That's not completely true.
Ledger application does use their server to show information about incoming/outgoing transactions and balance.
But you always can verify yourself whether a specific transaction has arrived (i.e. block explorer).
This does not apply on coinbase. You are given deposit addresses and receive a 'balance' in their database. Since you don't own the corresponding private keys, you don't own the bitcoins.
You can't validate anything. You just rely on their database being intact to credit you the correct amount of BTC when you want to withdraw them.
With ledger, (only) you have the control over the private keys. Therefore you can always validate transactions/balance without needing to trust someone.
My argument hinges on the fact that with server side validation, most people wouldn't bother to check the transaction on any other sources. I wasn't talking about how Coinbase or Ledger works. The attack would be viable for people receiving transactions (and thus the client forging and providing inaccurate information) and that seems to be the main thing that OP is concerned about.
Of course, Ledger is better in general. But when you're trying to receive transactions, the risk is there.
This means that ledger could show you wrong information inside their application.
This also means that coinbase could show you whatever they want and still don't let you withdraw anything.
That's why I'm implying that they are somewhat similar in terms of this. If Ledger shows you the wrong information, I would say that they wouldn't let you withdraw anything.
Wallets do not delete addresses because they don't exist on a technical level.
The only thing you eventually could delete is a private key. But since the majority of wallets nowadays are HD wallets (which do not rely on storing private keys; they are being derived) thats mostly not an issue anymore.
Yes. Its mostly interpreted by the community as the same thing, could do better on my phrasing though.
I fully agree that Ledger/hardware wallets are better than Coinbase/Online wallets by far, as a whole. I am only focusing on the discussion on the safety of
only when receiving a transactions. Assuming Ledger's web app and Coinbase, both are equally susceptible to server-side validation attack for which the host could modify information that is being displayed inside of the client. While I do agree that having a second source of information is useful, most people blindly trusts what the client says as correct.
