Thread

Turn off and restrict access to Apple Intelligence features on Mac

353 points · 223 comments · alwillis

bflesch · 1790014812 · focus · HN ↗
Funny how Apple has reached the crapware maturity level that Microsoft users are quite familiar with: After first boot, go through a long list of things to deactivate so that one can experience at least some feeling of agency and privacy when using your own hardware.
1. throw0101c · 1790016504 · focus · HN ↗
  > After first boot, go through a long list of things to deactivate so that one can experience at least some feeling of agency and privacy when using your own hardware.
  The difference is that you can actually not set these things up: with Windows you often have to choice. Macs allow you to not have an iCloud account and run just fine without them, whereas to avoid a Microsoft cloud account there are magic CLI incantations that have to be invoked. And once you say "no", Apple generally leaves you alone.
  I don't mind a bit of 'upsell' or informing (new) users of available offerings, as long as I get a choice.
  1. moose333 · 1790016930 · focus · HN ↗
    > Macs allow you to not have an iCloud account and run just fine without them
    Until you need to install an app through the App store. Even a free app will refuse to install without an iCloud account. Frustrating when you want something with a verified source, for me it was Wireguard, and don't want to build it locally.
    reaperducer · 1790017211 · focus · HN ↗
    That's on Wireguard.
    If they can apt get on Ubuntu, they can likely brew install on macOS.
    throwaway27448 · 1790017896 · focus · HN ↗
    > Until you need to install an app through the App store.
    Do you have an example of needing to go through the app store? There's apple's apps, I guess.
    [deleted] · 1790023901 · focus · HN ↗
    [deleted]
    throw0101c · 1790097229 · focus · HN ↗
    > Frustrating when you want something with a verified source, for me it was Wireguard, and don't want to build it locally.
    WG has MSI/EXE installers for Windows:
    * <a href="https://download.wireguard.com/windows-client/" rel="nofollow">https://download.wireguard.com/windows-client/
    Not sure why they can't pave PKG/DMG files for macOS. As an open source example, MacPorts uses PKG:
    * <a href="https://www.macports.org/install.php" rel="nofollow">https://www.macports.org/install.php
    On my work laptop I don't think I've installed anything from the Mac AppStore (Xcode is available from AppStore and (last I checked) as a downloadable XIP too.)

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