Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
But in fairness these devices are not sold as general-purpose computing platforms, but as dedicated readers. One can hardly assign blame to the manufacturer for not providing development capabilities, can one?
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Yes, one can. Easily.
Wireless routers geared toward consumer market were for a long time, up until recently, sold as "dedicated" devices, not development platforms. The use of open source (complete) replacements like
OpenWrt,
dd-wrt or
Tomato is now so widespread, that almost complete product lines are now
openly marketed as "OSS friendly". Perversely, it is not unacceptable to pay
a premium for such a device. A faster processor, more RAM and flash are the norm.
When a manufacturer uses Linux for embedded commercial device, it is commonly assumed that he has accepted (and will welcome) the hacking of his hardware, which, in most of the cases increases the value (hence profit margins) of their product.
Now, Sony found a legal way to treat the Linux the way it is treating it, but after their PS3 shenanigans, I find it perfectly moral, worse, my Netizen duty, to blast them whenever "Open Source" is mentioned in their vicinity.