Image description:
Shopping for a laptop as a Linux user:
Screenshot from the Simpsons where Otto is talking to Marge and Homer standing next to a window in their house with a caption "Oh wow, windows!... I don't think I can afford this place."
this post was submitted on 26 Feb 2024
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I hate that nowadays everything comes with pre-installed spyware and that they charge you for it makes it even worse..
Ffs I just want devices that I own to not spy on me, and I can't even buy them anymore..
Each of them require flashing a custom privacy respecting OS onto it,
and that's a real problem..
Nice list, I would add routers (not everywhere). But for example here in Germany you get a device from your ISP for free but don't try to change the DNS settings because your ISP wants to know what you are doing online.
Only alternative is a fritzbox which is highly overpriced for a simple router+modem. >200€ for a cablerouter.
I had to buy a used fritzbox, need to nearly hacked them for activating the deactivated bridge-mode and put a cheap Asus router on it with flashed openwrt.
I needed 6 months for the whole setup.
Unless you are using DoH or DoT it does not matter which DNS server you have configured on the modem/router, DNS requests are sent as plain text so your ISP can still see them and will know which sites you are seeing.
OpenWRT with DoH or DoT bypasses that problem, alternatively a VPN with custom DNS. Also a Pihole or Adguard instance never hurt. But at the end of the day someome owns those DNS servers and will likely log your use.
That's exactly my setup. Openwrt + stubby + DoT. Which points to an external AdguardHome + unbound. Wireguard is also used.
You can't just buy a modem? And modems are really that pricey where you are?. I can get a modem router combo for $150. Maybe $200 if I want to splurge a little bit that meets most of my needs. And then if you're really worried about like linksys OS or something like that, you can just flash DDWRT onto it? I'm not saying the United States service providers are better, but does Germany service providers really make it that complicated to just have your own modem? Because it's a super simple process in America. 6 months just seems insane to set up a router and modem
It takes so long because I wasn't aware for example that my ISP (the only available in my destination) only accepts their own routers or fritzbox. So I had to send back some cheap routers which aren't usable.
Getting knowledge about hidden bridge mode was a time eater too.
Pretty sure AT&T in the US requires the use of their "U-verse" modems with a lot of their internet options. I think comcast locked unlimited data behind using their modem unless you wanted to pay more for the unlimited data than they charge for the modem. I never tried turning on bridge mode on them though, so no clue if that's enabled or not.
No isp in the us can require you to use and rent their modem. I have Comcast unlimited is just another tier like all their other bs. Its not locked to a modem.
But AT&T does or at least did. You can/could put it in bridge mode though and use a secondary one. https://support.eero.com/hc/en-us/articles/207988076-Setting-up-eero-with-AT-T-U-verse https://forums.att.com/conversations/att-internet-equipment/can-i-use-a-different-modem-and-router-to-connect-with-uverse-internet/5df0012dbad5f2f6063a903b https://robotpoweredhome.com/att-modems/
For Comcast, I never said you can't just get unlimited. Just that it cost more than getting the modem with unlimited: https://www.xfinity.com/learn/internet-service/data $25/month for modem+unlimited while its $30/month for unlimited. Cheaper to take the modem even if you don't use it.
The tv thing is the most insane. Like I grew up used to knowing phones are all tapped and computers too. But I pay to not have ads on tv but my tv itself has ads. And I can run a Linux computer and we’re getting somewhere with spyware and ad free phones even if it’s not yet where I need to switch, but tv, fucking hell
It's not even the spyware or ads that piss me off the most about "smart" TVs, it's how they always seem to lag to fucking shit. I've mostly used lower end ones, but even a few mid range ones I've used are still laggy pieces of shit that obviously have the cheapest components imaginable. Which for a normal tv is fine, expected even! But on a "smart" tv where to do anything at all you have to dig through their shitty, counter intuitive "smart" menu, it just sucks.
And then you want to watch some normal tv after a long day and the fuckin thing won't let you because it demands it installs an update, which thanks to those cheap components, takes far longer than it should
It's not only you. A couple years ago I sold and set up brand new display tvs. They were atrocious with how much they lagged out of the box. I stay away from roku for that reason, their TCL roku tvs are the worst for lag, or they were back then at least.
AFAIK, you can flash a de-googled version of Android TV on some devices, look up LineageOS' website.
Yeah and try to load a custom OS into anything other than an computer is a nightmare, just last week while trying to install twrp recovery and flash a custom ROM which I been doing for quite some while hard bricked my phone, mad ended up fucking it completely by trying to fix it with mtkclient.
Unfortunately it's concept which were in the past.Nowdays u are not owning ur device,you are actually just renting it. Unless new laws are passed that will prohibit such a business model.
I do own my devices.
Companies want you to not own the devices, and rent them through a subscription model,
however I refuse to do that.
If you do that / fall for that,
then you're part of the problem making such a future a reality..
Lots of peoples' buying habits and trust-based attitudes were forged last century.
It'll take a generation or two for new habits to form.
In the meanwhile modern businesses will make hay by selling trojan-horses to old school customers , and using the profits to tie-in new users to new services to try to capture/brainwash the next gen into thinking there is no choice.
I think you'll remain in the minority unless 'ignorant' consumers who 'fall for that' can become educated and learn about the options.
I refuse this too,but i explained current trend and we will not able to do anything about it without law.
I build computers and sell them, and will put whatever OS you want on them, except Windows. If you want windows, I take $150 off the price of the tower.
I'm a developer, modder and privacy advocate, I know how to put a custom OS on my hardware, but I'm a minority.
However the average joe does not,
and they, the majority,
are forced into using spyware.
Often without them even knowing so,
which is a true issue
You give a discount if people use windows?
I had 2 (actully much more) options when buying my laptop. Good laptop with windows or a liitle better laptop without windows for 200€ less.
It's sad when you figure out why most people are broke.