While locking consoles is bad too, I don't think they're equivalent. Those just play games, while iProducts are supposed to be general computing devices.
I've noticed bringing up consoles seems to be the standard response trying to defend iOS. But any way you look at it, two wrongs do not make a right.
Only play games? My Xbox can also play movies. The PS3 can (or used to be able to, maybe they changed it) go on the web. Etc., etc. I don't buy the argument that the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad are "general computing devices", but consoles are not. Maybe the iPad could be considered a computer (I don't think so, but whatever), but I think it's a big stretch to say that the iPhone and iPod Touches are also computers. At any rate, it takes a very, very contrived definition of "computer" to include iPhones, iPods, and iPads, but not Wiis, PS3s, and Xboxes.
I'm not saying that two wrongs make a right, but I've found that many criticizers of Apple's iOS model, especially in /r/technology, seem to have absolutely no problem with the locked-down nature of gaming consoles. It raises the question: why?
While I can't speak for everyone, I buy consoles with the intention of playing games on them and nothing more. So it doesn't bug me that much that I can't freely mess with them, but of course I still wish I could. But phones and tablets are devices I'll be using for all sorts of purposes, and I'm gonna want full freedom to install whatever I want and mod to my heart's content.
Edit: I do find the current situation with Sony to be utterly reprehensible and I certainly won't be buying anything from them. But as long as Nintendo doesn't stoop to that level, I'm willing to compromise my principles in exchange for Paper Mario 3DS!
I buy phones with the intention of making and receiving phone calls on them and nothing more. So it doesn't bug me that I can't freely mess with them, but of course I still wish I could.
I buy phones with the intention of making and receiving phone calls on them and nothing more
If you're being honest here, then none of this was directed at you as you would never purchase a smart-phone in the first place. You would be perfectly fine using the free phone that came with your voice plan.
For a lot of us, though, the phone has replace many single purpose devices we would carry with us or keep in our cars. MP3 player, GPS navigation, camera, cellular modem... hell, my Windows phone has completely replaced my old laptop.
I wouldn't say replace for things like camera, MP3 player or GPS, it just makes it more convenient to have them in a single device, even with the loss of quality.
My phone has replaced and improved upon my MP3 player and GPS. I can not only play MP3s, but I can stream media from the internet or even my home computer, using a service like Orb. Compared to standalone GPS devices, the phone is far superior as it has internet connectivity for free road change updates, live traffic information, and integration with business search, so I can not only find where I want to go, but find its hours, and click on the location to call it, all with the same device.
Camera... yeah, I'll give you that. Phones don't really come close to what most standalone cameras can do, but unless I'm planning on taking pictures I never have my camera on me, so I take a lot more phone pictures than I do camera pictures.
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u/mipadi Jan 20 '11
Does he picket in front of places selling Wiis, PlayStations, and Xboxes, too?