I don't necessarily disagree, but does that imply that whether or not something is a general purpose computer is reliant on the current software status of the m

I don't necessarily disagree, but does that imply that whether or not something is a general purpose computer is reliant on the current software status of the machine rather than the hardware? You can crack some smartphones or install Linux on older Playstations. Tautological was in reference to the argument about whether or not we should be able to install things if an iPhone is a general purpose device. If that status relies on what software lets us do, then the answer is always going to be no, because if they don't let us then we aren't allowed to.