Patently untrue. Both iOS and Android allow you to skip setting up an Apple ID or Google account. The only way you are not allowed to fully use your device is t

Patently untrue. Both iOS and Android allow you to skip setting up an Apple ID or Google account. The only way you are not allowed to fully use your device is the app stores which require accounts. It's still a phone, you can still sideload apps on Android, or install them on iOS through some sort of device management schemery. However, on Windows, Microsoft is removing every workaround they can find to create a local-only account. It used to be a skip button. Then it used to be unplugging the network cord. For a while it was a magic email address. I believe that trick no longer works, although it did for me the last time I set up a new Windows install. But now, as far as I know, there is no way to create a local account during setup, you have to create an account, then convert it to a local account later. And that still leaves dark pattern upgrades, OS-level third party ads, privacy nightmares, and unmatched first party ads. MSFT is not the good guy in the ecosystem. Never has been. They're not illegally curbstomping their competition anymore, sure, they've redirected their energy at enshittifying their OS.