Apple and my data

[marvinalone]

I just installed Max OS X Leopard for the first time. It requires my name, address and phone number to install. The only way around it is to lie. That's ridiculous! I would like to see the firestorm of protests that would happen if Microsoft pulled something like that.

Comments

[jmpava]

Heh. I'm amused.

[nein09]

Oh, but Apple isn't a huge evil corporation like Microsoft is. Look at the Finder! It's a smiley face. Would someone with a smiley face be evil? And isn't your computer cute?

disclaimer: there is one Windows machine in my house.

[marvinalone]

You know, once I install Adium there is just no going back. So ... damn ... cute!

[triath]

It sorta does. At least every time I've installed Word it asks me for my name and monogram (so it can use it to identify when I make edits to documents, I presume).

It doesn't ask for my address and phone. That is a bit ridiculous. Is there a privacy policy that goes with that information?

[marvinalone]

I suppose that's true. I happen to know that it just uses that information to annotate changes (with change tracking enabled) and comments you make on a document, and to fill in defaults in letterheads and the like, but the average user doesn't know that. However, the Mac OS installer follows the address dialog with "Contacting Apple, please wait ...", so it's fairly unambiguous what happens with the data.

[triath]

I feel like Windows asks you to register the product. I've only ever installed it at work, where I fill out my company's address & phone...so I'm not sure what happens at home versions if you refuse... *shrug*

[marvinalone]

Really? I install Windows all the time, and it never asks me. But then we don't really use the same kinds of versions at work that you would buy in the store, so it's quite possible that there are differences.