> I wouldn't count a game console such as Xbox, PS or Switch as a PC because it is vendor controlled and locked down
The Xbox was built primarily from standard components used in personal computers.
The PlayStation 2 and 3 ran Linux as alternative operating systems, officially supported by Sony.
The Nintendo Wii series is heralded as some of the most hackable and therefore versatile consoles in history, not for Nintendo's lack of trying.
> Similarly phones are bought with the knowledge that they are more similar to game consoles than general purpose computers
My phone in my pocket has more capability than my old laptops. Touchscreen interaction and the ability to make calls over a cell network do not suddenly make this thing not a personal computer. The hardware is completely capable of supporting this.
> They are bought with the knowledge that they are locked down by the vendor and that your use of the device is going to be limited.
This is just circular reasoning. The entire point is that this "knowledge" is simply consumer conditioning, and people are being taken advantage of by being fed this bullshit narrative.
> The right to install custom software that does whatever you want has never been part of the contract.
My friend, there is no contract. That is the point. I buy the hardware, and then I have the right to do whatever the fuck I want with it. Full stop. Anything less restricts my right to modify my personal items as I see fit.
> I do think expecting vendor support for their wacky antics is a step too far.
What? My phone runs a heavily-modified Linux and can do literally anything I need regarding personal computing, including hook up to external monitors and make use of peripheral devices like a mouse and keyboard. It is objectively a full-blown computer, regardless of if you can't understand that.
The premise of this thread is simply that, despite all of this, ports are arbitrarily locked down. This requires extra vendor intervention to implement, so your argument makes no sense. There is nothing wacky about using my personal computing device for.... personal computing. It's either disingenuous or ignorant to suggest this is not something which should be considered.