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The idea behind that comment seems to have been: "MS has a known motive: they want to sell you software and make money. This is a business model I understand, and can deal with being on the other end of." The same argument is used in iOS vs Android debates: why isn't it the same shit, different smell? Because Apple sells you hardware, and Google sells You.

The glib terseness of the comment is a metaphor for the relative harmlessness of the business model. Not indicative of the actual product selection or annual revenue.

I think, anyway...?



Pretty much, yes.

It’s not so much that Microsoft or Apple’s business model is harmless—I certainly wouldn’t describe them that way—but their business models and their forms of influence are comprehended by most people.


> MS has a known motive: they want to sell you software and make money.

And the idea behind my comment was : They also want to sell you. Bing, linkedin, github, etc aren't selling you software. Also, windows OS has ads now.

https://www.theverge.com/2017/3/17/14956540/microsoft-window...

> Because Apple sells you hardware, and Google sells You.

Apple also sells you. They sell you to music, movie, etc industry in order for the industry to support apple's platform.

> The glib terseness of the comment is a metaphor for the relative harmlessness of the business model.

Which I showed was wrong.

It's insane the amount of microsoft and apple support on a tech platform. I guess all the money that microsoft/gates spent on PR truly worked.

> I think, anyway...?

I don't think you thought things through too well... Your argument was basically google sells chromebook/hardware so everything else they do is fine.


> Apple also sells you.

By that logic, a shopping mall “sells you” to retail stores. A cinema “sells you” to movie studios. Etc.


Only those shopping malls and cinema chains that get you to sign up for something and get your info and have tracking capability. What do you think AMC Stubs A-List program is about?

Apple is worse than AMC or shopping malls since they have much more identifiable data on you ( even more than google in many respects ) and use that to sell you. Not just your data but recommendations/etc.

Apple sells you in the same way google/facebook/microsoft/etc sells you. Collectively and individually.

In the past shopping malls and cinemas used to sell you collectively to retail stores and movie studios. Now many of them can sell you individually to retail stores and movie studios. Something really has gone wrong when there is support for Apple on a tech forum. Usually apple just preys upon non-tech people who like overpriced shiny things. It's strange the amount of "support" apple and microsoft gets nowadays.


Oh, I didn't realise you're just spinning conspiracy theories. If any of that were true, we'd know about it. There would be leaks from employees of the companies who are receiving this data from Apple.




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