I want to talk about this because of a conversation I had with a colleague on a lunch break a few days ago. I am a doctor, and I was talking to him about how angry I was (and still am) about the fact that the COVID vaccines, when they were first invented, were not made public, but instead were patented and sold. This basic fact made millions of people around the world suffer. I was rambling about how scientific information should always be free. How we should be able to use the internet as the greatest library our ancestors could have only dreamt of, instead of putting information behind paywalls. Even back in med school I was an avid user of sci-hub and I wasn’t ashamed of it one bit. I still use sci-hub to keep up with new researches so I can treat/inform my patients better. And I hate how some of my colleagues think that I am stealing others’ work.
Anyways, so I was rambling on and on. I sometimes do that. And my friend said something so strange and unrelated (in my eyes) to the conversation. He said “Look at you, defending open access to medical information for everyone, yet you only use Apple products.” I was like, “What? What do you mean?” He explained, “Man, all the things you use are made by Apple. Your laptop, tablet, phone, watch, earbuds or whatever, made by the company that is one of the main adversaries when it comes to right-to-repair and open source software.” So you need to see here, I’m not a tech guy. It’s just not my field. My job only requires me to read textbooks and keep up with new researches in my field, which any device can do. So I was like, “I… I don’t think I follow.” So he briefly explained what open-source software is, and how it’s related to my idea of free and open access to information for everyone, but this time it’s not in our field but programmers’. And when I almost reflexively said “Well we’re not programmers” he said “I mean, when it comes to software, it’s the programmers’ and developers’ thing. But free and open source is an idea. It applies to everything. And I think you’re supporting a company that opposes your views by buying their products.”
We didn’t have much time left so that was the end of that conversation. And I have been thinking about it since. When buying tech products I mainly care about if they are integrated with each other or not. Like if I turn on Do not Disturb on my watch, I want my phone, tablet and laptop to go quiet as well. Or I like being able to answer a phone call on my laptop. And I love the aesthetics of Apple products, at least more than what other companies have to offer.
Every evening since that conversation I’ve been looking up stuff related to open source software. Linux, distros, the philosophy behind it all, Linus Torvalds, Steve Wozniak, Arch, "read the wiki", terminal, GUI, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA my brain is filled with so many things at this point that I don’t understand anything at all.
So, TLDR; I’d love to hear your opinions about Apple. Most people (myself included) buy Apple devices because of the ecosystem, the design, privacy (?), consistent updates (especially on mobile), or for you might say, a lack of knowledge in the field of tech. Do you support Apple or are you against them, or are you indifferent? Do you think people who are not in the tech field as well should look into and use open source software? Leave your thoughts below! ^^
Apple is absolutely preferable in the phone world to Google, to my eye. Beyond that, I understand the attraction to the ecosystem, but I have actually not had a practically great experience with it.
I own a pair of Airpods that I've had for about five years now. They're... fine, for podcasts, but they have never been as seamless as I wanted them to be with my phone. They have always been quirky with how they pair; either one doesn't pair and the other one does, or there is a delay in pairing, etc. Overall, though, they have been a good product.
I made a genuine attempt to like the Apple watch, but I just couldn't. Much of it was un-intuitive and getting it to work seamlessly with the Airpods and phone was a nightmare. I was actually a little shocked at how bad the integration was, given all I had heard about the ecosystem. Traded it back in for credit.
My wife uses a Macbook, and I have been tempted by the new silicon's battery life, but I realize that I just don't have an interest or a need to use Mac OS. Linux is quirky, too, but familiar. I tried using her laptop and I struggled to navigate the basic menus; that's not a comment on Mac OS, but rather my own inability. I'm getting old and have used Linux for too long.
Use what works for you. This isn't really a moral issue. I think FOSS is inherently political to a degree, and of course I think it is better for society, but at the end of the day what matters is what you accomplish with the tool, much less the tool itself. You are a physician and the most important thing is that you take good care of your patients.