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Comment by frik | Hacker News Reader

I don't like the pattern Apple is using there. But comparing it with Microsoft?!?

Microsoft was a lot more aggressive and shady, and used a bunch of evil UI patterns, like installing it by clicking "Cancel" button. Or displaying a second start button that opens the shady installer instead of the start menu. macOS auto downloading is not right, but it is whole level below that.

If you look at OS charts like on Steam, 64% still on Win7, many reverted back, because Win10 (29%) is shit and full of dark patterns, and Win7 is the new XP. In the last few months the install base of Win7 increased whereas Win10 decreased (I was one of them). http://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/?platform=pc and https://www.neowin.net/news/windows-7-user-base-on-steam-con...

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No, it’s the same really. Automatically downloading I’ve 5GB of data in the background without permission is some incredibly shady shit. There are people in Australia with data plans that this would literally still cost hundreds of dollars.

Downloading in the background is not the same as installing without warning. Yes, Apple should make the install notification more clear to prevent users from clicking blindly. That’s not the same as surreptitiously tricking users (it is possible to decline the update on macOS). These are separate griefs.

I live in Spain and I have a data-limited connection as well. I use Little Snitch to stop unwanted background downloads.

I often use my laptop with my mobile hotspot when I'm outside the house, and 5GB of data would cost me $50. Which is more than Apple used to charge to buy a MacOS X install DVD. Most months I only need $5 - $10 of mobile data.

(Side note: I had no idea you can still buy Snow Leopard DVDs from Apple! Costs $30.99 including shipping:)

https://www.apple.com/au/shop/product/MC573Z/A/mac-os-x-106-...

Gosh, I miss Snow Leopard now. The best OS Apple ever did, IMO. Super stable and totally about "getting shit done." In the years I was running it, I don't ever remember my system crashing.

There is an option to disable the automatic downloads in System Preferences -> App Store.

The difference is that the App Store Control Panel on the Mac allows the user to make the decision that updates should or should not be downloaded in advance of the decision to install the update.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207251

With the Windows 10 update, Microsoft was actively using dark patterns to circumvent their user's wishes.

https://www.thurrott.com/windows/windows-10/67367/upgradegat...

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