The Anarcat wrote: > > That's simply not true. As was seen in the recent Android/Rogers > debacle, those people are actively working *against* you being the owner > of your own machine. They are actively removing you root access. They > are actively preventing you to install your own software. They are also > actively refusing to accept software (e.g. flash, google voice) that go > against their own interest. > > The parallel with open source software distributions is preposterous. I > see where you come from, and I have some experience with new Ubuntu > users trying to work around the "synaptic straightjacket", but the > limitation is technical, it's is not political: nobody is trying to keep > users from learning and trying their own applications on their machine. > > For me, it's even the exact opposite: I encourage people to follow > howtos and tutorials, and the Ubuntu forums are crowded with step by > step examples of how to compile applications not provided by upstream > for whatever reason. I strive to help people understand and learn, and > while the learning curve is sometimes steep, it's nothing compared to > the firewall of proprietary software. > > Besides, if it compiles and works, it will very probably be packaged and > shipped with the distribution. The distribution is an enabler, not > something that is in the way. We provide compilers, development kits, > for zillions of languages, all this for free. And what's more, you're > free to not use all of this and build your own, because it's your > machine, your software. > > In parallel, Apple *enforces* the applications distributed. The > application development kit were proprietary until recently (I may be > wrong here) and they actively keep you from running your own stuff on > your machine. > > This is all very patronizing for everyone. Us geeks are especially > touched by this, but it's simply false to assume that "regular people" > are not frustrated by being completely stripped out of control over > their things. Just look at how cars can't be repaired by your > brother-in-law anymore... > > People are not happy about that, and rightly so. They will connect the > dots with Apple and the other suckers eventually. > > A. > I was just pointing out the surface similarities, obviously they are polar opposites philosophically, yet they have alot of similar features.
However, no, I don't think the average person cares whatsoever about the approval process, drm (beyond playing their mp3s on another device) or anything else to do with this. I think this is evident in the sales figures, let alone if you talk to the average non-geek about it. It is unfortunate, but this is a model people actually like. I have taken the time to ask those close to me who use an iphone, and skype or google voice not being allowed on? They don't know why they would want those in the first place, and in the second place "there must be a good reason". Same with flash it is "unstable" and that is the accepted reason it is not allowed. > Just look at how cars can't be repaired by your brother-in-law anymore And this has not changed anything, we don't have carburetors back, we just got used to the new idea that to fix a car you had to plug a computer into it, that to change your oil you need a car lift. This is all very well engineered psychologically. Arguing against it marginalizes those arguing, the lunatic fringe always has a problem with big business and what they are doing (justifiably of course, but that is not the public perception). I am not an apple fanboy, I use linux nearly exclusively. However, we just have to look around to see which way the wind is blowing, and I think our "app store" is a great feature the FSF should be using to counter apple's marketing. "Need to edit photos? There's a .deb for that". >When Acer, MSI, etc make one it will likely kick the iPad squarely between the legs on most of these fronts. It won't be as friendly. It won't looks as pretty, but it will actually do something. ...and it won't sell anywhere near as many units. As I said previously, go look at Archos' sales figures. These things work very well, but they aren't applesex. This is all about marketing, not hardware or software or anything else. The consumer is taught to love these things, that they are a sexy sexy thing to own. Nothing else matters beyond perhaps price and availability. Except to geeks. I agree it is our place to talk about it and make a fuss, but I don't expect that will change anything, and we will march further and further down this road of closed fascist software distribution. However, hopefully someone else will be marching in the other direction, maybe it is android, maybe it is openmoko or someone similar. It is windows vs linux all over again, but now on the mobile side, and with a different competitor. You notice you can't buy a netbook running linux anymore at major stores? I am more pissed off about that than if people choose to spend money on closed devices. There is not one computer or laptop running anything but osx or windows in any chain store I have looked at. Jeremy _______________________________________________ mlug mailing list [email protected] https://listes.koumbit.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mlug-listserv.mlug.ca
