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But why? I didn't buy an iPhone to be a general purpose computing device, I bought it to be an appliance that allows me to place calls, text my friends and take

But why? I didn't buy an iPhone to be a general purpose computing device, I bought it to be an appliance that allows me to place calls, text my friends and take photos. Is there a magical force of nature that automatically transforms any device with a sufficiently powerful CPU into a general purpose device? Is there a FLOPS limit above which you're supposed to support general purpose tasks? Why is it that my washing machine is exempt from the rule but my cellphone isn't? I mean, I'm not even on anyone's side here, I don't really care that much if they allow sideloading in iOS (I could think of a few reasons to use it, but I probably won't), I run a headless Linux machine to tinker with, I can build a gaming rig, I can and do all kinds of general purpose computation but I just don't think of my iPhone as a computer and I'd like to understand how someone who does is objectively more correct than me.

matheusmoreira 3y ago
> Is there a magical force of nature that automatically transforms any device with a sufficiently powerful CPU into a general purpose device? It doesn't need to be "turned" into a general purpose device. It already is. That's its nature. It's Apple who turned it into an "appliance" by artificially limiting what programs you can run on it. It quite literally is a general purpose computer that can run any program except the ones Apple doesn't like. This is merely child's play, by the way. The future will no doubt feature governments wanting in on that action. Computers are subversive, after all. Encryption alone can make a mockery out of police and courts. They absolutely love the concept of a computer that runs only software that doesn't harm them.
- l33t233372 3y ago
  > It doesn't need to be "turned" into a general purpose device. It already is. That's its nature I don’t understand what you’re saying. Apple didn’t find these devices in the wild and tame them. They created them.
  - matheusmoreira 3y ago
    They created a general purpose computer and then locked it down.
    - l33t233372 3y ago
      Isn’t that how every locked down computer is created?
      - matheusmoreira 3y ago
        Doesn't change the fact it's a computer that's inherently capable of any computation and they actively chose to artificially limit it mostly for rent seeking reasons. That will become evident when governments force Apple to undo those artificial locks. You'll see there was nothing really limiting its potential beside's Apple's locks.
        l33t233372 3y ago
        Of course there’s nothing inherent to it that makes it locked down. The microprocessor in my dishwasher could also run arbitrary code. That doesn’t mean locking it down is bad or wrong.
        josephcsible 3y ago
        Does your dishwasher go out of its way to keep you from reprogramming it?
        l33t233372 3y ago
        Yes. It doesn’t provide any access to it at all.
        matheusmoreira 3y ago
        > Of course there’s nothing inherent to it that makes it locked down. So we finally agree. It's a perfectly fine computer, but Apple went and turned it into an iPhone App Executor. > That doesn’t mean locking it down is bad or wrong. It absolutely does. Apple owns the machine, not you. Apple has all the keys, not you. You will never be able to do anything with your device that Apple doesn't approve of. You've traded away your freedom for convenience.

matheusmoreira 3y ago

> Is there a magical force of nature that automatically transforms any device with a sufficiently powerful CPU into a general purpose device? It doesn't need to be "turned" into a general purpose device. It already is. That's its nature. It's Apple who turned it into an "appliance" by artificially limiting what programs you can run on it. It quite literally is a general purpose computer that can run any program except the ones Apple doesn't like. This is merely child's play, by the way. The future will no doubt feature governments wanting in on that action. Computers are subversive, after all. Encryption alone can make a mockery out of police and courts. They absolutely love the concept of a computer that runs only software that doesn't harm them.

l33t233372 3y ago
> It doesn't need to be "turned" into a general purpose device. It already is. That's its nature I don’t understand what you’re saying. Apple didn’t find these devices in the wild and tame them. They created them.
- matheusmoreira 3y ago
  They created a general purpose computer and then locked it down.
  - l33t233372 3y ago
    Isn’t that how every locked down computer is created?
    - matheusmoreira 3y ago
      Doesn't change the fact it's a computer that's inherently capable of any computation and they actively chose to artificially limit it mostly for rent seeking reasons. That will become evident when governments force Apple to undo those artificial locks. You'll see there was nothing really limiting its potential beside's Apple's locks.
      - l33t233372 3y ago
        Of course there’s nothing inherent to it that makes it locked down. The microprocessor in my dishwasher could also run arbitrary code. That doesn’t mean locking it down is bad or wrong.
        josephcsible 3y ago
        Does your dishwasher go out of its way to keep you from reprogramming it?
        l33t233372 3y ago
        Yes. It doesn’t provide any access to it at all.
        matheusmoreira 3y ago
        > Of course there’s nothing inherent to it that makes it locked down. So we finally agree. It's a perfectly fine computer, but Apple went and turned it into an iPhone App Executor. > That doesn’t mean locking it down is bad or wrong. It absolutely does. Apple owns the machine, not you. Apple has all the keys, not you. You will never be able to do anything with your device that Apple doesn't approve of. You've traded away your freedom for convenience.