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tablets which are suitable with anarchist principles

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Rebellious twit, Jun 28, 2013.

  1. Rebellious twit

    Rebellious twit Experienced Member Experienced member


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    as i hate to buy new stuff and i am generally against the whole "consumer thing" i also have school work to do and other than my shitty computer can't do with the computer i have right now, i need something else for school work and for reading and other kinds of entertainement, i considered saving up for a tablet which is both useful and cheap at the same time are there any kind of technical experts on this matter here on this forum, i would some assistance and a few tips and what not :D ...
     

  2. ungovernable

    ungovernable Autonome Staff Member Uploader Admin Team Experienced member


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    You will never find any high-tech stuff suitable with anarchist principles unfortunatly...
    At least try to avoid any apple products (just google for the working conditions of Foxconn factories and you will understand why). It's also cool to support free open-source systems like Android (based on Linux) but all companies making tablets are greedy capitalist fucks.
    Samsung makes very good products for a reasonnable price, but it's an huge business like Microsoft and it's a shame they have recently started investing in nuclear centrals
     
  3. THEBLACKNOVA

    THEBLACKNOVA Experienced Member Experienced member Forum Member


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    Is there any computer company worth supporting?? it's sad to say but those that enjoy computers and the mofo internet are privileged :p

    computer technology changes so fast, ask yourself what will you be using it for?? Is there a used computer you can buy that can do the work?? Are you doing any thing high end?? Like with pics? Sound? Video? or anything digital that you need the latest and greatest, otherwise i bet its just for writing papers, surfing the web downloading music and videos and of course anarcho punk dot net :p so a two old year old computer should work fine....
     
  4. Annie

    Annie Experienced Member Experienced member


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    Jun 22, 2013
     
    I think this isn't true, just consider the computers used in trade and production - in the hospital where I work the machines are more used for private matters than for the professional communication /documentation they are intented for. there are internet-cafes and the libraries, schools and colleges - one can have fofo internet access if one wants to - even if yours is homeless...

    I agree it's important to pay attention to the crime in the IT-production & software development, but the conflict of personal need for their products can only be softened, but not solved right now:
    you just can't opt out of capitalism.

    and again: it's very important to consider the important question:
    "what do I need to be able to do what I want to"
    you can waste lots of money for high end potential you will never use, but you can also tailor your future machine as close as possible to your needs, thus saving a lot of money, evade obsolete future trash & this way you can also counter the false promises of the industry, selling stuff most people don't need.
    (imo - tablets are more a fashionable toy than something to work with, borrow one and use it to find out).
    some technical knowledge allows you to construct a machine yourself, using exactly the components necessary to achieve the performance you want to use.

    look out for shops or small ads in newspapers offering used machines from private households or business companies - especially the later ones are often sold in large numbers and thus surprisingly cheap.

    what you can do besides buying second hand:
    dumpster computers - if your area has an facility for collecting household e-waste, bulky waste and household-type commercial waste for recyling, this may turn out to be a gold mine.
    many buyers aren't able to repair their stuff or go for the next trendy model and give away still working systems or components to these facilities.
    all you need is again some knowledge about how computers work, some talk with the people working in these facilities so they tolerate you to take a look... voila.

    some of my hometowns collectives work very well with a mix of all these opportunities, they started with recycling & re-constructing computers from trash, secondhand trade & support for other groups/initiatives & individuals in need for free - by now they really earn money by offering business solutions for hard&software (boycotting known malefactors as customers as well as suppliers), educate people to become users for free and train future technicians themselves. the collectives introduced kinda apprenticeship, the trainees still recycle and re-construct machines for give-aways and donations, constantly teaching each other and finally promoting the new specialists to fully fledged collectivists.
    collectivists earn the same alimony trainees get, people with a family earn according to the number of people they live with. profits are used to reduce the individual working hours and re-invested for better equipment & teaching materials, they also managed to be able to support other less successful collectives like the city-gardeners or the educational groups.
     
  5. Rebellious twit

    Rebellious twit Experienced Member Experienced member


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    in my family we mostly share our phones in a household, if one and another breaks we lend each others, my other phones battery broke and it woulnd't turn on, so i was forced to lend an iphone, how i hate this piece of hardware, but i can't wait to get my stephfather android so i can feel good about myself :/ ...i tend to avoid apple but as the situation now is i'm forced to own one of these blasted phones.... but i should look out for the tabley you mentioned ungov :D .
     
  6. dar72

    dar72 New Member New Member


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    Firstly, to explain, I'm a hacker that became interested in anarchism through Linux and other free software/open source projects as I consider it to be one of the closest things to anarchism, communism, etc which actually exists in the world today and even better, it actually works as a system.

    Please be aware that Android is, as you say, only BASED on Linux, "based" is the most important word there. Google have a lot of surveillance and malicious code in Android. There is some good information about why you shouldn't use Android here - https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/android- ... eedom.html . Google is not a company that anyone should be supporting.

    Also, while we're on the subject, Ubuntu is spyware and should be avoided as much as Microsoft and Apple.

    In a way, I think that Android and Ubuntu are worse than Microsoft, I mean, Microsoft doesn't claim to offer you freedom, it's pretty clear what Microsoft is all about, but Android and Ubuntu are deceptive.


    As for the hardware, you're not going to find anything truely ethical, personally I'd say that a traditional desktop PC is better since it can easily be upgraded, laptops can't be upgraded as easily and tablets and phones certainly can't. Laptops, tablets and phones usually need to be replaced entirely when a hardware upgrade is needed, with desktop PCs you can replace components.

    Whatever you do, you're going to be supporting some kind of evil company in some way but you have to ask yourself if it's worth it to you, if you're going to use it to educate yourself, I'd consider it worthwhile, also, with the world relying so much on the Internet these days, it's potentially one of the most powerful weapons against the system.
     
  7. ungovernable

    ungovernable Autonome Staff Member Uploader Admin Team Experienced member


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    Yeah you're right, but between Apple copyright software and Android open-source system, the choice is easy.

    First time i hear that. You have sources ??

    Anyway Linux is Open-Source and you can easily manage what you want to remove in the system.

    +1

    That's the main reason why i prefer desktop PCs
     
  8. bcpunk

    bcpunk Active Member Forum Member


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    Why you want a tablet? I have a shitty PC which is almost 8 years old, but was continuously upgraded with new components. It is completely enough for me. I have on it all the tools i need.
    Tablets are completely useless for such things. I can't imagine myself editing a picture or doing some work on them. But it's your choice :)


    Never heard about that too.
     
  9. ungovernable

    ungovernable Autonome Staff Member Uploader Admin Team Experienced member


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  10. dar72

    dar72 New Member New Member


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    I agree, if I had to choose. But really I'd prefer neither, the whole concept of their devices doesn't appeal to me anyway. I think (but I don't look into Android stuff much) that Cyanogen Mod is a lot better than stock versions of Android, I rooted a phone for a friend and installed Cyanogen onto it, I remember having to download a separate file from the Cyanogen website to install all of the Google stuff as it wasn't installed as standard (he insisted on having it so I did it). So I think that Cyanogen has most of the Google stuff removed, worth checking out if you need to use Android.

    That's true but the fact that it's there, I'm just uncomfortable with it, it makes me wonder what else they'll try to do in the future, at the very least it should be opt-in, not opt-out. Also, look at Shuttleworth's wikipedia page, the guy is worth $500 million, I love the open source concept but not when it's one rich guy at the top exploiting people doing the work for free, that's like Soviet Russia. I don't like his politics either, http://www.markshuttleworth.com/archives/227

    In my opinion, Mark Shuttleworth is a capitalist scumbag and his product (that's what it is) contains spyware, they have no real interest in co-operating with the open source/free software/Linux community as a whole, they'd rather just do their own thing, like Microsoft all over again. Also, speaking purely in terms of usability, when I used their Unity desktop, I didn't know if I wanted to puke or hit the monitor with something heavy, I don't want my PC to be like a tablet.

    I honestly prefer more commercial distros like Red Hat to Ubuntu. But my choice would be Gentoo, it's the most customisable of them all. It's not just about the spyware, Ubuntu comes with a lot of bloat too, I miss the days of Linux installers that allowed you to choose whatever you want, not everyone wants Libreoffice on every install, not to mention all of the Java junk that it depends on.

    Yes, stallman is a good source for things like this. In my opinion, his ideas are quite compatible with anarchism, he's one reason that I got into it, Linux and hacking in general made me realise that capitalism is wrong and doesn't work, I was into punk years ago but I didn't really understand the references to anarchy back then and considering the punk that I mostly listened to, I don't think the bands understood it either.
     
  11. xXZenyattaXx

    xXZenyattaXx Experienced Member Experienced member


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    Tablets? Fuck that shit, they suck. Just go on craigslist and buy a used computer for like, whatever price you can afford that makes sense. That way, at least you aren't aiding consumption by buying MORE new shit.... and you're helping the environment by providing a home for perfectly working shit that probably would've ended up in a dumpster or "recycling" plant (which can be shitty, just read http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthn ... pital.html)

    I'd guess that most people (maybe you, maybe not) really don't need all the fancy features on that new Macbook anyway... and they never get used... so an old computer that can do internet, type things, send email, maybe play games, is just as good as a newer model.

    Still... computers are made from terrible things in terrible ways by terrible people... there's just no way around it.
     
  12. Rebellious twit

    Rebellious twit Experienced Member Experienced member


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    the thing is i need a tablet for school work and stuff, and i want something i also can read Ebooks on and check this forum and write stuff down on, i don't know i still need to save though :thumbsup: .
     
  13. Bakica

    Bakica Experienced Member Experienced member Forum Member


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    I see your problem Stego, but 10 yearz ago when tablets were almost non exsistent people were able to play games, do schoolwork and write on forums. I'd really recommend you not buying tablet or smartphone since you obviously have a computer already and there's no need for another one ( I am aware of the fact that I don't know your situtation, but this is still my opinion ). PC is the definitelly the best option if you're not planning on traveling alot.

    I've had similar experience, I really wanted to buy some gadgets because I thought they were fancy and that I needed them. I came to realize that I don't need that shit, same as people 20 years ago who didn't need that shit and same as people for 20 years who won't need that shit. It is not useful, it is not practical, it is not cheap and it is not worth it. I'm not trying to say technology is useless, however not everything it has to offer is positive or useful. I strongly recommend you to find another way of dealing with school work and video games ( buy PC ). As for the things you mentioned above, there is always an alternative. Ebooks ? Don't, don't try to read books on computer, your eyes will hurt and you will have problems with sight. Checking forum ? Forum can wait couple of hours I think ? Write stuff down ? Use pen, paper, your hand leg or belly to write things onto.
     
  14. Rebellious twit

    Rebellious twit Experienced Member Experienced member


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    though this isn't exactly my computer i am using, as i'm burrowing my stephfathers, the problem really is that my handwriting is crap and i have been having trouble with it which is why i am using alternative methods of writing stuff down, i figure that a portable computer would do better than what i have now and i am not looking for a fancy laptop, just a cheap tablet or something like that :) .
     
  15. ungovernable

    ungovernable Autonome Staff Member Uploader Admin Team Experienced member


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    I remember the time when ubuntu used to mail linux install CD's for free .... :(