What Mac Operating Systems do you use?

[xyzzy-xyzzy]

If you're the paranoid type you should be much more concerned about the security updates that you've failed to apply rather than whatever data Apple may or may not be harvesting.

I'm not worried about security updates. I keep very tight control of my system and know what is there, what should be there, and keep very exact records of what gets installed and where. Nothing gets installed on my system without me knowing what and where it goes. And the only security update I don't have is the most recent one because apple decided make its requirements 10.5, 10.6.6, 10.6.7 "conveniently" omitting 10.6.5.

No need for any of that. Just get Little Snitch and block any Apple IP addresses. Then you can proceed with your system updates and security updates. (and delete the App Store icon from your dock).

Given what you've said, I'm surprised you don't already have Little Snitch or some other network monitoring application.

Did you know TextEdit regularly contacts Apple when you open it? Yes, really

Of course I have LS. But the app store is deeply embedded in the OS so (a) there's the possibility it's sending info back before LS can detect it or (b) it can bypass LS. I said my earlier post that at this point there isn't any definitive evidence one way or another about what's being sent or exactly when.

As for textedit -- what do you base your assumption on for it calling apple? I have nothing in LS to block it. I fired up WireShark and see nothing unusual being sent. I also looked at the code and didn't notice any code trying to do connections. Perhaps you're mixing textedit up with some other app.

I can't believe somebody didn't like the app store.

Well, take a look at this discussion in the apple discussions forums, "Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard", title "What the heck? I wanna uninstall this junk!".

As for those concerned about Apple seeing their data, I suggest you consider products from Google (the world's largest advertising company and the maker of the only browser that doesn't offer "do not track".)

Other browsers are starting to support that too -- I believe Firefox and Safari for two. Of course, what's the point, if the designated sites don't adhear to the rules?

As for google -- I trust them as far as I can throw them I try not to install too much google stuff on my machine (but I know what and where the stuff is) and would never use their DNS servers.

 

[Burgess07]

10.7 Lion

+1 Haven't booted into Snow Leopard in weeks.

 

[superericla]

10.7 Lion. I did a fresh install getting rid of Snow Leopard. I know the risk but I don't think I'll ever go back.

 

[Nermal]

I'm currently running 10.6.7. Like an earlier poster I didn't install 10.6.6 as it seemed to purely be a DRM update, but 10.6.7 had some "actual" fixes in it so I'm running that.

My desktop is on 10.6.5 and I plan to sell it soon.

 

[osiris24x]

10.6.6 & 10.6.7 (two different systems).

Mac App store is something I dip into on occasion, but generally I just ignore it, and it leaves me alone.

Ditto. I like the idea for novice users (for easier installation; disk images confuse a lot of new users) but I avoid it myself. Hopefully Apple never decides to cram it down our throats.

 

[mysterytramp]

... I believe it uses spotlight to scan your system to send info back to apple about what app store stuff needs updating. ...

If it does, then it does a pretty lousy job at it. I have a legitimate copy of Bento 3. Instead of trying to sell me the upgrade, App Store wants to sell me the full version.

mt

 

[xyzzy-xyzzy]

If it does, then it does a pretty lousy job at it. I have a legitimate copy of Bento 3. Instead of trying to sell me the upgrade, App Store wants to sell me the full version.

mt

Well, spotlight does leave a lot to be desired But that for another topic/thread. [Indeed all this pro/con app store stuff probably should be moved off this thread at this point too.]

However in your case I believe the problem is that apps not bought through the app store (you didn't say that but that is what I am assuming) don't contain the MAS receipt and are thus not classed as updateable through the app store. In other words you buy apps, say directly from the authors site or a store, then in order to have them subject to being updated by the app store machinery you have to purchase entirely new copies again via the app store.

 

[mrsir2009]

Is Apple scanning your hard disk to sell you better apps a bad thing? I mean, its not like they know you personally, so it doesn't matter what you have on there... Oh **** wait, my Dad has confidential criminal info on his MBP - Luckily he's still on Tiger

 

[r0k]

...

I can't believe somebody didn't like the app store.

Well, take a look at this discussion in the apple discussions forums, "Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard", title "What the heck? I wanna uninstall this junk!".

...

I took a look. Nuke the app store is not an app I want to bother with. I guess I'm not as paranoid about Apple as some users are. When little snitch told me the app store was calling home, I said ok and clicked "forever". Big whoop. I have an app store on my iPad and on my iPhone and I don't mind having one on my Mac though I still expect to get the majority of my software elsewhere. Perhaps I will go back and tell little snitch to ask me every time so I can get an idea how much the app store is behaving like adware.

After owning a string of adware, crapware and demoware laden pc's, I'm not suffering from righteous indignation over the idea that Apple might want to try to sell me something. At least not yet.

As for Google, I use their services but I won't make them my only link to email, voice, etc. Can you imagine a scenario where all your email goes to them, GV is your only published phone number and you lost access to your gmail account? I've lost access to gmail twice over the years and at the time the recovery options were inadequate. Bottom line: There is no telephone number for google. You simply cannot call them and talk to a human being about a problem with a google service. Not one. Meanwhile calling AppleCare provides the best customer support experience in the world.

 

[aussie_geek]

10.6 on imac, macbook pro's and mac pro. 10.5 on the powerbook. and os 8.1 on 2 macs at work - beige g3's still going strong.

 

[Hastings101]

I use Snow Leopard on my iMac and my Mac Mini at home, Leopard on my Powermac at my small business.

 

[Mal]

Actually no. Yes I can ignore it but as best as I understand it it wouldn't ignore me! I believe it uses spotlight to scan your system to send info back to apple about what app store stuff needs updating. But I have not as yet seen any documented definitive information as to precisely what information about what's on your machine is being send back to apple. Yes, I'm paranoid. But that's the way I feel.

Of course I could always disable spotlight I suppose or put app store stuff on a spotlight enabled volume. I haven't ruled that out but I do use spotlight sometimes and there would be some inconvenience with this approach.

The Mac App Store doesn't update anything that you didn't purchase from the Mac App Store. It doesn't scan your system and send back information to Apple. It doesn't track what you've purchased elsewhere, except that if you view the information about a program and it sees that you've already got an install receipt for a program with the exact same unique identifier (which often doesn't even recognize apps that are there), it will change the Purchase button to Installed. On the fly. Without any interaction with the server.

Bottom line: you're paranoid and it's not justified. Choose not to use the App Store all you want, choose not to update, I don't care. But don't spread FUD just because you can't rationally explain your worry about Big Brother and choose to believe someone's out to get you who doesn't even know you exist, or care.

jW

 

[kd5jos]

Another thought

The Mac App Store doesn't update anything that you didn't purchase from the Mac App Store. It doesn't scan your system and send back information to Apple. It doesn't track what you've purchased elsewhere, except that if you view the information about a program and it sees that you've already got an install receipt for a program with the exact same unique identifier (which often doesn't even recognize apps that are there), it will change the Purchase button to Installed. On the fly. Without any interaction with the server.

Bottom line: you're paranoid and it's not justified. Choose not to use the App Store all you want, choose not to update, I don't care. But don't spread FUD just because you can't rationally explain your worry about Big Brother and choose to believe someone's out to get you who doesn't even know you exist, or care.

jW

I like what Mal said, and I'd like to add another thing. I have a Mac Mini server with a Mac Book Pro at home. We are Mac centric at the office I work at. By buying things from the App store at home, I use the same software at work. We use open directory at the office. I tied my login at the office to my Apple Store account. I just install and use the same software at work I use at home. Then if they don't have something, I can still accomplish the task I want to regardless of what they have available for me.

 

[rpenzinger]

os 8.1 on 2 macs at work - beige g3's still going strong.

Please pre tell what are you running on your G3 OS8 machines?

 

[zwodubber]

SL, Lion and win7 on the 2011

Lion

SL

Win7

SL on the 2009 and 2006

 

[xyzzy-xyzzy]

The Mac App Store doesn't update anything that you didn't purchase from the Mac App Store.

I essentially said that in post #32.

It doesn't scan your system and send back information to Apple. It doesn't track what you've purchased elsewhere,...

On what definitive information/data do you base that statement? I'll repeat it again I've seen no positive proof of this statement. Point me at some for me to review.

Bottom line: you're paranoid and it's not justified. Choose not to use the App Store all you want, choose not to update, I don't care. But don't spread FUD just because you can't rationally explain your worry about Big Brother and choose to believe someone's out to get you who doesn't even know you exist, or care.

And you just stick your head in the sand obvious to what is possible because you can't rationally justify your counter claims either.

Your entitled to your opinion and I am entitled to mine (and don't tell me what I can or cannot post here). I could care less whether you interpret it as FUD. To you it's FUD. To others, like me, it's a real concern.

We're now on a treadmill here so this is the last I am posting to this thread or reading it too. There's no point since obviously no new categories are going to be added to the poll list.

 

[g00gl3r]

OS X 10.6.7 - What would I select there?

 

[Young Spade]

10.6.7 here. Using it on an old BlackBook and love it; haven't ever used anything else though.

 

[cytomatrix]

There are always some delusional paranoids who think everybody is out there to get them. If you don't trust the company that provides your OS, may be you shouldn't be using their Operating System. Open source operating systems like Linux and OpenBSD is more suited to people like you(especially the latter).

 

[mysterytramp]

However in your case I believe the problem is that apps not bought through the app store (you didn't say that but that is what I am assuming) don't contain the MAS receipt and are thus not classed as updateable through the app store. In other words you buy apps, say directly from the authors site or a store, then in order to have them subject to being updated by the app store machinery you have to purchase entirely new copies again via the app store.

There are times I like to indulge the paranoid. I might like to become one someday. But here I think your tripping over yourself.

Why would Apple want to know what's on my hard drive? Marketing? The company already knows a great deal about my spending habits; there's not much more they can get by peeping through my hard drive.

I just don't believe anything you're saying is true. Look at all Steve Jobs has said about building user privacy into iOS and how hard they've come down on developers who finagle ways around their privacy protections. Either Jobs is a liar -- and I don't believe that -- or some Apple exec is trying to make Jobs a liar -- and that guy's going to prove to be about as popular as the guy who designed the Fukushima nuclear plant.

mt