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I think that this is important, but what about locked bootloaders and restrictive user privileges (rooting)? I truly do not understand how it appropriate to sell consumers a computing device that they don't have the right to run arbitrary software on. If I worked at [big box store] and tried to sell anyone here a desktop that was locked down harder than a high school computer lab from hell, someone would punch me...


The people who lined up outside said big box stores to buy PS4s might not feel the same way


I've bought plenty of locked-down hardware. What manufacturers haven't yet capitalized upon is that I'll pay more for unlocked hardware.


One instance of this would be the Linksys WRT54GL wireless router which Linksys specifically sold as unlocked so users could install OpenWRT and other alternatives.

Worked on me, I've bought a few of that model.


I suppose there are not enough of us to make that worthwhile? I quit buying Apple and complain bitterly in any thread about them in hopes of creating more open computing advocates.




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