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Rootkits and spyware are an egregious violation of user trust. One other company with a glaring example was the Sony root kit debacle. Is there a list of comp

Rootkits and spyware are an egregious violation of user trust. One other company with a glaring example was the Sony root kit debacle. Is there a list of companies who have done things like this? Kind of like storing passwords in free text (for which there is a site to name and shame) it doesn't get the press that it probably deserves to.

natch 11y ago
I could give you my list of companies I know of that won't do things like that with their hardware. My list contains one name. For some reason, this company on my list remains a hated company for some geeks. Something about overly restrictive control of the platform, but for me it means having control over my own data, because the platform tries its damnedest to keep bad players from getting inappropriate access. I won't give the list because doing so seems like a cheap shot. But I think everyone knows what company is on it. I'm not saying this is the only such company. It's just the one I know of. Others may have longer lists.
- DenisM 11y ago
  Yeah, Apple is like that. They charge you a pretty penny, but then they don't feel the urge to nickel-and-dime you through backdoors like this. The problem with crapware on Wintel is that Microsoft and Intel consumed all the profit from the industry, commoditizing their compliments - OEMs. OEMs then found themselves in a race to the bottom, which has entirely shaped the field and brought about the behavior we've seen. Android is now facing the same problem on mobile - a race to the bottom among the OEMs is bound to produce all kinds of shady behavior. Apple stayed out of this game entirely, they have thick margins which gives them means to pursue their religion of design, UX, and whatever else they think helps them keep their high-ground spot.
  - detaro 11y ago
    If it really is only usage reports for Lenovo software, I wouldn't bet on Apple not collecting data like this, but it is hard to compare since they also make the OS and don't add another component on someone else's.
- marcosdumay 11y ago
  It does not matter if the OS spies people by itself, of if the company installs extra software to do that. So I guess you can remove that one company from your list too.
- lukeschlather 11y ago
  Having read the article, I'm sure that iOS has similar spyware. The App Store is spyware by this definition. I would be pleasantly surprised if Apple didn't collect this information on OS X as well. (Although obviously it applies to the app store there as well.)
- reitanqild 11y ago
  For some reason, this company on my list remains a hated company for some geeks I don't hate it, in fact I recommend my friends try it, I have honestly tried to use one myself for 3 years but two things would always trip me: 1.) cmd/fn is swapped on their small keyboards and 2.) alt-tab requires you to think. Last app? Last document? Furthermore there are lots of smaller issues like shortcuts: that there was no consistent way to mark to the start / end of the current line (at least three years ago). The price is kinda ok, my biggest complaint about the mac is the lack of attention to things that actually matters to me: sane, consistent keyboard layout (or an option to swap, I don't look at the keys to much so I don't care about the label as long as it works) and not breaking the most basic workflows.

natch 11y ago

I could give you my list of companies I know of that won't do things like that with their hardware. My list contains one name. For some reason, this company on my list remains a hated company for some geeks. Something about overly restrictive control of the platform, but for me it means having control over my own data, because the platform tries its damnedest to keep bad players from getting inappropriate access. I won't give the list because doing so seems like a cheap shot. But I think everyone knows what company is on it. I'm not saying this is the only such company. It's just the one I know of. Others may have longer lists.

DenisM 11y ago
Yeah, Apple is like that. They charge you a pretty penny, but then they don't feel the urge to nickel-and-dime you through backdoors like this. The problem with crapware on Wintel is that Microsoft and Intel consumed all the profit from the industry, commoditizing their compliments - OEMs. OEMs then found themselves in a race to the bottom, which has entirely shaped the field and brought about the behavior we've seen. Android is now facing the same problem on mobile - a race to the bottom among the OEMs is bound to produce all kinds of shady behavior. Apple stayed out of this game entirely, they have thick margins which gives them means to pursue their religion of design, UX, and whatever else they think helps them keep their high-ground spot.
- detaro 11y ago
  If it really is only usage reports for Lenovo software, I wouldn't bet on Apple not collecting data like this, but it is hard to compare since they also make the OS and don't add another component on someone else's.
marcosdumay 11y ago
It does not matter if the OS spies people by itself, of if the company installs extra software to do that. So I guess you can remove that one company from your list too.
lukeschlather 11y ago
Having read the article, I'm sure that iOS has similar spyware. The App Store is spyware by this definition. I would be pleasantly surprised if Apple didn't collect this information on OS X as well. (Although obviously it applies to the app store there as well.)
reitanqild 11y ago
For some reason, this company on my list remains a hated company for some geeks I don't hate it, in fact I recommend my friends try it, I have honestly tried to use one myself for 3 years but two things would always trip me: 1.) cmd/fn is swapped on their small keyboards and 2.) alt-tab requires you to think. Last app? Last document? Furthermore there are lots of smaller issues like shortcuts: that there was no consistent way to mark to the start / end of the current line (at least three years ago). The price is kinda ok, my biggest complaint about the mac is the lack of attention to things that actually matters to me: sane, consistent keyboard layout (or an option to swap, I don't look at the keys to much so I don't care about the label as long as it works) and not breaking the most basic workflows.