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Comment by endgame | Hacker News Reader

Good points, but I'm sorry to point out that buying the iPhone itself supports the war on general purpose computing. Jailbreaking might get you out of this set of digital handcuffs, but what about the next one, or the one after that?

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Do you also claim that buying Wii, Xbox, PS also support "the war on general purpose computing"? What kind of ideas is this? If I buy milk do I support the war on grain based food? Do those buying Android phones without any intention to develop for the platform or rooting their phones also support the war on general purpose computing?

I come at it from a different angle. I support and assist open source projects where possible, I use an unlocked Nexus device and will be buying a Jolla phone ASAP. I don't like the trend towards closed devices either.

I think the "war on general purpose computing" was a term coined by Doctorow (or Stallman?) and I have to agree with it in principle. I just can't go all the way and use a Longsoon-based MIPS device because of performance concerns.

It's not quite black and white. I can quite happily buy a PS4 (did you see the list of open-source software they used?) and still support the FSF and EFF as necessary.

A smart phone or tablet is increasingly the only access many people have to the net. The implications of control here are in a completely different category from a disposable game console.

Excellent point! This is my old iPod Touch 4th Gen, I have since gotten an Android phone.

iOS 7 isn't available on the iPod Touch 4th Gen, that doesn't change with this news. So, your reasons focus on iOS 6 and lower. iOS 7 imho leaves only a few edge cases to favor a jailbreak, especially on an unlocked device.

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