Let's get the facts straight about Apple.

[SolarGalaxa]

Libre office, free

iLife / iWork: Free.
OS X Upgrades: Free

Apple is fucking disgrace. All of the tech giants and social media are a fucking disgrace.

Why?

For the backdoors they created for N.o S.uch A.gency.

Fuck Apple

Yep, and your beloved Google / MS / Other doesn't, right? LMAO LMAO. You are fucking pathetic and so stupidly naive to think that Google / MS / Other don't sell your info and have backdoors. Hell, didn't Relient OS developers find a "backdoor" in the Galaxy line of phone and the Nexus One? Yep! They did. Wow, I wonder who uses it. Let me guess; some three letter ass hat office call the NSA.

You obviously can't read what i wrote so I must conclude that you are a fucking idiot!

This just proves my point. You love Google / MS so much that you can't see they too, sell your data. Your also blind to the fact that there are backdoors in the Galaxy series and the Nexus One.

No wonder there are no "bad news" articles about Google/MS. If there were, the poster would be called a fucking idiot.

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[ChuckBuck]

Quick lineup!  It's time for the new Iphone 6 with improved Siri, twin selfie cameras, and butthole sensor!

[bitsmichel]

This just proves my point. You love Google / MS so much that you can't see they too, sell your data. Your also blind to the fact that there are backdoors in the Galaxy series and the Nexus One.
No wonder there are no "bad news" articles about Google/MS. If there were, the poster would be called a fucking idiot.

Yes, these companies all sell your data behind your back. Apple, Microsoft, Google, Facebook and many others.
You can live a perfect life without them.

[Swordsoffreedom]

This just proves my point. You love Google / MS so much that you can't see they too, sell your data. Your also blind to the fact that there are backdoors in the Galaxy series and the Nexus One.
No wonder there are no "bad news" articles about Google/MS. If there were, the poster would be called a fucking idiot.

Or maybe they don't burden of proof is with you when you make accusations
Ok I'll admit they probably do lol

[bitsmichel]

Once your information goes online its very hard for it not to be abused by companies, criminals and governments.
 Strong encryption can make the line secure for some years;

[kokojie]

Who cares, if you use Apple products, then you hate freedom period, therefore you do not need to know why Apple banned this or that, because you already submitted to their role as your master. Apple will decide what you are allowed to see, hear and use.

I have no interest in knowing why Apple banned this or that, since I have zero Apple products and will keep it that way

Well, looks like not only Apple will decide what you see, hear and use. Apple will also monitor what you see, hear and use:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2014/07/22/every-iphone-has-a-security-backdoor/

[beetcoin]

there are bigger multinational corporations to hate more than apple, but that doesn't mean i don't hate apple. every time i have to use itunes to fix someone else's phone, i just think "i fucking hate this shit." there are so many things that apple does that just gives the middle finger to consumers, and people still buy their shit.

[jbreher]

Who cares, if you use Apple products, then you hate freedom period, therefore you do not need to know why Apple banned this or that, because you already submitted to their role as your master. Apple will decide what you are allowed to see, hear and use.

I have no interest in knowing why Apple banned this or that, since I have zero Apple products and will keep it that way

Well, looks like not only Apple will decide what you see, hear and use. Apple will also monitor what you see, hear and use:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2014/07/22/every-iphone-has-a-security-backdoor/

Did you read the article that you posted, or just scan the headline? :

The wider problem is Apple is far from alone in acting in such an autocratic manner. On Android, for example, ‘Google Play Services’ also runs silently in the background and officially has an innocent agenda “to update Google GOOGL -0.84% apps and apps from Google Play”.

In reality Play Services has limitless access to virtually every aspect of an Android phone and can even grant itself new permissions as and when needed (grabs above had to be spread over five screens). The user is never prompted and while Play Services can be easily disabled the vast majority of Android services and apps will not run without it making it unfeasible to ditch long term.

[kokojie]

Who cares, if you use Apple products, then you hate freedom period, therefore you do not need to know why Apple banned this or that, because you already submitted to their role as your master. Apple will decide what you are allowed to see, hear and use.

I have no interest in knowing why Apple banned this or that, since I have zero Apple products and will keep it that way

Well, looks like not only Apple will decide what you see, hear and use. Apple will also monitor what you see, hear and use:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2014/07/22/every-iphone-has-a-security-backdoor/

Did you read the article that you posted, or just scan the headline? :

The wider problem is Apple is far from alone in acting in such an autocratic manner. On Android, for example, ‘Google Play Services’ also runs silently in the background and officially has an innocent agenda “to update Google GOOGL -0.84% apps and apps from Google Play”.

In reality Play Services has limitless access to virtually every aspect of an Android phone and can even grant itself new permissions as and when needed (grabs above had to be spread over five screens). The user is never prompted and while Play Services can be easily disabled the vast majority of Android services and apps will not run without it making it unfeasible to ditch long term.

What's your point?

1. Google Play Service has not been proven to have a backdoor.

2. The article is actually dead wrong about Google Play being required. You are free to choose to NOT use Google Play if you wanted, there's a ton of 3rd party app markets you can install on your android. For example, in China google play is not installed on 99% of the android devices, everyone use the local Chinese app markets.

3. Android itself is free and opensource, you can even flash your android device to a 3rd party distro like cyanogen mod.

[Yakamoto]

there are bigger multinational corporations to hate more than apple, but that doesn't mean i don't hate apple. every time i have to use itunes to fix someone else's phone, i just think "i fucking hate this shit." there are so many things that apple does that just gives the middle finger to consumers, and people still buy their shit.

Agreed.

In fact, Apple (Now this hasn't been confirmed, but evidence leads to it) was thinking of forcing people to buy custom headphones just to be able to use headphones at all. They're considering abandoning the standard headphone jack and replacing it with a smaller cable, or changing it to their lightning-30 of whatever cable that is used for USB connections. Their purchase of Beats would make this a very real possibility.

So yeah, Apple is inconsiderate.

[beetcoin]

there are bigger multinational corporations to hate more than apple, but that doesn't mean i don't hate apple. every time i have to use itunes to fix someone else's phone, i just think "i fucking hate this shit." there are so many things that apple does that just gives the middle finger to consumers, and people still buy their shit.

Agreed.

In fact, Apple (Now this hasn't been confirmed, but evidence leads to it) was thinking of forcing people to buy custom headphones just to be able to use headphones at all. They're considering abandoning the standard headphone jack and replacing it with a smaller cable, or changing it to their lightning-30 of whatever cable that is used for USB connections. Their purchase of Beats would make this a very real possibility.

So yeah, Apple is inconsiderate.

they have their own proprietary cables so they can charge you $29.95 + S&H for it.

the whole itunes ecosystem is a way to trap consumers into being locked in to them. apple's file transfer system is inconvenient and stupid, but it makes them a lot of money so they continue to do it. they've also, in the past, withheld new technologies so they can give it to you in the following year and then tell you "this. changes. everything."

[jbreher]

Who cares, if you use Apple products, then you hate freedom period, therefore you do not need to know why Apple banned this or that, because you already submitted to their role as your master. Apple will decide what you are allowed to see, hear and use.

I have no interest in knowing why Apple banned this or that, since I have zero Apple products and will keep it that way

Well, looks like not only Apple will decide what you see, hear and use. Apple will also monitor what you see, hear and use:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2014/07/22/every-iphone-has-a-security-backdoor/

Did you read the article that you posted, or just scan the headline? :

The wider problem is Apple is far from alone in acting in such an autocratic manner. On Android, for example, ‘Google Play Services’ also runs silently in the background and officially has an innocent agenda “to update Google GOOGL -0.84% apps and apps from Google Play”.

In reality Play Services has limitless access to virtually every aspect of an Android phone and can even grant itself new permissions as and when needed (grabs above had to be spread over five screens). The user is never prompted and while Play Services can be easily disabled the vast majority of Android services and apps will not run without it making it unfeasible to ditch long term.

What's your point?

1. Google Play Service has not been proven to have a backdoor.

2. The article is actually dead wrong about Google Play being required. You are free to choose to NOT use Google Play if you wanted, there's a ton of 3rd party app markets you can install on your android. For example, in China google play is not installed on 99% of the android devices, everyone use the local Chinese app markets.

3. Android itself is free and opensource, you can even flash your android device to a 3rd party distro like cyanogen mod.

What is my point? From the information in the article you posted, one cannot infer that iOS is backdoored any more than is android.

OK so one does not _require_ Play. Are you indicating that verizon, AT&T, or whomever does not have the ability to remotely activate elements within your phone?

[LostDutchman]

I've seen some posts (here & on reddit) which bash Apple for their Bitcoin app ban. Firstly, Apple has not banned Bitcoin. If they did, then why are "read-only" Bitcoin apps still allowed? That has no logic in it at all. Secondly, according to the Developer Guidelines, the app's content and/or service(s) must be legal everywhere the App Store serves apps. Thus:

1) Bitcoin has shady legal status in several overseas countries. India has declared Bitcoin an Ponzi scheme (yeah, right!), and others have outright banned Bitcoin. Thus, if Apple were to offer these apps in those countries, then because Apple is the world's most valuable billion dollar company category and thus, the largest then those governments have the opportunity to sue Apple.

2) The reason why Blockchain was removed is because Blockchain updated the app and provided false screen shots. Providing screen shots that do not match the app itself is against the Developer Guidelines. Another violation of the guidelines is the fact that the Blockchain's app description made no mention of the sending and receiving Bitcoin.

In conclusion, Apple is just protecting their collectively large asses from money hungry governments.

Apple sucks balls Cum Laude.

[inBitweTrust]

Overpriced? Yeah, right.
 Computers:

Windows PC: $799 + Blacktop Protection (consumers) + Anti-Virus (5 yrs, $200+ total) + Microsoft Office / 365 Subscription (5 yrs, $99/year $500 total) = $799 + $100 + $200 + $500 = $1599. You need to factor in Windows 9, which will undoubtedly cost $119, and then future part upgrades, which would cost at least $300. So, in total, $1599 + 119 + 200 =2018. Even if you take out the 365 subscription, the total cost over five years is $1518, give or take part upgrades, OS upgrades, and even monitor upgrades.

iMac: $1299 + AppleCare + iWork/iLife (Free) + Free OS Upgrades = $1299 + 99 = $1398.
Mac Mini: $799 + Monitor = $999, $1099 with AppleCare.

So, in reality, you actually pay more when buying a PC, albeit over five years.

Let's stick with reality:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834231595
ASUS Taichi31    749 Shipped (For a brand which tends to beat apple in reliability reports)
-------------------Specs---------------------------
Intel Core i5 3337U (1.80GHz) Dual-core
4GB Memory
128GB SSD
13.3" 1920 x 1080 Dual Screen


http://store.apple.com/us/buy-mac/macbook-air
MacBook Air 999 shipped
-------------------Specs---------------------------
1.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
4GB memory
128GB SSD
13" 1440 x900 single screen

So you are paying 250 dollars more for less resolution, less reliable, and slower processor. Additionally, Mavericks is a disaster just like windows 8. I am having to rollback many of my friend's macs back to Mountain Lion because of all the bugs within Mavericks; some of which are devastating(Last one had the screen going black intermittently where many other users had similar complaints right after upgrading- WTF). It has been almost a year as well since Mavericks was released and many problems still persist and with windows 8 you can install a free dock to make it function like 7.

The best windows Antivirus programs are free, and if you believe that OSX is immune to mall ware and viruses than you are very naive. I don't need to pay more to be apart of your fanclub of hipsters; I run OSX and LINUX just fine from my PC sir...

[alani123]

there are bigger multinational corporations to hate more than apple, but that doesn't mean i don't hate apple. every time i have to use itunes to fix someone else's phone, i just think "i fucking hate this shit." there are so many things that apple does that just gives the middle finger to consumers, and people still buy their shit.

Well, buying apple is now a trend and I feel like apple perfectly took advantage of it. But for now, it's only the phone industry that apple is coming first in. If bitcoin's future is transaction from smartphones, well that's when we should be worried.

[inBitweTrust]

there are bigger multinational corporations to hate more than apple, but that doesn't mean i don't hate apple. every time i have to use itunes to fix someone else's phone, i just think "i fucking hate this shit." there are so many things that apple does that just gives the middle finger to consumers, and people still buy their shit.

Well, buying apple is now a trend and I feel like apple perfectly took advantage of it. But for now, it's only the phone industry that apple is coming first in. If bitcoin's future is transaction from smartphones, well that's when we should be worried.

Apple has slowly been losing Marketshare against android and iOS definitely isn't 1 in smartphones.

http://www.idc.com/prodserv/smartphone-os-market-share.jsp

Period    Android    iOS           Windows Phone       BlackBerry OS    Others
Q1 2014    81.1%    15.2%        2.7%                      0.5%             0.6%

Apple is a company who's business strategy is focused on clever marketing, locking in clients in their walled garden with a 30% tax, repackaging other peoples inventions and than suing their competition.

[NotAtOld]

Apple had previously removed any bitcoin wallets from their app store... They've since let up on their restrictions (no longer banned).
Apple products by design are a bit oppressive in that there's not a lot of customization allowed and they try to do everything for you. I'm under the impression that that alone grinds the gears of bitcoin types.

[NotAtOld]

 Apple is quickly becoming the new Microsoft, a company that everyone loves to hate.

[alani123]

Apple has slowly been losing Marketshare against android and iOS definitely isn't 1 in smartphones.

http://www.idc.com/prodserv/smartphone-os-market-share.jsp

Period    Android    iOS           Windows Phone       BlackBerry OS    Others
Q1 2014    81.1%    15.2%        2.7%                      0.5%             0.6%

Apple is a company who's business strategy is focused on clever marketing, locking in clients in their walled garden with a 30% tax, repackaging other peoples inventions and than suing their competition.

What about Smartphone Subscriber Market Share

Here's the global one:


And the US one:


Apple is still the leader the US, most people who own a smartphone there own an apple one.

[inBitweTrust]

And the US one:


Apple is still the leader the US, most people who own a smartphone there own an apple one.

Your numbers seem to indicate that while apple is dominant brand in the US, over 58% don't use apple phones, thus most people in the US do not use apple. Its good to see they are losing marketshare in the US too.