The amount of hate I see for #apple and #macos while following #linux hashtags is baffling. Especially when I see those same people praising #google, especially those talking #security and #privacy. Google will gobble up everything it can about you so they can sell your information for advertising.
In reality the real reason people hate is because cost of entry. Apple hardware is expensive because it’s build to last. If you can’t afford to buy their hardware it’s easier to hate on it, I guess.
@chasehainey Maybe for some. For me personally, I despise Apple because:
When an SSD goes out, buy a new laptop.
When the battery goes out, buy a new laptop.
Want to add memory, you can't, buy a new laptop.
Want to add storage, you can't, buy a new laptop.
When the hardware is a couple years old but still working perfectly fine, well the OS won't update, time to buy a new laptop.
When I pay several thousand dollars for hardware, I expect to be able to repair and maintain that hardware well into the future, whether that's a car, a server, or a laptop.
Apple's core philosophy on this always returns back to "Just buy a new version". Personally my gripe has nothing to do with cost of hardware or privacy, but everything to do with serviceability and longevity of that equipment.
@cdp1337 Found the copy/pasta for #apple haters, that was quick. With Apple Care you'll be covered in the event SSD or battery run into issues. For the rest, seems like you need a lesson in planning ahead. Buy enough memory and storage to last you a few years. My laptop is over five years old, guess what, it's on the latest macOS. I bet you a nickel that my aging laptop is in better condition, shape, and working order than most Windows laptops from Dell, Acer, Lenovo, etc of the same age.
@chasehainey Yup, and I could take my car to a garage to have the oil changed, just like I could send my laptop back to the factory to have someone do the work. Having the manufacturer provide that service for folks who prefer that workflow is great.
Not everyone prefers to have someone else do the work they could otherwise do themselves. By forcing users one option or the other, manufacturers are limiting how users can use the devices they bought and own.
Just the other week my dryer stopped spinning. Yes, I could have paid a tech certified by the manufacturer to come and repair it back to OEM standards, OR I could have just bought a $5 belt from Amazon and slapped it in myself. It's about having the freedom of choice in how you use and maintain your device.
For your comment of planning ahead, that's precisely why I couldn't daily drive an Apple laptop. Part of planning is contingency plans for unexpected situations. I'm not planning on needing to perform a 5TB packet capture while hanging off a ladder, but if that situation were to occur, I could modify my laptop to fit that situation.
It's great that your 5 year old device is still receiving updates and security patches and can install the latest software. Soon it may be a different story though. You mentioned it's still in excellent shape so it should last you another 5 years easily, but will the manufacturer continue to offer updates and latest OS compatibility for another 5 years?
Very recently I had someone ask me to install a VPN client and RDP on their old macbook. I don't remember the exact model, but it was a little older than yours. Apple no longer supported that device, even though it still was in good condition and worked just fine, and thus was ineligible for the latest OS. Since it was on an older OS, the VPN and RDP clients wouldn't run as they were coded to expect the latest OS, which again would have been fine.... if Apple didn't prevent installation of it on that machine.
What would be the Apple-approved way of handling a situation like that?
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Please note, I'm not arguing the build quality of Apple hardware, in fact I agree that they manufacturer some of the best build chassis in the industry. Ribbon cable designs and component selections sometimes a little questionable, but the chassis have always been top-notch.
Finally, my posts never contain copy pasta unless otherwise specifically stated, TYVM :P
@chasehainey Plus, the flexibility and power offered by even a DE as simple as #Cinnamon makes using macOS feel like using a straitjacket.
Apple is great at tailoring experiences, but won’t give users the power to modify things to suit their particular use case anymore. For consumers, that’s fine, but power-users need more flexibility.
And don’t even get me started on that new Mac Pro. $7,000 for a computer with such limited expansion options and NO upgrade ability?
@chasehainey I used to be a BIG Apple fan. Been using Macs exclusively since 2006. But now I’ve switched to Linux.
Why? Because Apple is no longer a computer company. Apple is now a services company that sells hardware to support its services businesses.
Apple now builds “computing appliances.” They cannot be upgraded or repaired by end-users AT ALL, and Apple won’t unlock Activation Locked Macs, making them VERY expensive e-waste far too often.
@chasehainey It’s not only cost of entry. After some years, you will need to buy a new device. Inevitably. With Apple, you can’t upgrade parts of the machine, so the best way to handle the situation is: buy a machine, use it for a year, sell it and buy a new one. This way you keep the loss of value low, but it’s not really a sustainable model for medium and low income.
Then storage capacity dropped at some point, so that didn’t work anymore without additional investment. 🤷♂️
@ketchup71 That is true for almost every computer you purchase. That’s what happens with tech. Most laptops you can’t upgrade the processor. If faster memory becomes available you need a new motherboard (DDR4 to DDR5). CPU is soldered into nearly any laptop you can buy. You’ve explained laptops in general. It’s not #Apple specific. Obviously there are exceptions like #Framework, but otherwise that’s the model.
@chasehainey You usually can upgrade (expand) RAM and storage. Which may allow you to extend the life span of a machine for another few years, or use it in another capacity.
No need for new mainboards, because you can just buy the RAM matching the spec used in your machine.
Other manufacturers might be tempted to follow in Apple’s footsteps, because profit (buy the bigger option from start!), but for now… your statement this is „explaining laptop“ is simply wrong. 🤷♂️
@chasehainey But my main point is: you don’t just pay once for entering. You also pay for staying in the game. This makes upgrades important, because it makes computers more affordable in the long run.
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