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Is there a specialised protocol for all types of data stored on iOS devices? Probably not. But plenty of other models of phone, tablet, camera and other data-pr

Is there a specialised protocol for all types of data stored on iOS devices? Probably not. But plenty of other models of phone, tablet, camera and other data-processing devices manage to communicate just fine with Windows (or Linux or macOS) using generic protocols as USB mass storage devices, there is little excuse for iOS devices not to. In fact, you actually can download your photos and videos from an iPhone to a Windows PC by just plugging it in and doing the same as you would with your camera, but ironically this only works if you haven't installed iTunes.

scarface74 7y ago
So while it is “communicating” with iPhones. What exactly is it suppose to communicate over standard protocols that would alleviate the need for an application and still perform all of the functions of iTunes? What other devices perform all of the backup, restore, and os upgrade, functionality of iTunes. The iPhone doesn’t use the standard “usb mass storage” protocol to allow you to download pictures. It uses the picture transfer protocol.
- Silhouette 7y ago
  What other devices perform all of the backup, restore, and os upgrade, functionality of iTunes. I've never claimed anything about any other functions of iTunes. I just said it was a problem that Apple devices make it difficult to get your data off using only local transfer. The iPhone doesn’t use the standard “usb mass storage” protocol to allow you to download pictures. It uses the picture transfer protocol. Yes, exactly like your camera, as I said.
  - scarface74 7y ago
    So it’s difficult to get data off of your device - even though you can get pictures and video off of your device like any camera and most other documents are stored in their own folders on iCloud - that you can get to either using the iCloud Drive app for Macs or Windows or by logging into iCloud.com.
    - Silhouette 7y ago
      Have you forgotten that the entire point of this discussion was that iCloud is not properly encrypted, which is why it is such a problem that local transfer of all data is so difficult?
      - scarface74 7y ago
        So now we are going back to needing some type of app to backup and encrypt since there are no “standard protocols” that can do encrypted backups and restores.....
        Silhouette 7y ago
        If everything is being transferred off your device locally, why can't you use whatever backup arrangements you normally make for your other data? We already have a good, properly secured backup system that we use for all our workstations and servers. We just want to be able to export data from any mobile devices we use and manage that data using the same policies and tools. In most cases, that is straightforward. The one big exception is the iOS devices.
        scarface74 7y ago
        “We already have a good, properly secured backup system that we use for all our workstations and servers” And this is the same myopic geek viewpoint that came out with the iPod “Less space than the Nomad. No wireless lame.” Do you actually believe that most people have a good backup solution at all? Is that really what you are suggesting for a general backup solution? That’s just like when DropBox was introduced and people on HN came up with a convoluted Rube Goldberg solution that they could do themselves.
        Silhouette 7y ago
        I'm not making any claim at all about "most people". I'm saying that iCloud isn't properly encrypted, which for some people and organisations will be a problem, and that it is then a greater problem for those people and organisations that it is unusually difficult to transfer data between iOS devices and other systems through other means because of the inhibiting choices that Apple has made. It's much like the argument that the default behaviour for consumer software should normally be to install security updates automatically, but installation of updates should still be configurable for those who do know what they're doing and need more control over their systems.

scarface74 7y ago

So while it is “communicating” with iPhones. What exactly is it suppose to communicate over standard protocols that would alleviate the need for an application and still perform all of the functions of iTunes? What other devices perform all of the backup, restore, and os upgrade, functionality of iTunes. The iPhone doesn’t use the standard “usb mass storage” protocol to allow you to download pictures. It uses the picture transfer protocol.

Silhouette 7y ago
What other devices perform all of the backup, restore, and os upgrade, functionality of iTunes. I've never claimed anything about any other functions of iTunes. I just said it was a problem that Apple devices make it difficult to get your data off using only local transfer. The iPhone doesn’t use the standard “usb mass storage” protocol to allow you to download pictures. It uses the picture transfer protocol. Yes, exactly like your camera, as I said.
- scarface74 7y ago
  So it’s difficult to get data off of your device - even though you can get pictures and video off of your device like any camera and most other documents are stored in their own folders on iCloud - that you can get to either using the iCloud Drive app for Macs or Windows or by logging into iCloud.com.
  - Silhouette 7y ago
    Have you forgotten that the entire point of this discussion was that iCloud is not properly encrypted, which is why it is such a problem that local transfer of all data is so difficult?
    - scarface74 7y ago
      So now we are going back to needing some type of app to backup and encrypt since there are no “standard protocols” that can do encrypted backups and restores.....
      - Silhouette 7y ago
        If everything is being transferred off your device locally, why can't you use whatever backup arrangements you normally make for your other data? We already have a good, properly secured backup system that we use for all our workstations and servers. We just want to be able to export data from any mobile devices we use and manage that data using the same policies and tools. In most cases, that is straightforward. The one big exception is the iOS devices.
        scarface74 7y ago
        “We already have a good, properly secured backup system that we use for all our workstations and servers” And this is the same myopic geek viewpoint that came out with the iPod “Less space than the Nomad. No wireless lame.” Do you actually believe that most people have a good backup solution at all? Is that really what you are suggesting for a general backup solution? That’s just like when DropBox was introduced and people on HN came up with a convoluted Rube Goldberg solution that they could do themselves.
        Silhouette 7y ago
        I'm not making any claim at all about "most people". I'm saying that iCloud isn't properly encrypted, which for some people and organisations will be a problem, and that it is then a greater problem for those people and organisations that it is unusually difficult to transfer data between iOS devices and other systems through other means because of the inhibiting choices that Apple has made. It's much like the argument that the default behaviour for consumer software should normally be to install security updates automatically, but installation of updates should still be configurable for those who do know what they're doing and need more control over their systems.