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A rant against the SmartPhone ecosystem.

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JavaJones:
The walled garden isn't much like the FedEx example because it's being done for completely different reasons in a different business/client relationship. In the case of FedEx, they are a homogeneous business purchasing a device for specific purposes, requesting the vendor to implement this "lock down". It is the customer asking for that control, not the vendor, or their hardware or software provider, or even their service provider. In the case of the mobile phone market you have at least 2 major entities vying for control, the hardware/software manufacturer (not always the same, but often essentially so) and the carrier/service provider. Usually the service provider wins, at least in the US, because they are the main way to get the hardware/software manufacturer's product into the hands of consumers. But one look at how this stuff works in other countries shows that this has nothing to do with the hardware or software or even the fundamental nature of the cell phone business. It has everything to do with how the USA treats businesses and the skewed balance it allows in business vs. customer.

- Oshyan

Carol Haynes:
Actually the walled garden has a lot to do with hardware manufacturers.

It is in their interests to get good deals with carriers and get their products into the hands of consumers.

The way this is achieved (at least in the UK) is that the service locks you in on the understanding that they supply you with a product at vastly below the artificial 'retail price'/'SIM free price'.

Imagine if this didn't happen - how many people would pay the full price for an iPhone?

Example prices for an iPhone 4S 32Mb:

UK Apple Store: SIM Free phone only £599 - you then have to find a SIM and pay service fees

orange.co.uk: Phone Price: Free
(based on 24 month contract of £61 per month plan which includes unlimited free calls, texts and WiFi and 2Gb of mobile internet per month)

Renegade:
@Carol - I think you and Oshyan are coming at the issue from slightly different perspectives there.

It has everything to do with how the USA treats businesses and the skewed balance it allows in business vs. customer.
--- End quote ---

+1

If it were a movie, it'd be a snuff flick.

ajp:
JavaJones is right!

(...)"lock down"(...)is a conscious choice
-JavaJones (October 17, 2011, 07:57 PM)
--- End quote ---

ARM, as many architectures out there, are quite open and so are their possibilities. Yes, some upgrades can be hard or end badly. Many times it's not even fault of "the upgrade" but of "the upgrader" who messed it up along the way. And on the other hand, many users will actually live in a somehow "locked-down mode" as they won't care much about installing many/any apps or upgrading their OS.

I certainly don't want the UPS guy to hack his handheld, and yes, it doesn't belong to him but to UPS's process.

On the other hand, I paid for my smartphone to use it as I want. And yes: it IS a personal computer; maybe as personal as it gets. I want to hack it and the architecture is up for the challenge. If it's not, it should be. So, if you are up to the task and aware of the risks, hack away!

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