![]() The cable ISPs are moving swiftly to impose usage caps that have nothing to do with capacity and everything to do with extending their power and profits, as Susan Crawford has explained in detail. Comcast is a monopoly for true broadband service in most of its territories, though you can spot a few competitors here and there. The re-centralization is particularly scary given the growing power of the telecommunications industry, which is fighting tooth and nail to control what you and I can do with the connections we pay for, despite the FCC’s welcome ruling in favor of “network neutrality” in 2015. ![]() Even though Google gives away an open version of Android, more and more of the most essential pieces of that operating system are part of a highly proprietary software blob that still ties users into Google’s advertising-driven world. Apple, as noted, is a relentless control freak. Like it or not, Apple and Google have pretty much taken charge of those with the iOS and Android. As I’ll discuss later, I also have to wonder how much it matters to declare independence on a personal computer, since computing is moving more and more onto mobile devices. Convenience, I said at the time, wasn’t worth the tradeoffs we’re making. Re-centralization is the new normal in technology and communications, a trend I worried about here some time ago, when I described in a more general way how I was trying to wean myself off services and products from companies like Apple (done), Microsoft (mostly done) and Google (still difficult). (On an assortment of other devices, from supercomputers to servers to mobile phones to embedded systems, Linux is already a powerhouse.) I’m glad I made this move.īefore I explain how, it’s vital to recognize the overall context of my small rebellion. ![]() So for anyone who’s even slightly interested in retaining significant independence in desktop and laptop computing, Linux is looking like the last refuge. But it comes with more limitations, and requires users to be totally comfortable - I’m not - in the embrace of a company that relies on surveillance to support its advertising-based business model. Google’s Chrome operating system is powering a relatively new entrant: the Chromebook sold by various manufacturers. ![]()
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