4 ms·

This is a silly argument. Nobody is checking their bank account on their Xbox. We can acknowledge that iPhones are needlessly closed platforms while also acknow

This is a silly argument. Nobody is checking their bank account on their Xbox. We can acknowledge that iPhones are needlessly closed platforms while also acknowledging that there are legitimate purpose-built computers in various form factors (gaming consoles being a good example.)

car_analogy 5y ago
That is exactly the point. There is nothing inherent in an Xbox that prevents it from running a web browser. Only our collective acceptance of the practice of denying users control of their devices, and letting these arbitrary restrictions contribute to e-waste.
- Apocryphon 5y ago
  To be fair, if one supports the Right to Repair, one should probably also support the legalizing of mod chips.
- Dah00n 5y ago
  Then the same argument covers a cars computer.
  - paulryanrogers 5y ago
    Computers controlling the car's movement should be isolated and ideally certified as fit to control large and dangerous vehicles. Media computers could be subject to the same side loading regulations since compromise should only impact non-critical functions.
olliej 5y ago
Because they can't? People were making a lot of noise about Sony retroactively removing functionality not too long ago. But even if we accept the bogus argument that a console (a behemoth CPU with 100s of watts of power available) is not a general purpose system, that's not relevant: Why should a company have to go through Sony or Microsoft's stores to buy games for their console? What makes consoles somehow different from phones? - I would put money on the primary apps people buy from the App Store being games? Claiming the Sony/MS make a loss on console sales isn't relevant either - firstly because they're charging ~30% on games with an average sale price in the region of $60 they make up that "loss" very quickly, secondly neither company expends significant (any?) resources developing features for their consoles once they've been sold (vs. Apple that is still providing major updates and functionality to devices 5 years after they stopped being sold)
thiht 5y ago
I actually used to do it. When I was younger, my parents offered me a PS3 and I had no personal computer of my own. So I installed Ubuntu on my PS3 (it was possible at the time, until a later patch where they disallowed it) and used it both as a desktop computer and as a PS3. That was pretty cool. A PS5 today could easily run whatever desktop OS.

car_analogy 5y ago

That is exactly the point. There is nothing inherent in an Xbox that prevents it from running a web browser. Only our collective acceptance of the practice of denying users control of their devices, and letting these arbitrary restrictions contribute to e-waste.

Apocryphon 5y ago
To be fair, if one supports the Right to Repair, one should probably also support the legalizing of mod chips.
Dah00n 5y ago
Then the same argument covers a cars computer.
- paulryanrogers 5y ago
  Computers controlling the car's movement should be isolated and ideally certified as fit to control large and dangerous vehicles. Media computers could be subject to the same side loading regulations since compromise should only impact non-critical functions.

olliej 5y ago

Because they can't? People were making a lot of noise about Sony retroactively removing functionality not too long ago. But even if we accept the bogus argument that a console (a behemoth CPU with 100s of watts of power available) is not a general purpose system, that's not relevant: Why should a company have to go through Sony or Microsoft's stores to buy games for their console? What makes consoles somehow different from phones? - I would put money on the primary apps people buy from the App Store being games? Claiming the Sony/MS make a loss on console sales isn't relevant either - firstly because they're charging ~30% on games with an average sale price in the region of $60 they make up that "loss" very quickly, secondly neither company expends significant (any?) resources developing features for their consoles once they've been sold (vs. Apple that is still providing major updates and functionality to devices 5 years after they stopped being sold)

thiht 5y ago

I actually used to do it. When I was younger, my parents offered me a PS3 and I had no personal computer of my own. So I installed Ubuntu on my PS3 (it was possible at the time, until a later patch where they disallowed it) and used it both as a desktop computer and as a PS3. That was pretty cool. A PS5 today could easily run whatever desktop OS.