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iPad Is a "Huge Step Backward"
An anonymous reader writes "FSF's John Sullivan launches the Defective by Design campaign and petition to rain on Steve's parade, barely minutes out of the starting gate. 'This is a huge step backward in the history of computing,' said FSF's Holmes Wilson, 'If the first personal computers required permission from the manufacturer for each new program or new feature, the history of computing would be as dismally totalitarian as the milieu in Apple's famous Super Bowl ad.' The iPad has DRM writ large: you can only install what Apple says you may, and 'computing' goes consumer mainstream — no more twiddling, just sit back, spend your money, and watch the show — while we allow you to." What is clear is that the rise of the App Store removes control of the computer from the user. It makes me wonder what the next generation of OS X will look like.
Thank you for this. The only thing I love more than a new Apple product is Ann Coulter's VJJ. I think I'm in heaven.
it having only one mouse button.
hi!
You're absolutely right. It's such a shame that no one has yet determined a way to break the locks that bind the iPhone and the iPod Touch to the App Store. You could even say these devices are imprisoned, jailed. If only some intrepid group of hackers could find a way to break these devices out of jail, allowing those that wish it a way to modify their devices or install "unauthorized" applications onto them. If only there were some way to get the word out, and allow those that wish to make use of this mythical hack to find it. Perhaps some day such technology will exist.
You're absolutely right. It's such a shame that no one has yet determined a way to break the locks that bind the iPhone and the iPod Touch to the App Store. You could even say these devices are imprisoned, jailed. If only some intrepid group of hackers could find a way to break these devices out of jail, allowing those that wish it a way to modify their devices or install "unauthorized" applications onto them. If only there were some way to get the word out, and allow those that wish to make use of this mythical hack to find it. Perhaps some day such technology will exist.
Phhhht! It will rain black before that ever happens!
There is no "I disagree" mod for a reason. Flamebait, Troll, and Overrated are not substitutes.
Actually, you're both right.
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
what? you mean most people who buy ipods really just want a solid MP3 player with an elegant interface, and maybe some extra applications? pfft.
come on, man. you know most consumers secretly want an open platform device they can code for. just the other day my grandmother was decrying that she can't run linux on her nano.
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Is this the MPAA? Is this the RIAA? Is this the DMCA? I thought it was the USA!
Put him in a bubble. Sure he's locked in there, but he can't catch a virus!
Exactly, that is why nobody writes apps for Nokia, Windows Mobile, and Android.
all three of those failed platforms have no apps at all.
How is it there at the BSA? is fred still working in accounting?
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
Is it windy in here or did something just fly over my head?
Worse than that, since all the media talks about is the latest trendy new Ford, it soon becomes like you're the oddball if you don't have their latest model. Everyone crowds around Ford's latest models and everyone else is all but ignored.
Children growing up only see Ford's car and think that is synonymous with a car and soon all there is is Ford and their overpriced overhyped standard.
Right time for another dried frog pill before the slashdot car analogy gets out of had
"The weirdest thing about a mind, is that every answer that you find, is the basis of a brand new cliche" -
Then don't buy the fucking car? What part of choice are you missing? Is it that you WANT to be a trendy homosexual hipster yuppie but can't afford the price of admission? No one is twisting your arm to purchase it. You are just bitching on other peoples behalf.
But this 'worthwhile organisation (sic)' comes across as a bunch of wingnuts.
FSF is the Sea Shepherds, PETA, and MADD of the Software World.
Until then, we'll keep driving our Toyotas...
Oh, yeah, it's not easy to pad these out to 120 characters.
over their computers. Go ahead. Give it to them. Explain that they need to right-click on the icon and choose "Run as Administrator," or that they need to run spyware scans, or virus scans, or allow the machine to install updates, or use Browser X instead of Browser Y, or manage a filesystem in a clean and organized way. What do they say? Come on, we've all heard it.
"Can't you fix it so that I don't have to worry about that?" "Why doesn't the computer just do that for me?" "Why do I have to do that? I never had to do that before." "Do I really have to worry about this stuff?" "Just make it work, I don't care how, and I don't want to know." "I'll just buy a new computer."
They DO NOT WANT to perform maintenance, worry about security, track down tools, learn to use said tools, administer storage or filesystems, etc. Given the choice between technology that slides into malfunction when not administered properly (i.e. "it's broken" as far as they can tell) and no technology at all, most regular people will simply opt for "none," as in "I tried it for a while, but it was always broken or crashing or getting a virus, it sucked. I sold it and just went back to my old XYZ."
Say what you will, but the masses are sheep and they're happy as sheep. You cannot teach them to think, vote, raise children, or use computers responsibly because they DO NOT WANT TO BE THE SHEPHERD, only the sheep. And there will always be a market to sell them sheep-friendly devices.
This comment is just baa a ad
So you agree with my hypothesis that she is actually a horse dressed as a human?
Self proclaimed typo king, and inventor of the bear destroying coffee table (patent not pending).
And most importantly, it allows them to think differently, EXACTLY like every other Apple Zombie (Applebie?) out there...
You'd be non-conforming too, if you looked just like me.
I have an iphone and I grudgingly accept its limitations...
Can't say I blame you - even some of the people that Moses freed from slavery wanted to go back.
Upgrade the iPad and you have a MaxiPad.
Voting them all out of office, now that's change I can believe in.
In that case, yes. Like electric vehicles. I think the GP contradicted you because he presumed that you must be disagreeing with the person you replied to (as is normal Slashdot procedure) and because the parent post was correct, attempted to find a way to show yours was wrong. In fact, you are both correct and we have TWO bad situations of artificial constraint.
In future, you should probably wait for someone else to post a reply when you want to agree with someone, that way you can reply to the second person's post enabling you to both support the GP that you think is right and honour the Slashdot protocol of only posting to correct someone.
HTH,
Harmony.
Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
Well, it depends. When he's not taking his dried frog pills, his world could be *anything*.