who are happy to profit from just phone sales and not raping people’s rights?”
    Sadly it appears the answer is none. This farce of democracy exists to enable ENTITIES and not humans their democratic rights. Also when money is the bottom line, morality has no place. Let me retype that again so all can re-read it: When money is the bottom line, morality has no place. To pretend otherwise is to become secondary as a business, and which money grubbing world domineering psychopath would be happy to sacrifice all that in this vain me-first world? The only advantage in a business promoting morals is so they can deceive them by pleading to their inbuilt consciences, while the entity has none at all, allowing the entity to push past them like a tank over a line up of sleeping people.

  4. Ubuntu? said on February 21, 2018 at 12:08 am
    Reply

    To the trash it goes.

  5. ms said on February 18, 2018 at 5:03 am
    Reply

    That’s what M$ says as well…

    1. W said on February 19, 2018 at 11:31 am
      Reply

      And what Google and Apple does too

    2. W said on February 19, 2018 at 11:29 am
      Reply

      And Google and Apple does too

  6. Prattle On, Boyo said on February 17, 2018 at 11:24 pm
    Reply

    While giving users an ‘opt out’ choice is noteworthy, as evidenced by Shuttleworth’s previous integration of Amazon search results in Ubuntu 12.10, the erosion of user privacy in Ubuntu is akin to boiling a frog slowly. It’s only a matter of time before the OS becomes a full blown backdoor for warrantless surveillance for the NSA and/or the DMA’s wet dream.

  7. Anonymous said on February 16, 2018 at 10:31 pm
    Reply

    Since there’s no application based firewall on Linux, we have to trust them, which is not the case with Windows where trust is not needed if you Just Block It â„¢. Let’s hope the opt-out is actually a 100% complete opt-out unlike on Windows.

    1. dark said on February 18, 2018 at 5:18 pm
      Reply

      There is GUFW firewall on Linux. Linux Mint comes preloaded with it.

    2. john said on February 17, 2018 at 3:21 pm
      Reply

      You don’t have to “hope”. The source code of it will be available, so you don’t have to trust them, the only thing you will have to trust is your eyes by reading the code.

      1. John Fenderson said on February 23, 2018 at 9:38 pm
        Reply

        @john:

        Telling people that everything’s OK because they can just read the code isn’t a good answer. It’s the same as telling people that in order to trust their tools, they need to become a software engineer.

  8. nuff stuff said on February 16, 2018 at 8:35 pm
    Reply

    Knowledge is power.
    Knowledge gained specific to you is power over you.
    Aggregated knowledge of a people or group is power over that group.

    Opt-out is a cynical and predatory act against the unsavvy and unknowing majority.
    (Never give a sucker an even break)
    With this critical mass, market forces soon remove the opt-out option for all.
    It’s just plain evil social engineering.

    1. nuff stuffredux said on February 16, 2018 at 8:49 pm
      Reply

      Like the disappearing comments.
      If you’re going to remove/censor comments ghacks, be honest enough to inform the readers that your personal biases are fully enforced.

  9. Mark Hazard said on February 16, 2018 at 3:16 pm
    Reply

    If the data collection becomes compulsory, I will be switching to another Linux distro. What is with this data collection anyway? The reasons given are not believable for the most part. I will be opting out when I upgrade. Canonical is no better than Microsoft, and Microsoft’s data collection was one of the reasons I switched to Ubuntu. It looks like I wasted time and money.

    1. john said on February 17, 2018 at 3:28 pm
      Reply

      We don’t know what Microsoft collects, the code responsible for it is not available. On the other hand Canonical’s code will be available, so you don’t have to trust them, the only thing you will have to trust is your eyes by reading the code.
      If there is anonymous data collection, then that’s a good thing. This is what gives developers the needed tools to make any product better. If they collect personal data, then I agree it will be an evil thing to do. So.. before making unjustified attacks to Canonical Mozilla etc, wait to read the code.

      1. John Fenderson said on February 23, 2018 at 9:36 pm
        Reply

        @john:

        How do you define “personal data”?

  10. dark said on February 16, 2018 at 12:10 pm
    Reply

    If Ubuntu doesn’t collect personal data, if telemetry is 100% open source and we know everything it is collecting and if we can completely opt-in or opt-out, it is fine.

    1. John Fenderson said on February 23, 2018 at 9:34 pm
      Reply

      @dark:

      I wouldn’t say it’s “fine”. I’d say it’s “tolerable,” and only barely.

    2. Malte said on February 16, 2018 at 12:54 pm
      Reply

      The statistics are supposed to be released periodicaly to the public. It’ll give a better idea on how many people have Ubuntu installed and which programs are popular.

      1. dark said on February 16, 2018 at 1:02 pm
        Reply

        Live statistics would be nice.

      2. Anonymous said on February 17, 2018 at 2:01 am
        Reply

        Don’t Cry Dark !!!

        Your “Safer” OS is not as Safe As You Once Thought !!!

        https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2018/02/raw-sockets-backdoor-gives-attackers-complete-control-of-some-linux-servers/

        Webserver that would only expose SSH (22), HTTP (80), and HTTPS (443) would not be reachable via a traditional backdoor due to the fact that those services are in use, but with Chaos it becomes possible.”

        Tells us again now safe it is dark ??

        Please go on…

      3. dark said on February 17, 2018 at 10:24 pm
        Reply

        The backdoor was installed via a compromised account meaning someone found out the root password, probably cuz the company was careless with passwords. Creating a raw socket requires root access, without that, you can’t install backdoor. No OS can be safe against careless handling of passwords.

      4. Anonymous said on February 19, 2018 at 3:13 am
        Reply

        @Dark Linux Fan Boy

        Glad that you finally admitted that your OS is not as safe as you think.
        No OS can be safe against careless handling of passwords.

        I’m very surprised that you didn’t post a video of a kid playing video games and talking about tech again, showing how the CVE are not relevant in IT security.

        Not sure what to think about what you posted about weak passwords. I mean, if we’re at the point where servers like Ubuntu that lack the most basic security protections are now vulnerable to well documented and widely exploited attacks.

        Any kind of brute force detection and management is a good idea. People will eventually port scan you, find the open port and start trying to login without a strong or weak password.

        If nothing else, the brute force detection will help cut load on your server by blocking the connection attempts after a certain number of failures. Check out CSF for Linux.

        It’s a very easy to manage firewall manager tool.

        The raw sockets approach just allows the malware to communicate on ports which are already exposed to the internet, so in the case of a Webserver, Port 80/443.

        1. Attacker brute/dictionary/hybrid forces a weak passwords or strong passwords on an internet facing SSH. Presumably root.

        2. Attacker deploys payload which inspects packets on all internet facing open ports before packets reach their intended applications

        3. Attacker is thereby able to reach the compromised machine at will without needing unused internet facing ports or maintaining long running outbound connections

        Or maybe just not too familiar with Linux system administration from an Infosec perspective are you dark ?? I think we both know that answer.

        Not even your Linux box that you’re running now is not 100% Secure.

        Your Linux OS should be safer than this issues and NOT allow this to happen dark ??

        Oh but wait that can’t happen it’s so much “SAFER”.

        Secure from liability to harm, injury, danger, or risk: dependable or trustworthy:

        http://www.dictionary.com/browse/safer

      5. dark said on February 19, 2018 at 2:37 pm
        Reply

        @Anonymous
        Never said Linux was 100% safe and secure. No OS is but Windows is most insecure OS known to man.
        Are you a Windows fanboy? Only a Windows fanboy will attack Linux no matter what.

      6. Anonymous said on February 19, 2018 at 11:37 pm
        Reply

        @Dark

        Hilarious that you answer questions with a question.
        Do you act like that at work when your supervisor/boss is asking you a question about when you’re going to be done with a project that you’re working on ??

        You said – Never said Linux was 100% safe and secure. No OS is but Windows is most insecure OS known to man.

        It’s like you’re contradicting yourself here about NO OS is secure or safe, but then you said that Windows is most insecure OS known to man.

        All OS have the same problem with Malware/Spyware and Ransomware.
        So how can one OS be more or less insecure know to man dark ??

        Remember this Dark??
        >Knowing this Dark, how is Linux so much more safer option that Windows??
        It is.
        Watch this video regarding cve’s: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHEf5McLFNg

        Sounds like your opinions dark. “Because it is”

        Now you’re backpedaling on what you said a month ago about how much Linux OS is safer.

        You said – Never said Linux was 100% safe and secure.
        Just keep backpedaling on what you didn’t say here on this website dark.

        You still have not to this date to show or prove that Windowns OS is the most insecure OS know to man, only a Youtube video of your opinions.

        Only some kid showing that CVE are not relevant in IT security.
        Well my CISSP A+ C+ CCNA certifications said it does matter dark.

        You said – Are you a Windows fanboy?
        Nope hell no. I’m not a windows fan boy, in fact i don’t like any of the Windows OS.

        Working with Centos, FreeBSD, Ubuntu, Mac OS, Windows OS as what i do for a job in IT. They all suck!!

        They all clam to the best but still don’t fix the issues of what they start in the first place.

        Only a Windows fanboy will attack Linux no matter what?
        Is this what you think this is all about here, that someone is attacking you because of your Linux OS.

        Maybe you shouldn’t say that your Linux OS is safe or safer than some other OS out there.
        Because it has the same issues as Windows OS, Mac OS the same problems with malware/spyware.

        Same problems of passwords being hacked, same problems with DDOS attacks and same problems with open ports, same problems with your personal information being breached.

        Maybe have Supergirl answer your questions for you next time, because you can’t seem to do that yourself.

        Just a reminder for you what you did say, or didn’t say.

        Here you go..
        https://www.ghacks.net/2018/02/04/windows-10-s-and-s-mode-rumors/#comments

        What did he say..
        https://www.ghacks.net/2018/01/21/redhat-reverts-patches-to-mitigate-spectre-variant-2/#comments

        And here..
        https://www.ghacks.net/2018/02/04/windows-10-s-and-s-mode-rumors/#comments

        “An error does not become a mistake until you refuse to correct it”

        Thanks for the Lulz Dark !!

  11. insanelyapple said on February 16, 2018 at 11:52 am
    Reply

    Quoting IDCboutu on omgubuntu: “Not interested in this at all. If they don’t think that people will choose to opt in, then tricking them into doing it isn’t freedom, its the opposite. This isn’t want Linux is about. This is what Google and Microsoft are. I’m out. Don’t pander to Canonical. There’s better alternatives.”

    And I’m singing under this comment.

    Besides, opt-in gives assurance to some degree that nothing will be sent without user consent while network connection is on/cable is plugged in, opt-out has the risk that data will be transmitted upon reaching this specific Ubiquity screen.

    They’re saying it’s for improving engineers efforts while making Ubuntu and data will be available for everyone but orange warning lamp lights up when you recall outrage when unity was sending search inquiries to amazon.

    1. john said on February 17, 2018 at 10:04 am
      Reply

      OMGUbuntu is a troll site full of RedHat/Fedora trolls. Their supreme leader is known as “sid”. There are better sites to get Ubuntu news.

  12. Appster said on February 16, 2018 at 11:20 am
    Reply

    Linux… The chicken and egg problem. No software leads to no adoption, no adoption lead to no software. Apple and Microsoft pioneered the PC market, and they are still offering the dominant operating systems. Microsoft for 90% of all cases (business cases do help a lot here) and Apple in the 8% premium sector.

    Windows works well enough as it stands, so there is no real reason to switch to Linux. Apart from privacy, for which probably fewer than 1% of all users even care. Still, it could be argued that a Windows 10 with telemetry disabled is still more worthwhile than any Linux.

    In general, there are parallels between the PC market and mobile market, Android has 80% market share here and Apple once again feeds the premium sector at 20% or something. No room for another OS, the two pioneers have already eaten that cake.

    In Android’s case, though… It hit it lucky when Microsoft completely ignored the mobile sector for half a decade. Google just chose this OS and put its corporate interests behind it. Hence why almost all major contributors to Android are paid employees, NOT community members. That includes Google, Samsung, Sony, Huawei, LG etc. employees.
    The dumb masses are willingly falling for the “free & open source” batch that Android likes to present. Though only the core OS is free. Modifications the manufacturers implement do not need to be free & open source. You could be spied out by your “free” OS, without you even knowing it.

    Hence why I see no point in supporting Android. I much prefer the Apple ecosystem, both stationary and mobile. At least I am getting a solid package there, with probably the same amount of spying going on. But then again, at least the devices are doing their job.

    I am a bit more sympathetic for Linux, as the source is directly corresponding to the actual released OS here. However, it could be that Linux also gets telemetry-dilluted once it has gained traction (if that ever happens, I don’t think so). At least you can easily install another distribution here if you think Ubuntu is no longer doing the job for you.
    It’s not for me, though. macOS is far more polished and actually has a decent amount of software that runs on it.

    1. dark said on February 16, 2018 at 12:59 pm
      Reply

      >Linux… The chicken and egg problem. No software leads to no adoption, no adoption lead to no software.

      Only developers of drivers, software and games can break the loop by developing for/porting to Linux.

      1. Appster said on February 16, 2018 at 9:09 pm
        Reply

        @dark: Yes, I agree completely. Those would need to jump the Microsoft ship in order for Linux to gain some traction. Those and pretty much any developer of business-related software.

        @John Fenderson: In the case you mention I should probably be concerned about Windows, yes. However, I can’t influence external PCs in any way, so this is a mute point for me personally. I just can’t do anything about outside PCs and how they are configured.

        @Klaas Vaak: Almost all major Linux programs are available for Windows, as well. So they are not an argument for making the switch. Windows also has MS Office, Adobe products, any and all business-related software… Ever tried to manage corporate logistics with a Linux PC? Or to set up an exchange server? Or to install a proper accounting program?
        Last but not least, exchange of documents is a major requirement for many firms. So, if others are using Windows, why should you use something else, complicating matters?
        There is a strong correlation between what people use at work and what they are using at home. Windows does OK as an OS (as far as I know, not having used Windows for 5+ years now), so why should the majority switch over to Linux with its far worse software support?

      2. Klaas Vaak said on February 17, 2018 at 5:34 am
        Reply

        @Appster: you are turning the argument upside down. People who are using Windows used to complain that there was not enough software in Linux, even less so software that was the equivalent in Linux. That argument is now virtually gone because for most Windows software there is a Linux equivalent.

        There is an excellent equivalent for MS Office which is LibreOffice, hell, there is even a Windows version of LO.

        The so-called strong correlation between home & office is only because people are not aware of other possibilities. Offices generally don’t use Apple products, yet many people have them privately.

    2. dark said on February 16, 2018 at 12:21 pm
      Reply

      Until the personal data collected and sold by Windows 10 falls into wrong hands and someone who didn’t care about privacy gets in trouble. Then many will start caring about privacy again.

      1. Appster said on February 16, 2018 at 12:32 pm
        Reply

        @dark:

        Whatever Windows does is of no concern to me, as I am a Mac user. macOS has its own privacy issues to be dealt with.

        What I wanted to make clear is that Microsoft will get away with it, as long as Linux doesn’t offer a decent amount of third party software. There is no point in using a privacy-sensitive Linux when the software you need doesn’t run natively on it.

        Thus, disabling telemetry in Windows 10 the best they can is the better solution for the <1% people who actually care.

      2. John Fenderson said on February 16, 2018 at 8:31 pm
        Reply

        @Appster: “Whatever Windows does is of no concern to me”

        It should be, for the same reason that people’s use of the cloud should be — because entities that you give personal data to are likely using Windows, privacy issues in these platforms affect you even if you don’t use them directly.

      3. Klaas Vaak said on February 16, 2018 at 7:21 pm
        Reply

        Appster: “…as long as Linux doesn’t offer a decent amount of third party software.”

        Have you actually looked at Linux? Do you know what you are saying?

  13. DaveyK said on February 16, 2018 at 11:11 am
    Reply

    I don’t see it as a major problem for three reasons:

    1) Data collected looks to be sensible.
    2) Canonical have provided a clear list of what is collected.
    3) You can easily opt-out completely, and are given the option during installation.

    Compared with Windows 10 which collects an insane amount of data, MS still don’t provide a simple and clear list of what is collected, and provide no opt-out at all and it’s clear that Canonical are approaching this the right way.

    Are you watching MS?

    1. Appster said on February 16, 2018 at 11:23 am
      Reply

      @DaveyK:

      Microsoft does not have any interest to provide a clear and easily accessible opt-out option. They think that the masses will have to swallow the bitter pill anyway, as the software support Windows has far exceeds that of Linux. Apart from servers there is basically no Linux market for business environments. Microsoft thinks they are too big to fail, just like Google does in Android’s case. Sad thing is, they are probably right in that regard.

      1. Klaas Vaak said on February 16, 2018 at 7:17 pm
        Reply

        Appster: “….as the software support Windows has far exceeds that of Linux.”
        What support does MS provide? Updates that mess up your system? Forcing Win 10 upgrade down people’s throat? What exactly do you have in mind?

      2. John Fenderson said on February 23, 2018 at 9:32 pm
        Reply

        @Klaas Vaak:

        Plus, in my experience, the software support you get in Windows is substantially inferior to what you get in Linux, and has been from long before Win 10.

  14. Hermelin said on February 16, 2018 at 11:03 am
    Reply

    Who installs Ubuntu Original anyway?
    The question is, does this affect the other flavors like Ubuntu Mate/Kubuntu?

    1. john said on February 17, 2018 at 3:41 pm
      Reply

      They are going to make the results public. So we will know how many people install Ubuntu original and how many install flavors.

  15. ilev said on February 16, 2018 at 7:49 am
    Reply

    “it is even better that the company plans to display an opt-out choice”

    NO.

    It should be Opt-in. Ubuntu is evil and no better than others in this regard.

    1. John Fenderson said on February 16, 2018 at 8:26 pm
      Reply

      Opt-in is the best way to do this sort of thing — it’s the most respectful of users. It always saddens me to see these things opt-out.

      However, opt-out isn’t evil, it’s just rude and disrespectful.

      Having no option to opt out at all is evil.

      1. rebuttle person said on February 16, 2018 at 10:04 pm
        Reply

        Knowledge is power.
        Knowledge gained specific to you is power over you.
        Aggregated knowledge of a people or group is power over that group.

        Opt-out is a cynical and predatory act against the unsavvy and unknowing majority.
        (Never give a sucker an even break)
        With this critical mass, market forces soon remove the opt-out option for all.
        It’s just plain evil social engineering.

    2. Malte said on February 16, 2018 at 10:24 am
      Reply

      Ubuntu isn’t evil. The data they’re asking is crucial to create a better OS. I support them. As long as i can opt-out completely whenever i wish, i’m ok with it. That’s a big difference to Windows 10 where even when you opt-out it’s still collecting data and on future updates it switches some things on again, too. If you can’t see the big difference then you’re just a hater.

    3. AnorKnee Merce said on February 16, 2018 at 8:42 am
      Reply

      “ilev wrote; … Ubuntu is evil and no better than others in this regard.”

      About 70% of the world do not really think Google is evil because they are using Google’s free Android OS and Chrome browser = they think it is a fair trade, ie they get free use of Google software in exchange for allowing Google to get revenue from ads, sales of apps, etc by imposing user data collection.

      Similarly, about 90% of the world do not really think M$ is evil because they are using non-free Windows = they think it is a fair trade, ie they pay a license fee in exchange for a very user-friendly and well-supported OS, in terms of GUI, availability of apps/programs/games and device drivers.

      OTOH, some consider Google Android and M$ Windows as the lesser of two evils, ie compared to Apple iOS and MacOS.

      Free Linux Desktop OS is good but “No good deed goes unpunished” = miniscule world Desktop OS market share of < 2% because Linux is not very user-friendly and not well-supported.

      So, it can be a good idea for Canonical Inc Ubuntu to copy Google Android business model by imposing user data collection = may become the lesser of 2 evils, ie compared to M$ Windows 10.

      1. John Fenderson said on February 16, 2018 at 8:28 pm
        Reply

        @AnorKnee Merce: “About 70% of the world do not really think Google is evil because they are using Google’s free Android OS and Chrome browser = they think it is a fair trade”

        That may be true (I’m unaware of any actual studies on this, though, so it’s pure speculation). However, to the extent that it’s true, it’s largely because people are unaware of how truly invasive and awful Google’s policies are.

      2. ShintoPlasm said on February 16, 2018 at 9:22 am
        Reply

        “OTOH, some consider Google Android and M$ Windows as the lesser of two evils, ie compared to Apple iOS and MacOS.”

        Why do you think Google/Microsoft would be seen as the lesser of two evils compared to Apple’s offerings? Surely Apple’s privacy policies are better from a user’s perspective? Just wondering.

      3. John Fenderson said on February 16, 2018 at 10:34 pm
        Reply

        @ShintoPlasm

        In my opinion, Apple is better in terms of privacy, but Apple also comes with a whole raft of different problems that keep it from being something that is attractive to me.

        I don’t use Windows (except at work where I have no choice), but I do use Android. Android can be made fully acceptable from a security point of view, although it takes effort and skill, and as long as that’s true, I view it as the lesser of evils in the mobile space.

      4. AnorKnee Merce said on February 16, 2018 at 7:11 pm
        Reply

        @ Shintoplasm

        Like a dictator, Apple fully controls iOS and MacOS devices, ie controls both software and hardware = a walled garden or locked ecosystem. There is little point in the users having privacy in such a system that lacks user freedom. It’s like a prisoner being given a lot of “privacy” in a jail cell.
        ……. AFAIK, Apple does not allow you to clean install Windows or Linux on a MacOS computer, eg the MacBook.

        Apple caters to a small niche market for super-expensive and flashy tech gadgets, like luxury goods and sports cars market. Such superficial customers are often called iSheep.

      5. Appster said on February 16, 2018 at 9:27 pm
        Reply

        @AnorKnee Merce:

        Seriously… First off, macOS is not as tightly controlled as iOS. You are not forced to use the Mac App Store, but can install programs from any source. And Apple’s tight control over its iOS software has already proven successful in many ways. E.g. iOS is not a trojan/virus paradise, like the Google Play Store is one. I don’t see as much crapware in the iOS App Store, as well. So that’s a huge PRO of the platform, if you care about security and quality.

        You are once again wrong when it comes to installing Windows/Linux on Macs. Of course you can do that. Apple even offers the appropriate drivers in this case, at least for Windows. You can install those any day you see fit. You can also use both OSes in dual boot. However, what would be the actual point of removing macOS from a Mac? Then you could have bought a Windows PC in the first place (build quality aside).

        > Apple caters to a small niche market for super-expensive and flashy tech gadgets, like luxury goods and sports cars market. Such superficial customers are often called iSheep.

        I think you are disqualifying yourself as a serious comment writer right here. Apple’s build quality is top notch, and of course they can charge a premium for superior build quality. The MacBook Pro displays are gorgeous for example, much better than most displays in Windows laptops. Their unibody design is extremely well-crafted and doesn’t feel cheep; no obvious manufacturing faults. The trackpad of their laptops is pretty big and very responsive. The battery life of their devices is generally great.
        Of course everybody caring for quality has to be an “iSheep”… Are you serious here? No other manufacturer offers devices of said quality, so there is no real competition when you search for the best build quality possible. “iSheep” would indicate that people are falling for false promises, yet up until now Apple has always delivered exactly what the specs on their website said. And those specs are really, really good.

        People like you, who probably can’t judge Apple devices as they don’t own any, shouldn’t write anything about them. It is getting embarrassing.

      6. AnorKnee Merce said on February 17, 2018 at 8:46 am
        Reply

        @ Appster

        Comparing Google Play Store and Apple App Store is like comparing 2 jail cells. Prisoners who are locked in solitary confinement in a jail cell are very safe and secure, which is similar to what Apple App Store is.

        From the start, Mobile devices have been designed with Planned Obsolescence built-in, eg no avenue to do a clean install of the Mobile OS(ie unlike laptops/desktops), Mobile devices have to be directly powered from the rechargeable battery(ie no option to be directly powered from the AC wall outlet, like for laptops), etc.

        Apple does not allow you to upgrade the RAM and SSD or replace the battery yourself in the newer MacBook Pros.
        … Many Apple connectors/ports, eg Lightning, are proprietary and also expensive to replace or buy, eg multi-ports adapters, earPods, etc.

        All the above Bad Apple is similar to M$’s Surface Pros and Win 10 S, ie M$ is copying Apple.
        .

        Seems, you do not appreciate the value of Freedom. America is the superpower of the advanced 1st World countries because she has been built upon Freedom, ie the Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Speech and Freedom to Bear Arms. Without such freedoms, privacy is meaningless. In certain countries, everyone is forced to become communists or of a certain religion/religious-law or of a certain political party.
        ……. There is actually no Freedom in Apple products and services, eg forced to use Apple’s preinstalled apps as the default apps, can’t customize, etc. Those who subscribes to Apple’s walled-garden or locked ecosystem are advocates for anti-Freedom, similar to advocating for a Big Brother State = 1984 by George Orwell. They have willingly given up their freedom for a false sense of privacy and security, and superiority/upperclassmanship. There are reasons why some hipster-techies go and JAILBREAK their iPhones or iPads = to escape from Apple’s tech prison.

        Does a person need to have murdered, in order to be able to judge that a murderer is wrong or evil.? So, a person does not need to own an Apple device to judge Apple and their users.
        … Anyway, I have previously owned an iPhone 4S, and now running an Android smartphone.

      7. John Fenderson said on February 20, 2018 at 6:56 pm
        Reply

        @Appster: “mobile devices are not being used for more than 2 – 5 years by ANYONE.”

        This isn’t at all true. I know a lot of people who keep, or plan to keep, their smartphones for at least five years. My current phone is almost 5 years old, and with luck, it’ll last another five after that.

        That’s one reason why replaceable batteries are on my short list of things that a device must have in order for me to consider purchasing it.

      8. Appster said on February 21, 2018 at 10:41 am
        Reply

        @John Fenderson:

        Seriously, most people are bound by 2 year contracts, meaning that they are given a new phone every two years. 2 – 3 years is the usual life span, look up the statistics of carriers. Look up the OS version market share statistics. A new Android version usually drops significantly in market share within 3 years of its initial release. That’s a fact.

        Thus, you are a rare edge case if you are indeed using a phone for 5+ years.

        Keep in mind that only Apple updates a phone for 5 years. No Android phone makes it past 3 years of updates, with the Google Pixel phones offering the longest support by far. Since phones are basically small computers nowadays, you should reconsider your stance. I wouldn’t use an unsupported phone which is basically a walk in the park for trojans and viruses of all sorts. I hope you are using a current Custom ROM at least.

        And again, non-removable batteries are a general market trend. Name me one 2017 flagship that had an exchangeable battery and then we’ll talk.

      9. John Fenderson said on February 22, 2018 at 1:38 am
        Reply

        @Appster: ” most people are bound by 2 year contracts, meaning that they are given a new phone every two years”

        Yes, but even then there are people who don’t upgrade — when I was on such a contract, I still avoided upgrading for as long as possible.

        But, aside from that, I was responding to you emphatic assertion that *nobody* keeps a phone longer than a couple of years. That’s simply false. Lots of people keep their phones much longer than that. A minority, sure, but not an insignificant one.

        “Name me one 2017 flagship that had an exchangeable battery and then we’ll talk.”

        Why? That’s not relevant to my point.

      10. Appster said on February 17, 2018 at 12:33 pm
        Reply

        @AnorKnee Merce:

        I don’t think the Google Play Store qualifies for the word “jail”, at all. They don’t even have a proper review process. Everybody can upload anything there. Android also allows installation of software from other sources, if you are unhappy with the Play Store.

        Apple has other priorities, security being one of them. It’s in the best interest of the users not to infest the App Store with malware. I don’t like to worry about potential security breaches when I install an app. Hence why many companies also use iOS, as security is of high priority to them. Android fails miserably here.

        The miserable update politics in the Android sphere are part of the security problem. They definitely need to step up their game in that department.

        Sure, it would be preferable to have removable batteries in mobiles at least. Apple never had that, yet most major Android manufacturers don’t have it either. It’s not an Apple-only problem, but a general negative trend in the market. Although it must be said that the batteries Apple uses are not too bad to begin with, and that mobile devices are not being used for more than 2 – 5 years by ANYONE. The security issues once a device is unsupported (Apple’s update policy is far superior here) alone should be a reason to stop using a device at some point. I am realistic about the actual life span here.
        As far as I know, you can perform a clean install of iOS via iTunes. It’s called “setting up as new iPhone/iPad/iPod touch”. Just because it doesn’t have the clean install batch on it, doesn’t mean that it is not in existence. I for one perform a clean install with any major iOS upgrade. Android can also be installed from scratch, otherwise the Custom ROMs wouldn’t even exist. I don’t see the problem here.

        Regarding RAM and SSD in MacBooks… Yes, you can’t exchange them. You need to know the proper configuration the day you buy it. Once again, we should be realistic about the actual life span here. Who is going to use a PC/Mac for 8+ years? You are going to buy a new one at some point anyway. If something breaks in the meantime, the IMHO superb Apple Care plan steps in. That’s 5 years allround guarantee. I am not too worried about breakage, as I know that Apple would replace or repair the device in this case anyway. By the way, RAM and SSD can’t be exchanged in many Windows devices as well. A general market trend.

        AFAIK Lightning is the only proprietary port Apple uses. There are no proprietary ports on the MacBooks, it’s USB-C (industry standard) and a 3.5 mm headphone jack (industry standard). You are plain wrong here, except for Lightning in iOS devices.

        If you think that Android grants you more freedom, you should think hard about things like proprietary manufacturer modifications (possibly spyware, see OnePlus scandal), locked bootloaders, Google’s refusal to let you adblock things without root (iOS Safari actually has an abundance of adblockers) etc. The only freedom Android gives you (if the bootloader is unlocked, that is) would be to install a Custom ROMs, and to install software from other sources (not an issue for most, as pretty much everything is already in the Google Play Store).

        You should accept that some people value properly built devices, and a more secure environment to work in. That’s not false in itself. If Apple pisses us off in a major way, we could still buy an android phone with worse build quality and similarly locked bloatware-infested OS. We just don’t want to. Many Apple users already know Android, and are not too impressed.

      11. Anonymous said on February 21, 2018 at 7:43 pm
        Reply

        We really are headed backwards for the
        “COMPANY STORE” again. We need
        good leaders in our great country

    4. Martin Brinkmann said on February 16, 2018 at 8:14 am
      Reply

      I disagree. No opt-out is worse than opt-out, and opt-out is worse than opt-in.

      1. Anonymous said on February 21, 2018 at 7:37 pm
        Reply

        Data collection of ANY kind is meant for one thing only.
        PROFIT: that’s OK except it ALWAYS go too got.
        If not now, then…… any other time.
        Most people know this. Stoop trying to change our minds.

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