But it is a solution. Apple being a poor stuard of their customers is indicative that people buying their hardware and software are not their priority. Apple support used to be stellar, they used to care about customers, they no longer do.

Apple's ToS should be readily indicative of anyone using any of their products that Apple's perspective is that you don't own anything and they can do whatever they want with anything you do with their products. As the author points out you clearly don't own free access to what you've purchased.

The last thing I'll say is that it is fantastic advice to not purchase Apple in 2025. You can only be certain that this won't happen if you avoid them. I actually own a MPB, with receipts from purchase, that I had to purchase a bypass for when the device was enrolled in MDM by a family member that Apple has MDM locked and refuses to remove from iCloud.

Avoid Apple, that's the best advice. If you can't avoid Apple, minimize your footprint and make sure you're a good boy or girl else Tim Cook will steal from you and hide behind some bullshit first line support tar pit and an army of lawyers if you do happen to decide to threaten them.

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spunker540 3 days ago | parent [-]

Does Google have a better track record when it comes to arbitrarily locking people out of their digital lives?

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windexh8er 3 days ago | parent [-]

No.

But, at least with Google you can use hardware without the binding software requirement. You can use an Android device with GrapheneOS and have the phone entirely de-Googled, yet still use Android apps.

If the implication was that there's no other option outside of Apple and Google then that is unfortunate.

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Nevermark 2 days ago | parent | next [-]

> But, at least with Google you can use hardware without the binding software requirement.

For now, but they are tightening things up.

And at least with Apple they provide convenient end-to-end cloud syncing. Google doesn't.

(And this back and forth can go on for a long time...)

You are just picking what is important to you and then ignoring other issues. That isn't how to craft advice that helps people you don't personally know, with needs you are completely unaware of, in a complex domain.

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QuiEgo 3 days ago | parent | prev [-]

Does your bank let you use such a device? Does any big bank where you live?

If I want to participate it modern life, where I live, I need an Android (Google blessed) or Apple device.

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greentea23 2 days ago | parent [-]

The bank thing is a much rarer problem than people make it out to be. We should challenge and boycott any problematic banks as much as we can https://community.e.foundation/t/list-banking-apps-on-e-os/3...

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philistine 2 days ago | parent [-]

Ok so now we’re not only boycotting Apple, we’re boycotting banks as well! Seriously, Apple can and should fix this issue without having to retort to misery for everyone.

Apple could release a statement reassuring people that no one will be locked out of their account for redeeming any gift card going forward. We have collectively forgotten that companies have stopped talking this way. That’s what we need to change.

	▲	greentea23 a day ago \| parent [-]
		I mean, yes, absolutely. I don't have a count limit on my boycott list. I won't be holding my breath for empty promises from corporate. We need to build systems that assert user sovereignty and prevent abuse, not wait around for evil people to do good things.