Best Mac Adblocker for PRIVACY and data protection? [MERGED]

[foo2]

No. You said that EFI wasn't common until 2013. This is not true. As I showed you. Apple used it from 2006 on.

Wow. Goalposts moved.

1. We’re talking about Windows PCs. But more importantly:
2. You made the point I was talking about 2000 era PCs. I showed how I was talking about much more recent PCs.

I bought it in autumn, so I'm within the average for some months if we just count years. And the average is a Gaussian curve, you know. Stuff doesn't get irrelevant just because it's near average. But... yea, my machine is so old, I should be happy to run DOS on it, right?

No, but you can run Windows 10 and Windows 11 on it. Up to you.

No, mate, everyone buys a 120 $ version of Windows. Those bad hardware sellers, dare them to bundle a OEM version with it.

One’s piracy, the other isn’t. Up to you if you want to abide by that or not, but that is the agreement. We all have different feelings on that, I’ll grant.

You said this: "just like Windows 10 22H2 isn't Windows 10 1509". So Windows 10 isn't Windows 10.
I'm sorry, I can't match your level of entitlement and confirmation bias. It's hard to discuss a topic with someone who won't even recognize stuff he said a comment before and who starts twisting words and meaning to his liking.

Goalposts moved - again! Windows has significantly improved. You seem to think it’s simply static, and “Windows 11 is a skin for Windows 10” and I have shown how that is false. There are significant upgrades every step of the way. My belief is you look no deeper than the GUI.

This is also going off topic. So: You've won. My "gaming" rig is very old, I'm completely wrong about averages, MS is awesome and does everything right. Have a nice day.

Well, at least some of that is correct. Have a good day.

 

[MacBH928]

Valve, the company behind Steam is one of the good players in the market. They developed SteamOS, a Linux distro for gamers. They don't want to be dependent on Microsoft as a gaming OS for years now. And they try very hard to be multi platform.
I mean, at the bottom line, Linux is the better OS. MS even uses Linux as OS for its Azure service and servers. This says a lot.
There are a lot of "Windows only" apps and software that already run very well on Linux. Like Adobe stuff. Regarding MS Office, there are FOSS apps that are almost 1:1 copies of MS Office and even have a really good document compatibility. (not like Pages and Word)
Like OnlyOffice.

You can watch this if you are interested:

As someone who does not understand programming I thought Linux will never catch on in this department as my understanding is one piece of software is made specifically to an OS will not run else where. Can't Imagine Apple iMovie running in OpenBSD for example or even an Android tablet.

I always thought Linux was the "worse" OS for the average user because its made for free and we all know free unpaid volunteer won't match the work of a $20K/month PhD programmer hired by Microsoft. In addition, my understanding is that Linux is a frenkenstein monster made by joining many independent works into one whole unit and in my philosophy that will always make a worse product than a one whole unit built to work together under specific standards an this is why I wish FreeBSD would replace Linux. Not to mention's the Mac's mantra that it works better because the software+hardware built to work together.

but mind you I am not arguing, this is just my understanding and I could be 100% wrong.

What upsets me is that Windows 11 is a skin for Windows 10 and MS wants to force users to buy Windows 11 by stopping support for Windows 10. Not only that but it build in barriers that PCs from 2015 can't install Windows 11 so they don't just want to force us to update, they want us to buy new hardware. You're right: Windows 11 IS Windows 10. With worse performance. And a MacOS skin.

But why would Microsoft care about updating the hardware!?

Yes. But: Let's say that collecting data gives you a huge advantage over your competition. Data is so important for improving stuff. This is the reason why almost all browsers run on Chrom(e)ium nowadays. They just know what people want. While Firefox feels old.
And this is also the reason why Bing is way ahead of Google right now. Because they don't just use GPT4, they use their search engine, GPT4 and all the user data.
Companies have to collect some data because either they do or they get way behind.
I like it how Valve does it in Steam: "Hey, we are making a survey of users hardware, do you have a minute and can we have yours? It is anonymized and helps us improve. Yes or no?" This should be the way.

You are correct. honestly. I do not mind anonymous data, in fact I would be happy to provide it to FOSS and good software+hardware as long as it does not revel personal information. I do want them to get better. Its like those stats that say : 35% of American drink coffee in the morning. Completely harmless.

I do what I can to eliminate data capture. I dont agree with the with the auto opt in arrangement, equally understand why companies do this as it presents a competitive advantage. For me I turn off all I can, only put my systems online whey need to be so.

Just not a person that is glued to online life as reality is a lot better TBH.

Q-6

I think data collection should be always opt-in by law and by opt-in I mean its not all conclusive in one button to agree to install + ToS+Agree to data collection and monitoring. You have to actually initiate it from the settings.

But goes back to what JohnKree said, companies want the data

Anybody here using the Tor based Mullvad browser?

Ah... so thats why it was as slow as molasses for me.

 

[foo2]

As someone who does not understand programming I thought Linux will never catch on in this department as my understanding is one piece of software is made specifically to an OS will not run else where. Can't Imagine Apple iMovie running in OpenBSD for example or even an Android tablet.

Google “cross compiler”. Apple writes MacOS Xcode to create iOS (iOS, iPadOS, TVOS, etc.) binaries. Microsoft’s compilers (and lots of others) do the same thing. Apple not supporting iMovie in, say, Windows is a choice, not a technical requirement. Yes, there’s benefit to hand-writing some OS-specific parts, but the cross compilers can get you pretty far along that path.

I always thought Linux was the "worse" OS for the average user because its made for free and we all know free unpaid volunteer won't match the work of a $20K/month PhD programmer hired by Microsoft. In addition, my understanding is that Linux is a frenkenstein monster made by joining many independent works into one whole unit and in my philosophy that will always make a worse product than a one whole unit built to work together under specific standards an this is why I wish FreeBSD would replace Linux. Not to mention's the Mac's mantra that it works better because the software+hardware built to work together.

Have you run modern Linux? Try Ubuntu 22.10 Desktop in a VM sometime.

but mind you I am not arguing, this is just my understanding and I could be 100% wrong.

Not wrong. Just not how I would phrase that. Rather than there being one mandated way to do things, there can be many. That’s why different distributions exist. They’re all Linux, but some are different.

But why would Microsoft care about updating the hardware!?

Security and features. If they can ensure X hardware, at least, then they can push X features, as they can then guarantee all of X hardware running said OS has the required technical capability to support X features.

It’s not that different from Apple putting core Metal features into the OS since 11.x. Since 11.x, if you have a graphics card without Metal support, you’re going to have a really bad time in MacOS. Yes, OCLP, yes, Hackintosh workarounds, but still, Apple codes for Metal compatibility as a lowest common denominator. That benefits the user, as it means Apple can code easier, faster, and usually better, using newer and more modern methods, and can ensure all the supported hardware can take advantage of the improved features. It also means some hardware is left in the dust, and no longer supported by modern MacOS.

 

[johnkree]

No, but you can run Windows 10 and Windows 11 on it. Up to you.

I can. By messing around in the registry and opening up to new security issues and other quirks and stuff.
And if it is that easy (I didn't do it yet, because) then it is just another proof that the limits are superstitious.

One’s piracy, the other isn’t.

It's not piracy if it comes with a new PC. It would be grey area if you buy a cheap OEM version off of any grey area sites selling them illegally.

Windows has significantly improved.

Yes. That doesn't justify them just crossing out the 10, writing an 11 over it and saying, you're not getting in anymore. (Unless you hack the registry). But yea, this is my opinion. I'm not entitled to getting 11 for free or anything. What I was trying to say that this move is the final straw that pushes me away from them.

I always thought Linux was the "worse" OS for the average user because its made for free and we all know free unpaid volunteer won't match the work of a $20K/month PhD programmer hired by Microsoft.

Linux is the most stable OS in the world. Linux holds a dominant position in the server market. In fact, it is estimated that over 90% of the world's supercomputers run on Linux, and a significant portion of web servers and cloud servers also use Linux. As mentioned before, even Microsoft uses Linux, for their Azure cloud service.
Back in the days, around 2008 or so, Linux was a lot harder for the average user because you had to install every hardware on your own. Drivers for NVIDIA didn't work and so on. It was a hassle. Ubuntu changed everything and made Linux much more open for standard users. Linux Mint was another milestone. It just works. In the last years, especially last year, I guess due to the success of the Steam handheld, more and more Linux distros were made especially for gamers. Like Nobara or PopOS. They are tweaked to work out of the box with any new gaming PC. Don't get me wrong, Linux is still a niche product. But backed by Valve it got a huge push. And the more restrictive Windows gets, the more companies will make the jump.
Furthermore, many popular game engines and development tools, such as Unreal Engine and Unity, support Linux, making it easier for developers to create and port games to Linux.

While Linux still has a smaller share of the gaming market compared to Windows, its popularity in the gaming community is growing. The open-source nature of Linux and its ability to be highly customized and optimized for specific hardware configurations make it an attractive platform for gamers who are looking for high performance and flexibility. 80% of all games on Steam are playable on Linux right now.
And Linux isn't made just by free and unpaid work. Many Linux distributions are developed and maintained by companies that provide financial support to the development team. For example, Red Hat Enterprise Linux is developed by Red Hat, which provides commercial support and services for the distribution. Some Linux distributions are developed and maintained by a community of volunteers who rely on donations from users to support their work. For example, the Debian distribution relies on donations to fund its development. People are willing to pay for stuff that is working great. Some Linux distribution developers offer commercial support and consulting services to businesses and organizations that use their distribution. For example, Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, offers commercial support contracts to enterprise customers. Some Linux distributions offer additional software and services, such as proprietary drivers or paid-for applications, to generate revenue. For example, the Linux Mint distribution offers a paid-for version of its operating system that includes additional software and support.

But why would Microsoft care about updating the hardware!?

I suspect that there are collaborations with hardware manufacturers. There are an estimated 1.6 billion Windows PCs in the world. Due to the pandemic and the war, prices went way up, no one bought hardware and therefore no Windows licenses. Much of Microsoft's revenue comes not from selling individual licenses to end users, but from bulk sales to hardware manufacturers and corporate licenses that don't just update for free. If a company needs 100 new computers and 100 new Windows 11 licenses, that's a huge deal for both the hardware manufacturer and Intel. If only a small portion of the 1.6 billion buys a new license, Microsoft makes a lot of money.
IMHO I am not convinced that Microsoft will stop supporting Windows 10 in 2025. Just 11% have switched over. I rather think that they will extend the support, as was the case with XP and Windows 7.
Besides, they are already working on a completely new Windows. And this is supposed to be from scratch and run on very very weak computers.

 

[foo2]

I can. By messing around in the registry and opening up to new security issues and other quirks and stuff.
And if it is that easy (I didn't do it yet, because) then it is just another proof that the limits are superstitious.

I don’t even know what that means. If copying software is easy (it typically is) does that mean licensing agreements are “superstitious” too?

It's not piracy if it comes with a new PC. It would be grey area if you buy a cheap OEM version off of any grey area sites selling them illegally.

OK… ?

Yes. That doesn't justify them just crossing out the 10, writing an 11 over it and saying, you're not getting in anymore. (Unless you hack the registry). But yea, this is my opinion. I'm not entitled to getting 11 for free or anything. What I was trying to say that this move is the final straw that pushes me away from them.

Why? Do you have similar things to say about Apple when they drop support for old hardware too? Do you expect them to keep supporting Intel Macs for more time?

What if we paid $100/ea for the license - would you expect them to keep supporting Intel Macs then?

 

[Queen6]

When did I say that? Please stop the strawman argument. You literally said "Windows 11 is a skin for Windows 10" and we both know that's not right.

W11 is a different beast as is harder to tame. It benefits dont always outweigh it's deficits. As ever there is only one way to find out by running the OS. My opinion is dont update unless you have a real need as W10 is generally more stable and currently less problematic. MS will fix it in time, they have no other option. The privacy tools will also grow and let's be straight the vast majority dont care a jot.

In all honesty the upgrade to W11 didnt turn on anything that was set to off my myself in W10 so that was good. Overall W11 isn't so bad that feel the need to rollback, nor a terribly exciting upgrade.

Q-6

 

[Queen6]

As someone who does not understand programming I thought Linux will never catch on in this department as my understanding is one piece of software is made specifically to an OS will not run else where. Can't Imagine Apple iMovie running in OpenBSD for example or even an Android tablet.

I always thought Linux was the "worse" OS for the average user because its made for free and we all know free unpaid volunteer won't match the work of a $20K/month PhD programmer hired by Microsoft. In addition, my understanding is that Linux is a frenkenstein monster made by joining many independent works into one whole unit and in my philosophy that will always make a worse product than a one whole unit built to work together under specific standards an this is why I wish FreeBSD would replace Linux. Not to mention's the Mac's mantra that it works better because the software+hardware built to work together.

but mind you I am not arguing, this is just my understanding and I could be 100% wrong.



But why would Microsoft care about updating the hardware!?



You are correct. honestly. I do not mind anonymous data, in fact I would be happy to provide it to FOSS and good software+hardware as long as it does not revel personal information. I do want them to get better. Its like those stats that say : 35% of American drink coffee in the morning. Completely harmless.



I think data collection should be always opt-in by law and by opt-in I mean its not all conclusive in one button to agree to install + ToS+Agree to data collection and monitoring. You have to actually initiate it from the settings.

But goes back to what JohnKree said, companies want the data



Ah... so thats why it was as slow as molasses for me.

Linux is OK, but you have to do a lot of ground work to figure the the best distribution for your needs and it's on you to maintain. macOS & Windows generally works out the box with regular updates.

Q-6

 

[johnkree]

Linux is OK, but you have to do a lot of ground work to figure the the best distribution for your needs and it's on you to maintain. macOS & Windows generally works out the box with regular updates.

Q-6

IMHO MacOS is the best of both worlds. On one hand you have a Unix platform with all the fancy Unix apps and homebrew and stuff.
On the other hand it’s stable, nice to look at and easy to use.

 

[Queen6]

IMHO MacOS is the best of both worlds. On one hand you have a Unix platform with all the fancy Unix apps and homebrew and stuff.
On the other hand it’s stable, nice to look at and easy to use.

That's big factor, I dont want to spend my life in Terminal to resolve issues. I'll meddle when it's necessary, mostly like all I just want the systems to work without complaint and there's a trade off for that.

Those that are interested in what you system is giving up ipx.ac While Apple and MS are seeing some of my info, it's mostly not worth their time and mostly deliberately inaccurate...

Q-6

 

[foo2]

Overall W11 is so bad that feel the need to rollback, nor a terribly exciting upgrade.

Q-6

This is very general. I'm curious - what specifically was an issue for you?

 

[Queen6]

This is very general. I'm curious - what specifically was an issue for you?

Had an issue with Explorer where you would want to go to a specific window, W11 would crash and restart Explorer which was obviously irritating. This one just did a full restart after a W11 update and so far it's been all good.

I think is very difficult to say as everyone's computing usage & SW load is unique to them. I'm running 8+ virtual desktops, 13 Windows of Edge, could be as 300/400 tabs. It's a desktop replacement and seen off many badged pro gear such as Dell & HP. Turn off the disco lights, it's just typical black lump. Some of the more informed spot the ROG logo, it can hold 4GHz across all cores all day long which is still impressive today.

This one got lucky with the silicon lottery as it accepts a significant undervolt and powers through...

Q-6

 

[foo2]

Had an issue with Explorer where you would want to go to a specific window, W11 would crash and restart Explorer which was obviously irritating. This one just did a full restart after a W11 update and so far it's been all good.

I think is very difficult to say as everyone's computing usage & SW load is unique to them. I'm running 8+ virtual desktops, 13 Windows of Edge, could be as 300/400 tabs. It's a desktop replacement and seen off many badged pro gear such as Dell & HP. Turn off the disco lights, it's just typical black lump. Some of the more informed spot the ROG logo, it can hold 4GHz across all cores all day long which is still impressive today.

This one got lucky with the silicon lottery as it accepts a significant undervolt and powers through...

Q-6

That's very difficult to parse, and English is my first language.

Which specific window did you go to that restarted (Windows, assumedly) Explorer?

What's "This one" that did a full restart after a W11 update? Windows frequently restarts after update; what's the issue?

I'm asking you for issues; I don't understand why you say that's difficult to say; 8+ virtual desktops is no big deal; 13 Edge windows is a lot, and 300-400 tabs is excessive (how do you manage that? Why would you do that? Just curious). That too has nothing to do with my question.

What 'desktop replacement' are you talking about? We're talking about your PC's Win11 issues, but you seem to be answering completely different questions....

You've seen off many badged Dell and HP gear? Sorry; not sure how previous brands you've owned is material to the question of "What are the issues you're having in Win11" ??

What disco lights are in play here? Did MS put disco lights in Win 11?

Why do you mention (assumedly Asus) ROG holding 4ghz across all cores, and how does that have anything to do with your Win11 experience?

Why do you mention silicon lottery when we're asking about Win11 experience?

Why do you avoid the question but post other random bits?

When will you answer the question presented? I'm honestly curious. I don't favor Windows 11 by any stretch, but I've nothing against it either, and it's clearly the next iteration of the majority OS. There's quite a bit of data that it's more stable than Win 10, it's significantly easier to manage than Win 10 by default, and the security is better than what's in Win 10. I just don't see a big downside to what is a free upgrade product.

 

[millerj123]

Had an issue with Explorer where you would want to go to a specific window, W11 would crash and restart Explorer which was obviously irritating. This one just did a full restart after a W11 update and so far it's been all good.

I think is very difficult to say as everyone's computing usage & SW load is unique to them. I'm running 8+ virtual desktops, 13 Windows of Edge, could be as 300/400 tabs. It's a desktop replacement and seen off many badged pro gear such as Dell & HP. Turn off the disco lights, it's just typical black lump. Some of the more informed spot the ROG logo, it can hold 4GHz across all cores all day long which is still impressive today.

This one got lucky with the silicon lottery as it accepts a significant undervolt and powers through...

Q-6

We got new desktops in our lab that were immediately upgraded to Win11. I initially only had the right-click menu issue, but we use SSDs on usb dongles to sneaker net information around. My instances of Windows Explorer will all spontaneously die, sometimes multiple times per day.

Another co-worker will also lose his connection to his SSD while all open Windows Explorers die. This was during data copies.

 

[foo2]

We got new desktops in our lab that were immediately upgraded to Win11. I initially only had the right-click menu issue, but we use SSDs on usb dongles to sneaker net information around. My instances of Windows Explorer will all spontaneously die, sometimes multiple times per day.

Another co-worker will also lose his connection to his SSD while all open Windows Explorers die. This was during data copies.

What did you need to do to fix it? (First place I'd look: What third party software did you have installed that interfered with Windows Explorer)?

 

[millerj123]

What did you need to do to fix it? (First place I'd look: What third party software did you have installed that interfered with Windows Explorer)?

I haven't tracked it down yet. I suspect Samba shares on a file server.

 

[foo2]

I haven't tracked it down yet. I suspect Samba shares on a file server.

The troubleshooting is very similar to what one can do in MacOS: what third party stuff (typically kexts for Macs; that's one reason Apple makes you go through hoops to permit them after install) is installed on the machine having the problem? Start looking there.

Building a connection to a CIFS / SMB server shouldn't cause hangs, and also shouldn't cause any issue when right-clicking; the machine will use normal Windows 11 functions for every step of that.

Unless your employer has something on there to impact any of that, of course.

 

[Queen6]

That's very difficult to parse, and English is my first language.

Which specific window did you go to that restarted (Windows, assumedly) Explorer?

What's "This one" that did a full restart after a W11 update? Windows frequently restarts after update; what's the issue?

I'm asking you for issues; I don't understand why you say that's difficult to say; 8+ virtual desktops is no big deal; 13 Edge windows is a lot, and 300-400 tabs is excessive (how do you manage that? Why would you do that? Just curious). That too has nothing to do with my question.

What 'desktop replacement' are you talking about? We're talking about your PC's Win11 issues, but you seem to be answering completely different questions....

You've seen off many badged Dell and HP gear? Sorry; not sure how previous brands you've owned is material to the question of "What are the issues you're having in Win11" ??

What disco lights are in play here? Did MS put disco lights in Win 11?

Why do you mention (assumedly Asus) ROG holding 4ghz across all cores, and how does that have anything to do with your Win11 experience?

Why do you mention silicon lottery when we're asking about Win11 experience?

Why do you avoid the question but post other random bits?

When will you answer the question presented? I'm honestly curious. I don't favor Windows 11 by any stretch, but I've nothing against it either, and it's clearly the next iteration of the majority OS. There's quite a bit of data that it's more stable than Win 10, it's significantly easier to manage than Win 10 by default, and the security is better than what's in Win 10. I just don't see a big downside to what is a free upgrade product.

I think is all part of it, latest update seems to have fixed the Explorer issue as is much more stable now.

Dont like my commentary, dont respond, is simple as that. Dont think your understanding my content. Nor do I want to fight over the internet as is beyond futile. As for the question does AdGuard work, yes it does on an open source platform and if you dont trust it dont use it simple as that...

Q-6

 

[foo2]

I think is all part of it, latest update seems to have fixed the Explorer issue as is much more stable now.

Dont like my commentary, dont respond, is simple as that. Dont think your understanding my content. Nor do I want to fight over the internet as is beyond futile. As for the question does AdGuard work, yes it does on an open source platform and if you dont trust it dont use it simple as that...

Q-6

The purpose of language is to be understood.

Flipping topic to topic (we were discussing PCs, not AdGuard) and not replying with coherence is an issue.

I hope you're OK.

 

[Queen6]

We got new desktops in our lab that were immediately upgraded to Win11. I initially only had the right-click menu issue, but we use SSDs on usb dongles to sneaker net information around. My instances of Windows Explorer will all spontaneously die, sometimes multiple times per day.

Another co-worker will also lose his connection to his SSD while all open Windows Explorers die. This was during data copies.

It seems to be more stable after the latest update, previously it would crash Explorer when navigating between virtual desktops. Read about the SSD issues, but not seen that myself or any slowdown as some have observed with W11.

So far so good as is tedious to have to reopen so many folders again. This is the only system on W11, nor really keen to upgrade the rest. Little like macOS staying an iteration behind generally has it's benefits

As said MS has no option, they have to fix as Explorer as is a core service. Crashing to the desktop when moving from screen to another, simply not acceptable. My 12 year old MBP does this seamlessly, so rather suspect is right up there on MS's to do list....

Q-6

 

[johnkree]

I dont want to spend my life in Terminal to resolve issues. I'll meddle when it's necessary, mostly like all I just want the systems to work without complaint and there's a trade off for that.

Oh, just want to say you are missing out on a whole world of quality apps working way faster and better than their GUI counterparts.
And: There is even a world in between. Welcome to the world of TUI apps, Terminal User Interface:

How to Use Spotify in the Terminal on Linux, Mac, or Windows

Jam out in the command line with Spotify TUI.

www.howtogeek.com

 

[MacBH928]

IMHO MacOS is the best of both worlds. On one hand you have a Unix platform with all the fancy Unix apps and homebrew and stuff.
On the other hand it’s stable, nice to look at and easy to use.

IF it wasn't for privacy I wouldn't ever consider leaving the Mac world but I am starting to not trust Apple every day. The Mac honestly just works...so far...

Oh, just want to say you are missing out on a whole world of quality apps working way faster and better than their GUI counterparts.
And: There is even a world in between. Welcome to the world of TUI apps, Terminal User Interface:

How to Use Spotify in the Terminal on Linux, Mac, or Windows

Jam out in the command line with Spotify TUI.

www.howtogeek.com

I wouldn't say so. Why CLI is faster and can do amazing things, for most of the people its too complicated. One example I am suffering from in the linux world is that it has like 10 different commands and tools to do the same thing then adding to this confusion is some distro's add or take out those commands so you are left there clueless why is the "linux" guide you followed online is refusing to take the command on your specific distro.

If you are advanced and know the commands in the back of you head more power to you, but for the rest of us we would like to "see" what we are doing

 

[Queen6]

IF it wasn't for privacy I wouldn't ever consider leaving the Mac world but I am starting to not trust Apple every day. The Mac honestly just works...so far...

Think Apple plays a very clever game. They likely could do more but just like two guys running from a tiger, you dont need to be faster than the tiger, just faster than the other guy LOL.

Believe it's wise to question all OS, and look at how apps are interacting on the system. For W10/11 Microsoft's Sysinternals has some excellent tools (AutoRuns & Process Explorer) that can directly link to Virus Total with over 70 malware search engines. The best is it's all completely free, currently 311 running processes and zero red lights.

Apple Silicon Mac's are an entirely different beast, they are more secure by design. That said cost's nothing to run the occasional offline scan from time to time. Bitdefender has a free scanner on the Apple Mac store. Can take a little time to update the definitions, the scan itself is over and done so quickly not worth worrying about. Can also bolster with Objective See's KnockKnock which again is linked to Virus Total to reveal any bad actors. For older Mac's with zero support from Apple Objective See's BlockBlock does exactly that as nothing can be installed without explicit user permission. Malware needs to be persistent and or DL a malicious payload this app disables that threat vector.

If worried about security tools are on hand, privacy is an entirely different factor. It will remain a constant battle. I dont agree, yet the major problem is the majority simply dont care, as they just want to click and go...

Linux isn't such a big deal these days as some distros are more designed for the average user, however you'd still need to put in work as it's not automatically safer and relies on the user a lot more. System76 provides some good Linux solutions, I may dabble again with Linux

Q-6

 

[johnkree]

IF it wasn't for privacy I wouldn't ever consider leaving the Mac world but I am starting to not trust Apple every day. The Mac honestly just works...so far...

I wouldn't say so. Why CLI is faster and can do amazing things, for most of the people its too complicated. One example I am suffering from in the linux world is that it has like 10 different commands and tools to do the same thing then adding to this confusion is some distro's add or take out those commands so you are left there clueless why is the "linux" guide you followed online is refusing to take the command on your specific distro.

If you are advanced and know the commands in the back of you head more power to you, but for the rest of us we would like to "see" what we are doing

Yes, this is the reason why TUI, a terminal app but with mouse and user interface, is something awesome. Like the good old goofy norton commander.
Yes, there are differences between distros but then, there are just a handful of main distros and all the devirates have the same commands. But I understand that it is not for the average user. But most average users aren't discussing privacy in an online forum.
I don't think that Linux is already there yet, but it is on a good way. And it is good to know your way around if something really goes wrong and Apple starts to be Big Brother (what I don't believe).

Regarding complicated:
Try to repair a corrupted Boot Record on a Windows drive. Or: Try to dual boot two Windows Versions off of two SSDs. Complicated it just a matter of practice. For me it is more complicated to find a good Windows alternative to Daisy Disk or Pixelmator Pro than using CLI.
I have to admit, I had a lot or respect at the beginning but now it's easy like opening Pages.
I can't find my way around Excel. This is something that is really complicated for me.

 

[johnkree]

Linux isn't such a big deal these days as some distros are more designed for the average user, however you'd still need to put in work as it's not automatically safer and relies on the user a lot more. System76 provides some good Linux solutions, I may dabble again again with Linux

I was really pleasantly surprised how well Linix is running. PopOS by System76 is based on Ubuntu but they tweaked it a lot with their own version of Gnome. It's really well made and everything worked out of the box. And yes, you are absolutely right, it is not automatically safer or more private. But it has a lot of possibilities.
And it is awesome that you are in control of everything. I mean you can change every aspect of the UI to your liking without any hassle or fumbling in a registry.

 

[Queen6]

I was really pleasantly surprised how well Linix is running. PopOS by System76 is based on Ubuntu but they tweaked it a lot with their own version of Gnome. It's really well made and everything worked out of the box. And yes, you are absolutely right, it is not automatically safer or more private. But it has a lot of possibilities.
And it is awesome that you are in control of everything. I mean you can change every aspect of the UI to your liking without any hassle or fumbling in a registry.

My problem is it's KDE, and therefor you have multiple underlying versions of the Linux OS. it's a fabulous desktop environment that destroys everything else, but not easy to live with in some circumstance.

Q-6