RabidHussar <rabid@huss.ar> asked
> Not from a tiny speaker in the phone but definitely in the speakers of a
> decent set of headphones.

A decent set of headphones can be wired, can they not?

> If the connection is digital and the media
> file is lossless, you're getting much better quality than an analog
> connection and a lossy media file at the very least.

I'm no audiophile, but you haven't shown any evidence that a wired
connection is any worse than the over-the-air connection Apple forces upon
all its recent iPhone owners.

> important to you or not is one matter, but Apple knows that there is a
> market out there for greater sound quality the same way there was a
> market for 4k video rather than mere 1080p.

The question isn't whether there is a market but how an over-the-air
connection which is forced upon you is better than a wired connection.

>> We use FM radio a lot in the mountains, but only on Android phones.
>> It's yet another functionality that is _impossible_ on iPhones.

> I don't use the FM radio much but that mostly has to do with my lack of
> interest in the advertisements they play. Admittedly though, if I were
> looking to follow a sports team and the local radio stations were
> calling the match, I'd enjoy this functionality but I think that Apple
> users end up just downloading an application which carries _all_ of the
> local radio stations in the world and simply stream that. It uses your
> data, obviously, but it's a solution.

When you're on the top of a mountain, particularly in emergency situations,
you'll be happy to have yet another communication tool, such as FM radio.

Unfortunately, the iPhone is crippled when it comes to FM (even if it's on
the SOC, it won't work on an iPhone).

>>> but the SD card part I can
>>> understand if what they're trying to sell is fat transmission rates in
>>> their storage.
>>
>> The lack of the standard sdcard slot helps Apple sell more stuff.
>
> Indeed, such as a 128GB model of an otherwise identical 64GB model. For
> the extra storage, you'll pay more than you would if you simply inserted
> an SD card.

Most iPhone owners don't seem to understand that the sdcard provides
flexibility far beyond simply augmenting the expensive storage memory.

>> Having the card is like having a doctor & lawyer in the family.
>> You don't need them all the time - but when you need them - it helps.
>>
>> Again, the lack of the sdcard is another reason why the iPhone is a cripple.
>
> Other manufacturers are taking the Apple path in this respect though.

Do you know why Apple makes such ungodly profit on their iPhones?
(Do you realize Apple's R&D is the lowest percentage in all high tech?)

Apple is a marketing company - not a manufacturing company.
Their marketing organization is huge and it's what creates those profits.

Every OEM would _love_ to be able to _copy_ Apple's sleazy marketing plans
so as to rape the customer for all the money the customer is willing to pay.

Hence, almost all the big players put _one_ model out there that _copies_
Apple's sleazy tricks (no chargers, no jacks, no sdcards, etc.) which are
designed to make money when you pay to buy all that lost functionality back.

However, each of those _same_ manufacturers sells _most_ of their phones
with the functionality added back that they removed in that one model.

> notice that if I were to buy a new phone today, many of them aren't
> upgradable in any way in addition to the standard battery not being
> removable. It seems that Apple is influential enough for companies to
> copy their bad and anti-customer practises.

It doesn't seem that you understand that Apple has the finest marketing
organization on this planet, bar none.

Nobody can market a product like Apple can.
Apple can sell snow to the Inuit - at a huge profit.

Every company in the world would _love_ to copy Apple's marketing plan.
What other device but an iPhone does NOT get better faster & cheaper?

Only the iPhone doesn't get cheaper over the years.
Every other common consumer device gets better, faster, & cheaper.

What's different?
Marketing.

>> Apple cripples it. Google can't.
>
> It's a selling point for Android that it isn't crippled the same way
> that it was a selling point for the Apple ][ that it offered
> expandability when the competition didn't.

Huh?
People buy Android because it does stuff they want to do.
People buy an iPhone because it does stuff they want to do.

The difference is in the stuff they want to do.
(the iPhone is crippled in what it can do)

>> The reason is simple.
>> Apple cripples it. Google can't.
>
> I can't disagree.

1. Apple has no edge in anything but marketing (in which they're the best).
2. Google has no edge over Apple in any way either.
3. Neither does Samsung, or anyone else for that matter.

The hardware is about the same on all phones (in any given price range).
What's _different_ is the operating system.

Apple can (and does) restrict what apps are loadable; Google can't.
The _market_ determines the app functionality on Android - but not on iOS.

On iOS, Apple alone determines the available app functionality.
And _that_ is the main reason the iPhone will _always_ be a cripple.

nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid> asked
> also, phones with an fm radio require using the wired headphones as an
> antenna, which means it won't work with bluetooth headphones, nor will
> it work when using the internal speakers. it's *extremely* limited.

If FM radio is so useless, why is almost every vehicle equipped with one?

Ken Blake <ken@invalidemail.com> asked
> I don't play computer or phone games at all. I've never used an iPhone
> so I'm in no position to compare it to Android phones.

I have both operating systems and I've had both for years.
If you don't know iOS is crippled, it simply means you don't know iOS.

There are a score of things I do daily on Android that are impossible on
iOS. Meanwhile, there is no app functionality on iOS that isn't already on
Android. If there were, someone would surely name it now, would they not?

There is a simple reason why iOS is far less functional than Android:
*Apple limits both the hardware and what iOS apps can do; Google can't.*\

Anyone who doesn't understand that statement doesn't understand the OS.

> Nevertheless, I
> have a hard time believing that an iPhone is a cripple.

Well, look at the SUBJECT line of this thread for just one example.

> I have many
> friends and relatives who use them, and I've never seen anything I can
> do on my Android phone that they can't do on theirs.

How did you miss what the SUBJECT line of this very thread says?

> I've also seen an
> occasional thing they can do on theirs that I can't do on mine (don't
> ask me what they were; I don't remember).

Nobody has _ever_ found even a single app functionality on iOS not already
on Android, while there's plenty of app functionality on Android not on iOS.

An example is the subject line of this thread which you seem to have missed.
> I'm happy with my android phone, and have no intention of ever switching
> to an iPhone and learning something new, but that doesn't mean I think
> an iPhone is a cripple.

I have both iOS and Android devices, many of them, for years.
I know what each can and can not do.

Both make phone calls, text, and play games, if that's all that you do.
But when you do "stuff", that's where you'll know iOS is a cripple.

Do you know iOS can't even do something that incredibly simple as list the
apps that are installed to an editable text file all by itself, whereas
Android can do that all by itself in so many ways it's not funny.

Something even that simple is _impossible_ to do with iOS (all by itself).
If you don't know iOS is crippled, it simply means you don't know iOS.

nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid> asked
> some tasks are better suited to iphones and other tasks are better
> suited to android. there are even some tasks that can only be done on
> one and not the other.

If you don't know iOS is crippled, it simply means you don't know iOS.

We're not talking which tasks are "better suited" nospam.
Whether or not one app is better than another is hugely subjective.

We're talking which app functionality is _impossible_ on the iPhone.
Find _one_ app functionality on iOS that is _impossible_ on Android.

Name just one.

> no device can do everything. anyone who makes that claim is lying.

Only you are claiming someone said a device can "do everything."

> pick whatever fits your needs. some people have multiple devices.

Both make phone calls, text, and play games, if that's all that you do.
But when you do "stuff", that's where you'll know iOS is a cripple.

Do you know iOS can't even do something that incredibly simple as list the
apps that are installed to an editable text file all by itself, whereas
Android can do that all by itself in so many ways it's not funny.

Something even that simple is _impossible_ to do with iOS (all by itself).
If you don't know iOS is crippled, it simply means you don't know iOS.

>> I'm happy with my android phone, and have no intention of ever switching
>> to an iPhone and learning something new, but that doesn't mean I think
>> an iPhone is a cripple.
>
> it isn't in any way crippled. those who make such claims have no idea
> what can actually be done and do not wish find out.

Look at the SUBJECT line of this thread, nospam.
How could you have _missed_ it, after all these posts.

The task of graphical wifi debugging is _impossible_ on iOS, nospam.
In terms of that task, the iPhone is crippled.

Want more examples of where the iPhone is crippled?
I have plenty because if you don't know the iPhone is crippled, it just
means you don't actually do anything on the iPhone ('cept play games).

(By crippled, I mean the task is _impossible_ to do on the iPhone.)

> there's also very little to learn.

It's shocking how _many_ app functionalities are _impossible_ on the iPhone.

Take, for example, automatic call recording.
Or loading your own app launcher.
Or simply spitting out the installed apps to an editable text file.

Even something as trivial as that last example is _impossible_ on iOS.
If you don't know iOS is crippled, it simply means you don't know iOS.

RabidHussar <rabid@huss.ar> asked
> One thing that I can say with certainty is that casting to an AppleTV
> device is a lot better than doing the same with a Miracast device.
> Apple's is smooth whether you are streaming from an iPhone or a Windows
> laptop whereas Miracast is a stuttering mess in most situations... and
> that's only if it manages to connect at all.

*If you don't know iOS is crippled, it simply means you don't know iOS.*

We're not talking about which apps are "better" here, as even within any
given platform, there can be infintite discussion of which apps are better.

We're talking crippled here.
We're talking app functionalities which are _impossible_ on iOS.

The list of app functionalities impossible on iOS is shockingly long.

Take for example the ability to organize your homescreen how you like it.
https://i.postimg.cc/rmvDBN8Q/files01.jpg

*Something even _that_ trivially simple as that is _impossible_ on iOS.*
(and yes, I know all about putting invisible icons to disguise that the
primitive iOS app launcher can only handle a grid and nothing but a grid)
<https://i.postimg.cc/zfJY7yNT/applenotsetup01.jpg>

And don't even get me started on the lack of IPA management tools on iOS.
<https://i.postimg.cc/vTQ13DcK/apk01.jpg>

>>> I'm happy with my android phone, and have no intention of ever switching
>>> to an iPhone and learning something new, but that doesn't mean I think
>>> an iPhone is a cripple.
>>
>> it isn't in any way crippled. those who make such claims have no idea
>> what can actually be done and do not wish find out.
>>
>> there's also very little to learn.
>
> iOS is indeed very simple and I think that most people swear by Apple's
> hardware and system simply because it works as expected. Since Android
> tries to be everything to everyone, it always ends up being either
> unintuitive or to feel disjointed. Of course, that's just my impression.

If Apple hardware/software "works as expected" please tell us how you spoof
your GPS location system wide on that iPhone (as shown here on my Android).
<https://i.postimg.cc/NfsF7n4H/maps04.jpg>

Something even that simple is _impossible_ to do with iOS (all by itself).
*If you don't know iOS is crippled, it simply means you don't know iOS.*

nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid> asked
>> The reality is that both iOS and Android each have certain features and
>> capabilities that are not available on the other platform.
>
> that is correct.
>
> you should have stopped there.

*If you don't know iOS is crippled, it simply means you don't know iOS.*

What we're talking about here isn't arguable differences in features.
We're talking about things which are _impossible_ to do on iOS.

The subject line discusses that which is _impossible_ to do on iOS.
There are _many_ app functionalities on Android _impossible_ on iOS.

An example is default system wide GPS spoofing, which is _impossible_ on iOS
(all by its itty bitty self) just as something as simple as writing the list
of installed apps to an editable text file is impossible on iOS (all by
itself). <https://i.postimg.cc/NfsF7n4H/maps04.jpg>

Another example is organizing your homescreen any way you like, which is
_impossible_ to do with iOS (and rather trivial to do on Android).
<https://i.postimg.cc/CL0wZ29n/buy01.jpg>

Another example of what's _impossible_ to do on iOS is automatically
autoarchiving all your IPAs at the exact moment you install them and then
having every single version you ever installed be available for _all_ your
Android devices (and, in fact, for almost any Android phone on the planet).
<https://i.postimg.cc/bN875p8b/apk01.jpg> 1600 APKs extracted

It's _impossible_ to populate an iPhone by simply clicking on any apps you
want which you've archived from scores of other phones, which is trivial to
do on Android (where populating a new phone puts the app icons in the exact
same spots they were on the old phones, all automatically).
<https://i.postimg.cc/Jhxs4VrD/apk08.jpg>

This list of what's _impossible_ to do on iOS is a rather long list.
*If you don't know iOS is crippled, it simply means you don't know iOS.*

Ken Blake <ken@invalidemail.com> asked
>> The reality is that both iOS and Android each have certain features and
>> capabilities that are not available on the other platform.
>
> Yes, of course. That's much the same as what I said.

If you actually believe that, it simply means you don't know iOS at all.
There are _many_ functionalities which are _impossible_ to do with iOS.

For example, how do you spoof your GPS location on iOS (all by itself)?
<https://i.postimg.cc/NfsF7n4H/maps04.jpg>

Or how do you _remove_ the account without _any_ loss of functionality?
<https://i.postimg.cc/yWq5g17M/settings07.jpg>

>> I have been compiling a list of those differences for quite a while, and
>> earlier this year I put the list into a shared Google Doc that I update
>> as I become aware of additional differences.
>>
>> Since both my wife and I each have both Android and iOS devices, I've
>> become even more aware of some of the differences.
>
> It's hard eneough for me to remember the differences between Windows and
> Android. I don't want to add a third interface to the mixture, whether
> it's iOS, Linux, Macintosh, or anything else.

If you do anything on Android & then try it on iOS, you'll know right away.
*If you don't know iOS is crippled, it simply means you don't know iOS.*

sms <scharf.steven@geemail.com> asked
> "Crippled" is not a good description.

Use any word you like.
The fact remains there is so very much app functionality on Android which is
_impossible_ to do on iOS (all by itself) that to not know this is to not
know anything about the _differences_ between the various operating systems.

The actual word we use to describe the situation doesn't really matter.
What we're talking about are useful things _impossible_ to do with iOS.

Things like organizing your homescreen the way _you_ want it organized.
Things like graphical debugging of all available wifi networks.
Things like spoofing your GPS location for personal privacy reasons.
Things like removing the mother ship account w/o losing functionality.
Things like auto-saving all app versions at the instant they're installed.
Things like repopulating _any_ phone with these auto-saved app versions.
Things like automatic call recording in places where it's legal to do so.
Things like accurate tower ID graphical debugging of cellular networks.
.... etcetera ...

The list of known app functionalities we utilize all day every day on
Android which are _impossible_ on iOS goes on and on and on and on...

I've easily done _all_ these things (and more) on Android.
And yet, they're _impossible_ to do with iOS (all by its itty bitty self).

> However it's fair to say that many tasks that can be accomplished on
> Android cannot be accomplished on iOS, and may useful apps are available
> and possible only on Android because of iOS restrictions on what is
> available to developers.

That's the main reason iOS will _always_ be crippled compared to Android.
*Apple severely limits what apps can do on iOS; while Google can't.*

> For example, iOS won't allow developers to
> access the Wi-Fi signal data which is why a graphical Wi-Fi debugger is
> not available.

Exactly.
Apple limits what apps can do; while Google can't.

An example of where Google can't limit what an app can do is NetGuard.

Google can prevent full functionality of NetGuard on the version in their
App Store, but without being rooted, anyone on Android can still get it.
https://github.com/M66B/NetGuard

This common & powerful Android functionality is _impossible_ on iOS.

> iOS won't allow developers to access NMEA data so any app
> that requires that GPS data is not available. A bunch of hardware
> features are only on some Android phones. It is a totally different
> philosophy, open system, with all the pros and cons, versus closed
> system with all the pros and cons.

Exactly.
Apple limits what apps can do; while Google can't.

An example of where Google can't limit what an app can do is NewPipe.

Google can prevent NewPipe being available in their App Store, but without
being rooted, anyone on Android can still easily get it.
https://newpipe.net/

This common & powerful Android functionality is _impossible_ on iOS.
https://i.postimg.cc/g0wQpDwx/newpipe01.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/2yYK4N0W/newpipe02.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/90BNbgkn/newpipe03.jpg

Use any word you like.
The fact remains there is so very much app functionality on Android which is
_impossible_ to do on iOS (all by itself) that to not know this is to not
know anything about the _differences_ between the various operating systems.

nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid> asked
> no, it's not fair to say that unless you *also* say that many tasks can
> only be done on ios, for a wide variety of reasons.

Name just _one_ app functionality on iOS that is not already on Android.

I've named a score of app functionalities on Android _impossible_ on iOS.

Why can't you name even a _single_ app functionality on iOS not on Android?

Ken Blake <ken@invalidemail.com> asked
>> "Crippled" is not a good description.
>
> Right, but I can only reply to what was said, not what what was meant.

I must have named at least a score of app functionalities on Android which
are _impossible_ on iOS where you can call _that_ proof whatever you like.

What nice word do you want me to use for common app functionality on all
other platforms (such as graphical wifi debugging) that is _impossible_ on
iOS?

If not crippled, what?

nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid> asked
> ios can do a lot of things android cannot.

I easily named incontrovertible app functionalities on Android which are
impossible on iOS, which if anyone doubts it, then just ask for the app
names and I'll give you the links (I already provided many screenshots).

You've provided _nothing_ nospam, by way of fact.
Nothing.

Name just _1_ app functionality iOS can do that Android doesn't already do.
Name just one.

sms <scharf.steven@geemail.com> asked
> So it's possible, as you said, that they didn't want people comparing
> the WLAN sensitivity of iPhones to other phones.

Anyone with brains & both an iPhone and any decent Android phone knows this.

Just walk about your own home where you have SSIDs duplicated where you can
easily tell from the BSSID that the iOS device isn't switching correctly.

This is _easy_ to see where the Android device switches, while the iOS
device loses the signal altogether - which we reported the gory details long
ago (and where the blue people at the App Store didn't even know what a
decibel was when I showed them proof).

Even nospam and Jolly Roger and Lewis didn't know what a decibel was.
(Do we need to dig up the infamous "snit video" thread to prove that?)

On 2021-09-01 2:57 p.m., sms wrote:
> On 9/1/2021 10:23 AM, Ken Blake wrote:
>> On 9/1/2021 9:19 AM, sms wrote:
>>> On 9/1/2021 8:47 AM, Ken Blake wrote:
>>>
>>> <snip>
>>>
>>>> I don't play computer or phone games at all. I've never used an
>>>> iPhone so I'm in no position to compare it to Android phones.
>>>> Nevertheless, I have a hard time believing that an iPhone is a
>>>> cripple. I have many friends and relatives who use them, and I've
>>>> never seen anything I can do on my Android phone that they can't do
>>>> on theirs. I've also seen an occasional thing they can do on theirs
>>>> that I can't do on mine (don't ask me what they were; I don't
>>>> remember).
>>>
>>> <snip>
>>>
>>> The reality is that both iOS and Android each have certain features and
>>> capabilities that are not available on the other platform.
>>
>>
>> Yes, of course. That's much the same as what I said.
>>
>>
>>> I have been compiling a list of those differences for quite a while, and
>>> earlier this year I put the list into a shared Google Doc that I update
>>> as I become aware of additional differences.
>>>
>>> Since both my wife and I each have both Android and iOS devices, I've
>>> become even more aware of some of the differences.
>>
>>
>> It's hard eneough for me to remember the differences between Windows
>> and Android. I don't want to add a third interface to the mixture,
>> whether it's iOS, Linux, Macintosh, or anything else.
>
> Sure you do.
>
> I use Android, iOS, Linux, and Windows, but not MacOS. I don't boot
> Linux often, but occasionally there are things that I can't do on
> Windows that are possible on Linux. For some reason, in 2009, HP or
> Microsoft decided that a not-very-old flatbed scanner should not be
> supported by Windows 7, but Linux continues to support it about 12 years
> after Windows dropped support for it.

I had the same situation with an HP Scanjet 3500c I bought back in 2003
which I insisted on using until at least 2013 when it finally croaked.
Microsoft wanted me to upgrade to something more recent but when you
only scan occasionally, doing so seems like a complete waste of money.
It made more sense to just run it in Linux.

> Honestly, I could do without the iPhone in most cases. I got my 6s Plus
> when I used to go over to the Apple campus a lot and it would have been
> bad form to show up with an Android device (plus they told me that I
> could only buy lunch with ApplePay). I got the Xr because I wanted a
> phone with an eSIM for foreign travel because several MVNOs sell
> inexpensive eSIM-only data plans.
>
> One thing that I really like about Android is that casting to a TV is a
> lot easier. With Miracast or SmartView you can connect and cast to even
> older TVs that don't have built-in AppleTV support, and the streaming is
> very smooth.

I don't find that to be the case. For me, Miracast is mostly hit or miss
whereas Apple's streaming was very reliable. I never would have used
either one until I got a contract which required me to stream from my
laptop to an AppleTV and I used Parrot or whatever it was called in
Windows to do so. On the AppleTV it was extremely smooth whereas doing
the exact same thing from the same laptop to a Roku or Microsoft
Wireless Adapter through Miracast was awful.

< snip >

--
@RabidHussar

In article <sgppfq$e9s$1@gioia.aioe.org>, Robin Goodfellow
<Ancient-of-Days@Heaven.Net> wrote:

> >> On Android, you don't need _any_ account to the mother ship,
> >
> > that makes no difference whatsoever. in fact, it makes it easier to
> > track you since you're the oddball who doesn't have a google account.
>
> You're getting desperate trying to fabricate excuses for the crippled iOS.

the above is about android, not ios.

>
> With iOS, in order for the device to function, *you are _forced_ onto an*
> *iCloud account by the mother ship* 100% of the time you are using it.

false.

> With Android and with Microsoft (at least for Windows 10), you're not.

also false.

android can be used without an account, however, in doing so, it's
crippled, to use your terminology.

it's *very* difficult to avoid creating an account with windows 10, and
with windows 11, it's now mandatory, at least for home (still a hassle
on 11pro):
<https://www.techadvisor.com/news/windows/windows-11-home-requires-micro
soft-account-3806305/>
There's a change coming in Windows 11 that many users won't like.
The 'Home' version of the software, designed for personal or family
use, will require a Microsoft account (or MSA) during the setup
process.

there are obvious benefits for creating an account, so only tin-foil
hat nutjobs would actively avoid it.

> *That's a _huge_ amount of private data Apple mines* that the others can't.

false.

>
> Almost all, if not all, the google modules are disabled on my phone.
> Almost all, if not all my added apps, are free, ad free, and gsf free.

it only takes one to leak, at which point the entire puzzle can be put
back together.

it's very obvious you don't understand how things work, which means you
don't know how you're being tracked.

In article <sgpqjv$qbv$1@gioia.aioe.org>, Robin Goodfellow
<Ancient-of-Days@Heaven.Net> wrote:

> You think we (on Android & Windows) are stupid don't you?

just you.

In article <sgprso$19gv$1@gioia.aioe.org>, Robin Goodfellow
<Ancient-of-Days@Heaven.Net> wrote:

>
> > If the connection is digital and the media
> > file is lossless, you're getting much better quality than an analog
> > connection and a lossy media file at the very least.
>
> I'm no audiophile, but you haven't shown any evidence that a wired
> connection is any worse than the over-the-air connection Apple forces upon
> all its recent iPhone owners.

apple doesn't force any such thing.

wired headphones work perfectly fine with every iphone, and were even
included until last year. that stopped because everyone has at least
one set, usually several.

android phones have started to not have *any* ports at all, which means
you are forced to use wireless headphones and wireless charging.

<https://www.pcmag.com/news/meizu-zero-phone-has-no-ports-or-buttons>
The Meizu Zero differentiates itself from the competition by having
no buttons and none of the holes you'd typically expect to find on a
phone. That means no holes for the speakers, nowhere to insert a
SIM card, and no ports for charging or inserting your headphone cable.

In article <sgpsqr$1ns3$1@gioia.aioe.org>, Robin Goodfellow
<Ancient-of-Days@Heaven.Net> wrote:

> Meanwhile, there is no app functionality on iOS that isn't already on
> Android. If there were, someone would surely name it now, would they not?

many people have done so on numerous occasions, and you continue to
ignore it.

In article <sgpt99$1ttc$1@gioia.aioe.org>, Robin Goodfellow
<Ancient-of-Days@Heaven.Net> wrote:

> We're talking which app functionality is _impossible_ on the iPhone.
> Find _one_ app functionality on iOS that is _impossible_ on Android.
>
> Name just one.
>
> > no device can do everything. anyone who makes that claim is lying.
>
> Only you are claiming someone said a device can "do everything."

nope. that's *you*, who claims android can do everything ios can and
then some, as you did above, which is flat out false.

the list of things ios can do that android cannot is quite long. you've
been given many examples in the past, which results in your going off
on your usual rants.

On 2021-09-02 2:44 a.m., Robin Goodfellow wrote:
> RabidHussar <rabid@huss.ar> asked
>> Not from a tiny speaker in the phone but definitely in the speakers of a
>> decent set of headphones.
>
> A decent set of headphones can be wired, can they not?

They can, but the connection remains analog and while the sound quality
is still great, it will never be as great as a digital one. I prefer
wired myself, if only to remove the necessity to charge.

>> If the connection is digital and the media
>> file is lossless, you're getting much better quality than an analog
>> connection and a lossy media file at the very least.
>
> I'm no audiophile, but you haven't shown any evidence that a wired
> connection is any worse than the over-the-air connection Apple forces upon
> all its recent iPhone owners.

I didn't know that I was walking into a debate where I needed to show
evidence that I had a valid opinion. Anyways, here's an article
<https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/digital-versus-analog.htm>

< snip >

>> Other manufacturers are taking the Apple path in this respect though.
>
> Do you know why Apple makes such ungodly profit on their iPhones?
> (Do you realize Apple's R&D is the lowest percentage in all high tech?)
>
> Apple is a marketing company - not a manufacturing company.
> Their marketing organization is huge and it's what creates those profits.
>
> Every OEM would _love_ to be able to _copy_ Apple's sleazy marketing plans
> so as to rape the customer for all the money the customer is willing to pay.
>
> Hence, almost all the big players put _one_ model out there that _copies_
> Apple's sleazy tricks (no chargers, no jacks, no sdcards, etc.) which are
> designed to make money when you pay to buy all that lost functionality back.
>
> However, each of those _same_ manufacturers sells _most_ of their phones
> with the functionality added back that they removed in that one model.

Well, there is no doubt that it's clearly designed to make more money.
The whole "pay $1,000 for this model or $1,500 for this model which is
exactly identical except for a bigger hard disk" scheme is definitely
sneaky. In any other hardware, if ever you need more storage, you just
open up the device and change the hard disk but Apple loves to just
solder the hardware onto the motherboard to prevent you from taking the
cheaper route and eventually upgrading when necessary. They might not
solder the RAM from time to time though.

>> notice that if I were to buy a new phone today, many of them aren't
>> upgradable in any way in addition to the standard battery not being
>> removable. It seems that Apple is influential enough for companies to
>> copy their bad and anti-customer practises.
>
> It doesn't seem that you understand that Apple has the finest marketing
> organization on this planet, bar none.
>
> Nobody can market a product like Apple can.
> Apple can sell snow to the Inuit - at a huge profit.
>
> Every company in the world would _love_ to copy Apple's marketing plan.
> What other device but an iPhone does NOT get better faster & cheaper?
>
> Only the iPhone doesn't get cheaper over the years.
> Every other common consumer device gets better, faster, & cheaper.
>
> What's different?
> Marketing.

No doubt.

< snip >

--
@RabidHussar

On 2021-09-02 2:48 a.m., Robin Goodfellow wrote:
> nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid> asked
>> also, phones with an fm radio require using the wired headphones as an
>> antenna, which means it won't work with bluetooth headphones, nor will
>> it work when using the internal speakers. it's *extremely* limited.
>
> If FM radio is so useless, why is almost every vehicle equipped with one?

I'm not sure that it's added to cars to be useful as much as to provide
a gentle distraction when driving. I doubt that anyone would prevent
themselves from buying a car because FM radio isn't in there.

--
@RabidHussar

On 9/2/2021 5:23 AM, RabidHussar wrote:

<snip>

> I had the same situation with an HP Scanjet 3500c I bought back in 2003
> which I insisted on using until at least 2013 when it finally croaked.
> Microsoft wanted me to upgrade to something more recent but when you
> only scan occasionally, doing so seems like a complete waste of money.
> It made more sense to just run it in Linux.

Mine is an HP Scanjet 4200C. I guess I could just scan on my all-in-one
printer but sometimes the separate USB scanner is less hassle than a
networked printer.

On 2021-09-02 9:38 a.m., sms wrote:
> On 9/2/2021 5:23 AM, RabidHussar wrote:
>
> <snip>
>
>> I had the same situation with an HP Scanjet 3500c I bought back in
>> 2003 which I insisted on using until at least 2013 when it finally
>> croaked. Microsoft wanted me to upgrade to something more recent but
>> when you only scan occasionally, doing so seems like a complete waste
>> of money. It made more sense to just run it in Linux.
>
> Mine is an HP Scanjet 4200C. I guess I could just scan on my all-in-one
> printer but sometimes the separate USB scanner is less hassle than a
> networked printer.

Agreed. In most cases, flatbed scanners are literally plug and play and
tiny wherein you can plug them, use them and disconnect them in the same
minute.

--
@RabidHussar

On 9/1/2021 11:44 PM, Robin Goodfellow wrote:

<snip>

> I'm no audiophile, but you haven't shown any evidence that a wired
> connection is any worse than the over-the-air connection Apple forces upon
> all its recent iPhone owners.

With a phone there is always going to be a D/A (for the speakers) and an
A/D (for the microphone), whether it's inside the phone, inside a dongle
that goes from USB-C to 3.5mm or Lightning to 3.5mm, or inside the
wireless headphones/microphone. In the end, it's all analog.

There's nothing that says that a D/A and A/D inside wireless headphones
is any better or worse than one inside a phone or inside a dongle. It's
just a hassle when a phone lacks a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The newer headphones I bought, for traveling, are both wireless and
wired. You want wired headphones for traveling to be able to plug them
into the airplane's entertainment system.

nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid> wrote:
> In article <sgo970$ue4$1@dont-email.me>, sms
> <scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:

[Another round of the usual footstamping deleted.]

> also false. several people have pointed out the errors and explained
> why they're wrong

I wonder if the fact that you - and some/most of "several people" -
are *filtered* [1] has anything to do with that!

> and you have not corrected anything.

<nospam_mode>

false.

</nospam_mode>

[1] And yes, he said so, many, many times.

RabidHussar <rabid@huss.ar> wrote:
> On 2021-09-02 2:48 a.m., Robin Goodfellow wrote:
> > nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid> asked
> >> also, phones with an fm radio require using the wired headphones as an
> >> antenna, which means it won't work with bluetooth headphones, nor will
> >> it work when using the internal speakers. it's *extremely* limited.
> >
> > If FM radio is so useless, why is almost every vehicle equipped with one?
>
> I'm not sure that it's added to cars to be useful as much as to provide
> a gentle distraction when driving. I doubt that anyone would prevent
> themselves from buying a car because FM radio isn't in there.

Well, on a recent trip we used Google Maps *and* the vehicle's
built-in navigation system *and* FM radio traffic information to avoid
traffic jams and route around them. So there you go! :-)

On other trips, there's no mobile coverage, so no mobile data, so no
audio/music streaming.

As alaways, YMMV/YMWV.