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> You are being sold a computer Videogame consoles are typically not marketed as general purpose computers. Out of the box, the only thing I can do on my Nint
by surgical_fire 3y ago
> You are being sold a computer
Videogame consoles are typically not marketed as general purpose computers.
Out of the box, the only thing I can do on my Nintendo Switch is play videogames.
- greenish_shores 3y agoNot even this. It probably has a full-fledged browser pre-installed, making its classification as a general-purpose computer pretty obvious even for an average user, and far less "hackish" than otherwise.
- surgical_fire 3y agoNintendo Switch doesn't even have an easily accessible Internet browser. In fact, I was not even sure it had one. I had to look it up and found this: https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/how-to-use-hidden-nintendo-switch-browser/ https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/how-to-use-hidden-ninte... It would be difficult to make a case that the average user would see this as a general purpose computer.
- greenish_shores 3y agoInteresting.
- shkkmo 3y agoIt absolutely is a general purpose computer, one with it's capabilities hidden and restricted from the user.
- surgical_fire 3y agoIt is a general purpose computer, except the "general purpose" part has been hidden and restricted from the user. Therefore, not a "general purpose" computer anymore.
- shkkmo 3y agoIt is a general purpose computer running a specialized operating system. Something doesn't stop being a general purpose computer when you change the OS.
- RunSet 3y ago> Videogame consoles are typically not marketed as general purpose computers. Video game consoles have been crippled so that it would be misleading to market them as general purpose computers. However, the videogame industry in its entirety was dead-lifted from its premature grave by one "Nintendo Family Computer".
- pezezin 3y ago> However, the videogame industry in its entirety was dead-lifted from its premature grave by one "Nintendo Family Computer". Consoles maybe, but I don't think that the early 8/16-bit microcomputers were affected by the crash of 1983, and in any case the crash was mostly a US phenomenon with minor effects on other regions.
- nozzlegear 3y agoI don’t think iPhones are marketed as general purpose computers either, yet here we are with the EU now regulating iOS and soon iPadOS.
- swat535 3y agoHow is a general purpose computer defined? In any case this argument is moot, the point is that once you purchase something, it's yours and no vendor locks and restrictions should be put on it. You are limiting my choices as a consumer by not letting me access multiple stores or modify the hardware.