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Holy s* this is a surreal comment to read on Hacker News. Once upon a time we believed in general-purpose computing devices that allowed users -- their owners!

Holy s* this is a surreal comment to read on Hacker News. Once upon a time we believed in general-purpose computing devices that allowed users -- their owners! -- to run whatever software they pleased. Now you speak of "platforms" that charge a tax in return for preventing users from installing software -- on their own devices they actually literally own, mind. Can you imagine if your car would only operate on roads approved by Ford?

krrrh 6y ago
I believe in general purpose computers, I see them every day and I know they exist. I also believe in choice and experimentation when it comes to business models. If I want to buy some systems with trade offs and benefits that don’t always include being able to root and run Linux on them, who are you to prevent me? Believing that all systems must be maximally flexible is a scarcity mindset that felt more reasonable when families had to save to be able to afford a desktop computer that would be in use for several years.
- ForHackernews 6y ago
  > Believing that all systems must be maximally flexible is a scarcity mindset that felt more reasonable when families had to save to be able to afford a desktop computer that would be in use for several years. This is a good insight and it's entirely possible that general purpose computing was a historical aberration. You say you want to be able to choose between a real computer and a restricted appliance, but how long will the market allow you to make that choice? Selling locked-down terminals with access to a pay-to-play "platform" is obviously very profitable. How much longer will MacOS and Windows allow you to install unverified software?
  - giovannibajo1 6y ago
    I don't think there is a cogent risk that general computing open platforms will go away soon. PCs can be self-assembled without buying them as an appliance from a specific vendor, and you can at the very least install Linux on them. If you care about Windows, Microsoft is adopting open source more and more, you can have install Ubuntu within Windows right now, I doubt they will change course on software installation. I do have a Linux box in my home and successfully use it for many tasks. This doesn't mean that I feel that all devices that have a CPU in my home must absolutely run unsigned binaries compiled by me.
    - ForHackernews 6y ago
      But why shouldn't they? Why would anyone on a site called "Hacker News" be advocating for deliberately gimped devices? I'm not saying manufacturers need to expend money and effort to support tinkers and hobbyists, but why deliberately go out of their way to block them?
    - ForHackernews 6y ago
      > PCs can be self-assembled without buying them as an appliance from a specific vendor For now. Every year, integrated SoCs become cheaper and more powerful. Self-building a PC is more and more niche.
misnome 6y ago
Or tunnels that only your tesla car can drive through? I mean, per-car roads probably aren't a good business model, but if it's a privately owned road you can probably make up your own rules, and there would be nothing to stop you doing that, right? And nothing to stop car owners using different roads.
buzzerbetrayed 6y ago
So let's hear your argument on why Nintendo should allow you to run any software on their switch. And even if you do think that, let's see some evidence of you arguing that case as passionately as you argue this one.
- ForHackernews 6y ago
  > your argument on why Nintendo should allow you to run any software on their switch. Begging the question. Why should the manufacturer have any say at all over what software I run on hardware I own? To paraphrase your question: Let's hear your argument why General Electric should allow me to heat any food in their microwave?

krrrh 6y ago

I believe in general purpose computers, I see them every day and I know they exist. I also believe in choice and experimentation when it comes to business models. If I want to buy some systems with trade offs and benefits that don’t always include being able to root and run Linux on them, who are you to prevent me? Believing that all systems must be maximally flexible is a scarcity mindset that felt more reasonable when families had to save to be able to afford a desktop computer that would be in use for several years.

ForHackernews 6y ago
> Believing that all systems must be maximally flexible is a scarcity mindset that felt more reasonable when families had to save to be able to afford a desktop computer that would be in use for several years. This is a good insight and it's entirely possible that general purpose computing was a historical aberration. You say you want to be able to choose between a real computer and a restricted appliance, but how long will the market allow you to make that choice? Selling locked-down terminals with access to a pay-to-play "platform" is obviously very profitable. How much longer will MacOS and Windows allow you to install unverified software?
- giovannibajo1 6y ago
  I don't think there is a cogent risk that general computing open platforms will go away soon. PCs can be self-assembled without buying them as an appliance from a specific vendor, and you can at the very least install Linux on them. If you care about Windows, Microsoft is adopting open source more and more, you can have install Ubuntu within Windows right now, I doubt they will change course on software installation. I do have a Linux box in my home and successfully use it for many tasks. This doesn't mean that I feel that all devices that have a CPU in my home must absolutely run unsigned binaries compiled by me.
  - ForHackernews 6y ago
    But why shouldn't they? Why would anyone on a site called "Hacker News" be advocating for deliberately gimped devices? I'm not saying manufacturers need to expend money and effort to support tinkers and hobbyists, but why deliberately go out of their way to block them?
  - ForHackernews 6y ago
    > PCs can be self-assembled without buying them as an appliance from a specific vendor For now. Every year, integrated SoCs become cheaper and more powerful. Self-building a PC is more and more niche.

misnome 6y ago

Or tunnels that only your tesla car can drive through? I mean, per-car roads probably aren't a good business model, but if it's a privately owned road you can probably make up your own rules, and there would be nothing to stop you doing that, right? And nothing to stop car owners using different roads.

buzzerbetrayed 6y ago

So let's hear your argument on why Nintendo should allow you to run any software on their switch. And even if you do think that, let's see some evidence of you arguing that case as passionately as you argue this one.

ForHackernews 6y ago
> your argument on why Nintendo should allow you to run any software on their switch. Begging the question. Why should the manufacturer have any say at all over what software I run on hardware I own? To paraphrase your question: Let's hear your argument why General Electric should allow me to heat any food in their microwave?