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If there is a possibility to flash in a third party firmware, there is also possibility to brick the device. It brings up costs of customer support, company nee
by sobkas 13y ago
If there is a possibility to flash in a third party firmware, there is also possibility to brick the device.
It brings up costs of customer support, company needs to replace faulty devices, repair them or argue with customers over it. Also a third party firmware brings no benefit in the eyes of the corporation, device was already sold(thanks to marketing and low price) and now comes device bricking firmware that inflates costs and eats margins. It's very easy to see why someone would like to defend himself against such menace. Sometimes in spite of the fact, that a third party firmware was the only reason why so many devices were sold in the first place.
I have heard a rumour, that for the same reason SanDisk stopped supporting(with free hardware) Rockbox development.
- tmzt 13y agoSupporting (or at least not actively stopping) third-party firmware can also make sense for a company like Linksys not that they aren't part of Cisco. Before somebody could purchase a less expensive Linksys wireless router, install a third-party firmware, and use it like the would a more expensive Cisco AP. So for Cisco this might take away from their higher end lines. For the new owners it's just an added sale that they wouldn't otherwise get. It's too bad that HTC didn't get how important their XDA supporters were to staying relevant in the mindshare of the early adopters, who in turn recommend hardware purchases for the mainstream consumer. It's the same thing with Linksys.