Do you own any Apple products, and what is your approach to them

[Neroon]

14 hours ago, igormp said:

I guess you've never used an iPhone? iMessage as in the app works for both Apple's protocol, but it's also the default app for SMS. An android user in the US would just send a regular SMS through their favorite app and an iOS user would receive it through iMessage (and see a green bubble). That's it.

SMS is by far the most used method in the US:

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1332443/us-users-top-communication-methods/

 

Most people still use more than 1 method. Even though most of my use is telegram, I still use WA once a week or so, and Instagram almost daily. Not to mention work stuff like Slack.

 

Still, if someone wants to reach me, the best way is through Telegram, even though I do am a WA user. I can easily see someone in the US using SMS/iMessage 90% of the time, with the occasional 3rd party use for random occasions.

I have not used an iPhone. However when people talk about using iMessage to text with Android users, I'm not thinking SMS but the actual service that Apple provides, which apparently can be used by Android users through third party app.

 

My argument wasn't about how much each is used, it's about the absence of third party apps used to text, and I would exclude mail and SMS from, even though a third party app might be used to handle that.

5 hours ago, EphraimK said:

1 reason- WhatsApp is owned by Facebook or "Meta". That's reason enough for me not to trust it, seeing as how they have been proven sell so much of your private information

Apple at least has a better reputation in how they handle privacy.

Trusting Meta would be stupid. But this is about end to end encryption. This isn't about trusting Meta but the tech used. That I trust.

3 hours ago, htimsenyawed said:

Yeah, I quit replying to them whenever they thought that an illusion of privacy is somehow a bullshit argument for not using a company with proven no privacy.

 

Then again, I don’t think they’re in the United States because no one except people with phones (Android or iPhone) primarily use anything except iMessage or SMS unless they can’t afford phone service. 

You use the illusion of Apples privacy as an argument to not use WhatsApp. Yet you take issue that I call this is a BS argument. Especially when both use end to end encryption. None of your argument makes any sense.

[Neroon]

12 hours ago, Donut417 said:

Like what? Now I’m kinda curious. 

Well unless your SMS is wildly different from ours, you can't send larger files, make phone calls (yes this can be relevant at times), video calls, (large) groups, documents, modified notifications, automatic deletion of files or messages etc etc.

 

Maybe some are possible now, but definitely not all. Oh and afaik SMS is way less secure.

[Donut417]

2 hours ago, Neroon said:

you can't send larger files, make phone calls (yes this can be relevant at times), video calls, (large) groups, documents, modified notifications, automatic deletion of files or messages etc etc.

Ive never really had to deal with sending large files. The phone calls thru text is not a big deal here because many plans / phone here in the US support WiFi calling, most plans also are unlimited talk and text so you are not limited in that capacity, data is where they limit you. I probably communicate with less than a dozen people so large group text not really an issue. The other stuff is also features I would never use. Video calls are handled via Facetime in the Apple eco system and work well, while I might not work with non Apple users, its a feature I rarely use.

[Neroon]

3 hours ago, Donut417 said:

Ive never really had to deal with sending large files. The phone calls thru text is not a big deal here because many plans / phone here in the US support WiFi calling, most plans also are unlimited talk and text so you are not limited in that capacity, data is where they limit you. I probably communicate with less than a dozen people so large group text not really an issue. The other stuff is also features I would never use. Video calls are handled via Facetime in the Apple eco system and work well, while I might not work with non Apple users, its a feature I rarely use.

The argument isn't what you need, it's about the things it can't do.

 

Saying most plans support wifi, that you don't talk too many people and that you use facetime that is limited to Apple users, are just really bad arguments. And that's ignoring the privacy aspect.

 

People like yourself have just accepted the limitations of the products you are using, that you don't consider them a negative. When in reality they are. SO what if you don't communicate with a large amount of people? I don't either, but I still have 2 group chats that I value, and I don't limit the people I have a group chat with, to those who use Apple devices. Same with video calling, which in fairness I do very rarely, but it's still useful for the times you need it, and I again wouldn't want to be limited to people who decided to buy an Apple device.

 

But all of this is ignoring the even bigger issue. The way people use their phones in these situations, makes it that others feel 'forced' to get an iPhone as well.

 

Having an iPhone where I live has absolutely 0 advantages, except for of course personal preference. While I'm not saying no one uses iMessage (and I mean the Apple eco system part of it, not SMS), I don't know anyone who uses it and doesn't use Whatsapp. The people I know that use Apple, have never spoken about iMessage, it's just not something that is even remotely relevant, because it's a mostly closed system that people don't want to use.

 

But when I heard some of you talk, it's like if you don't buy an iPhone, then we won't get beyond SMS. Want to be part of a group chat? Well better get an iPhone. Want to video call? Get an iPhone. Want to send larger files, get an iPhone. It's the exact opposite of what you want. I mean it's obvious why Apple won't release it on other platforms, because they obviously feel it influences a persons purchase.

So while people can call out Meta all they want, Whatsapp does not limit users at all. The same goes for a couple of other 3rd party apps like that.

 

Communication and social apps, should never be limited to any eco system ever.

 

 

PS unlimited calls and texts is very common here as well. I've never had it because I don't call much at all, and basically never text (SMS).

[Donut417]

23 minutes ago, Neroon said:

And that's ignoring the privacy aspect.

Privacy is dead, it’s been dead since the internet age. The stuff I want to keep private, my social security number, medical info, etc has already been compromised. Just got a letter this week that Corewell health leaked my records. Before that T Mobile was hacked two or three times. Equifax leaked half the social security numbers of the entire US including mine. 

[Issac Zachary]

9 hours ago, htimsenyawed said:

I don't use WhatsApp because I'm in the United States and the only people who use "free" (you're the product being sold) messaging apps are those who can't afford phone service.

Or who have friends and family in other countries. Many phone plans in the USA include texting and calling to Canada and Mexico, but if you have a friend or relative anywhere else it can be very costly to text or talk since those minutes and texts are not covered under any unlimited plan that I know of. So WhatsApp (or similar service) makes sense in that situation.

 

My wife once texted and called a friend who had moved to Guatemala. She thought that since we have an unlimited plan that includes Mexico that it also included Guatemala. $400 US dollars later everyone was convinced to use WhatsApp instead.

[LloydLynx]

I have a Power Mac G4 that I found on the side of the road, now sitting in storage. It got used on and off for the first couple years of owning it. Now I'd really like to get an iBook G3 Clamshell Blueberry. But they're so expensive ...

[EphraimK]

On 12/1/2023 at 9:39 AM, Donut417 said:

Privacy is dead, it’s been dead since the internet age. The stuff I want to keep private, my social security number, medical info, etc has already been compromised. Just got a letter this week that Corewell health leaked my records. Before that T Mobile was hacked two or three times. Equifax leaked half the social security numbers of the entire US including mine. 

You have a point lol

[Killjoy_NS]

On 12/1/2023 at 3:54 AM, EphraimK said:

The software is more optimized

 

 

I personally only have:

• iPhone 13 mini
• AppleTV 4K
• iPad 4 (yes very old)

Well, it is obvious.

Apple make iPhone.

Apple make OS for iPhone.

Apple make apps for iPhone.

Ofc it is optimized.

 

Every manufacturer of an android phones has its own version of OS (variant of android).

Then, we have bunch od differenet developers of apps for AGAIN different versions of Android OS.

I'm glad it is working afterall.

This is fourth year of my Huawei Nova 5T. Works great.

 

On my latest job, I've got some sort of a "bussines phone"....it's iPhone SE...some small p.o.s.

I don't like it at all.

[Neroon]

14 hours ago, Killjoy_NS said:

Well, it is obvious.

Apple make iPhone.

Apple make OS for iPhone.

Apple make apps for iPhone.

Ofc it is optimized.

I'm very mixed on this.

 

Yes, it is harder with Android, but then again why is it harder with Android? Pretty much all phones run Google Android, and while Google is heavily invested in bringing all their bloatware to your phone, they aren't that invested in optimizing the experience over various Android devices.
Now by all means, if you believe in a fully open system, that is harder to do, but Google Android isn't as open as people pretend it is. Yes you can open it up, but most of the users don't, and Google could still do like a mandated update system. Take Windows Phone for example, they were able to accomplish many things that Google didn't, incl minimum specs to make sure the experience was solid, updates for all phones etc.

 

These are choices. But it's more than that. Why is it Microsoft making 'Phone Link'? Why didn't Google? Why didn't Google make an excellent integration with Windows, and arguably with MacOS as well?

 

Why is Samsung DeX not a standard Android function?

Why don't Android tablets have a standard function to use it as a second screen?

Why can't you easily synchronize everything and constantly from your phone to your tablet and vice versa.

Microsoft attempted to bring it altogether, but failed due to popularity of Android and iOS. Google won't take over the desktop or laptop market, aside from low end school laptops, but have done nothing to bring PC, Tablet and Phone together. And sure, why would Google help Microsoft to make Windows a better choice? But Apple is putting everything nicely together, sure at a premium, but in western countries they are doing more than fine and are really large, afaik they are still gaining market over Android. 

 

10 years ago Android integration was about as poor as it is today, whereas Apple made leaps to make it all work together really well.

 

[Thaldor]

From my quite limited use of Apple products, I don't know what to say. They do great products and their marketing and brand building is the best in the world, but then there's the dirt that I feel is good to call out. With dirt I don't mean the usual stuff there is but the far bigger and more omitted dirt that seems to be lost in the mass of "kind-of" dirt.

 

The over the top configured Macs are one thing that everyone likes to bash because they seem stupid, but that's not my problem with Mac pricing, those are speciality machines and so is the price. My problem is more often the lowest end pricing, like the newest MBP which is pretty stupid buy compared to MBA with almost the same specs but just smaller and a lot cheaper. Everybody was laughing at the $20k+ costing Mac Pro and how ridiculous that price it and really the more ridiculous one was the cheapest configuration going for closer to $10k and being just bad in everyway (not impressive CPU, barely any RAM or storage and nothing extra, you basicly paid for extreme high-end MB, PSU and designer case).

 

The repair options. It must be nice in countries where there is real Apple stores and not just Apple Retailers, you can walk in, pay $800 and have mainboard of your iDevice changed in hours. Here where there's only Apple retailers you are looking at $800 and couple weeks easily. And then that $800 doesn't even guarantee you a new mainboard, you pay the same and it's up to luck do you get a new one or a refurbished one, you're paying for the new one eitherway. On top of that is the always swapping parts repairing, like at least clean the things and try once at least. Seriously, I got my MBA for saving the files in it because it didn't charge anymore and the problem was some shit in the charging port, cotton swap, some alcohol and works great, repair centers quote: "New mainboard and daughter board, new keyboard because dirty and liquid damage, cheaper to buy a new machine" and literally just cleaning it fixed the problem and it has now worked years without any hiccups.

 

Using security as a scapegoat for using anti-consumer storage options. Security is always double-edged weapon, the higher your security is, the more trouble it is in use. The soldered, encrypted and basicly controless storage is just so annoying when something goes wrong that 90% or more people don't need that level of security in their personal machine. I am not saying it from the perspective of it being impossible to swap the storage to bigger or something like that, but from the perspective of data recovery. For background: I FUCKING hated it when any computer repair shop had the small print that they wiped your HDD during almost every repair because "that was the way to be sure the problem wasn't in the software", like yeah sure, but even when IDE was the thing using separate OS installation to test the machine was completely possible solution, SATA and more "portable" OS architecture became a thing, it was just pure incompetence not to have HDD with pretty clean Linux/Windows install to test that the problem wasn't in the software without wiping the customers storage, pure stupidity and malice when Linux live CD's became a thing. I made sure everyone around me knew to ask that before taking any of their PC's into any repairshops, if they did say that, bring the machine to me and I will take a look or at least take the backups if they didn't have those. I even made some serious money out of that, like you would be surprised how much people are willing to pay to get their vacation photos back from the brink of destruction.

I wouldn't have any bone to pick if Apple was straight and said it is business decision or it is for the performance with some BS chart how much faster the in-CPU controller is over separated controller and how much faster the soldered SSD is over M.2. But the security excuse is just gabarge, like seriously, burner storage (storage that is completely destroyed when done its purpose or if compromised) in consumer product is pretty much the same as installing $500 lock into a almost rundown shed to secure $50 lawnmower. Criminals are far more interested to get passwords and accounts than to get a ton of vacation photos, they're very rarely interested about the mails in some random email account and far more interested to use that account to send more spam, they don't start hacking into random peoples computers to get their photos and whatelse to start blackmailing and whatelse because that would require time and effort and has a possibility to be aimed at a person without anything to give, they far rather use their time and effort to send massive amount of spam, build a virus that self-replicates and works without any supervision, go after company servers etc. stuff that is low-effort or has guaranteed big wins if successful. Even the thief on the street isn't interested about what's in some random laptop or phone they stole, they want to sell it ASAP for money.

 

Otherwise Apple has some halo products that do raise eyebrows but so has so many other companies. Everyone is trying to do business and I really want someone to find a one big corporation who wouldn't have any skeletons in their closet and don't try to extort people in any way, because everyone has/is/tries to do something like that. They do certain things differently and have certain different targets from the rest of the industry, but so do everyone else if you look hard enough. People like their products, so they are at least doing something right.

[EphraimK]

On 12/15/2023 at 4:42 PM, Killjoy_NS said:

Well, it is obvious.

Apple make iPhone.

Apple make OS for iPhone.

Apple make apps for iPhone.

Ofc it is optimized.

 

Every manufacturer of an android phones has its own version of OS (variant of android).

Then, we have bunch od differenet developers of apps for AGAIN different versions of Android OS.

I'm glad it is working afterall.

This is fourth year of my Huawei Nova 5T. Works great.

 

On my latest job, I've got some sort of a "bussines phone"....it's iPhone SE...some small p.o.s.

I don't like it at all.

The problem with that is Android was designed as a one size fits all like Windows- it's optimized by each individual manufacturer but not as perfectly as Apple's.
Like it or hate it, Samsung's Ecosystem is not even close to Apple's in how seamless it is. Google's is the closest you can get on the Android side of the fence.

Android is a great operating system, I just wish manufacturers went more above and beyond with it like Google has done with the newer Pixel phones

Note, the SE is a bag of shit. Used one for two years.
Not an Apple fanboy btw lol

they've definitely got their problems, starting with exorbitant pricing

[Donut417]

4 hours ago, EphraimK said:

Like it or hate it, Samsung's Ecosystem is not even close to Apple's in how seamless it is. Google's is the closest you can get on the Android side of the fence.

Part of the issue is Apple is in to computers, phones and tablets, not to mention other accessories. They make sure all the stuff works well together.

 

Google has be flip floppy on support. We had the Nexus tablets. Then they dropped tablet support for a while, and now they are back in to tablets. Then you have Chromebooks which are limited in what they can do.

 

I have access to iMessage/face time on all my Apple devices. If I bought an iPad, I can use it as a secondary display on my Macbook, on top of having iMessage and Face time.

 

[darkzip]

I have an iPod classic that I daily drove for almost a decade.   

 

Considering doing the usb C mod to replacement the outdated port on it, replacing the ancient mechanical drive with an SD card and maybe doing the Bluetooth mod when I get around to replacing the totally dead battery.

[Neroon]

2 hours ago, Donut417 said:

Part of the issue is Apple is in to computers, phones and tablets, not to mention other accessories. They make sure all the stuff works well together.

 

Google has be flip floppy on support. We had the Nexus tablets. Then they dropped tablet support for a while, and now they are back in to tablets. Then you have Chromebooks which are limited in what they can do.

 

I have access to iMessage/face time on all my Apple devices. If I bought an iPad, I can use it as a secondary display on my Macbook, on top of having iMessage and Face time.

 

And that's the thing, Android can offer most of it. They can make it easy to use it as a second screen on pretty much every device, they can make it that it's easily connected to a desktop system, they can easily make it that things sync well. But they simply don't. Google is funnily enough the worst thing about Android.