decoderring

So Mike writes a thoughtful article on an important issue and goes to great lengths to present a balanced view of the issue.

lkrupp said:

xyzzy-xxx said:

I don't believe anything Apple tells about privacy until image scanning (CSAM) on the device is finally declared to be dead. 

As long as you understand you have no place to go for better privacy and security. NOWHERE!

It's not that there's no where to go, it's just that any better alternatives for privacy and security issues are way more complex for the end-user and thus not really practical for the vast majority of users. It's rather a sad state of computing. I've decided to move on from Apple and finally make the move to Linux and Graphene OS on a Pixel. As a fervent user of Apple products since the early 90s, it makes me sad: I still really, really enjoy Apple's products despite their shortcomings (from my perspective) and don't feel the same enchantment for Linux distros or Android forks. But I don't want to support Apple anymore. I've been feeling this way for a few years now, and its recent moves have just cemented my resolve.

Luckily, there are now a few distros with user environments that make it pretty easy to transition. That said, I plan on moving to Ubuntu or Asahi Linux once they're fully ported to the new M1 architecture. And despite what I wrote earlier, the adventure seems pretty exciting and I'm surprised how much fun it's been to learn the basics of using new operating systems that are also more technical in nature.

ronn said:

Buying the M1 MBA was a no-brainer for me. My current machine is a 2014 MBA on its last legs. I slept on it just to make sure and just pulled the trigger minutes ago. My one regret was not buying yesterday as I'll probably get the new machine end of this month or early December.

My only Windows issue has to deal with collaborating with others. So they'll have to find alternatives or they're SOL.

I have a 2018 MBA, and I'm still betting the new one is going to be a pretty big jump in performance. Graphics will, I think, see a big boost (and thus make the (non-existent) fan noise no longer an issue. I was already thinking the 2020 model was a big enough improvement from the 2018 one with the new keyboard, the better processor, and TrueTone, so I didn't hesitate to buy the AS MBA yesterday a few hours after the presentation.

My delivery time is slated between December 4 and 14, although when I started the purchase process (it took me about ten minutes for a couple of reasons), the estimate was the end of November. So I'm assuming that the number of people buying at least right away was fairly significant.

Lenz said:

I am in the UK and also got the Applecard invitation email this morning. So hopes dashed again!  Apple promised the roll out of the Apple Pay Cash to the UK what, over two years ago and so far nothing, zip, nada. Increasingly they appear to be a US only focused company so disappointing for someone who has been an Apple user since the beginning. A promise to roll out an Applecard to the UK later - means little now.

I hear ya. Same for Apple users in Canada...

I wonder if (part of) the issue stems from situations like mine: I’m an American living in Canada and have switched back and forth between accessing the Apple Store in both countries in the past.

Technically, though I reside in Canada, I should be eligible to apply as I meet all the criteria to do so. Perhaps Apple’s system doesn’t quite know how to parse potential applicants in similar situations.