[LINK] the Apple iPhone rort

[Kim Holburn]

On 2007/Jul/11, at 5:11 PM, David Goldstein wrote:
> I think people are missing some of the
> points. Apple, the supposed champion of consumer rights,

Where did you get that idea?  Apple is a hardware company and uses  
hardware lock-ins.  Microsoft is a software company and uses software  
lock-ins.  Champion of consumer rights?  I don't think so, maybe a  
company that treats it's customers a bit better than many others  
because it's good for the bottom line.

> is locking people into
> a contract with one, and only one, service provider. I’m not aware  
> of any,
> although there could be the odd hardware manufacturer, that does.

It's early days yet.

> A Nokia phone is a Nokia phone, and it will
> work on any network, assuming the frequency is right.

Not if it's locked, no.

> As was pointed out on another list, “what is
> not common is that a particular device model is exclusively tied to  
> that
> company's services. Like, I can buy any several models of Sony  
> Ericsson phones
> in stores and just install a chip I contract with my GSM operator,  
> even though operators
> also sell the same models as part of their services package.”

Like I said, not if it's locked to one company, or branded to one  
company.

> Further, “The iPhone case takes this tied
> purchase practice to an extreme, and again brings AT&T to the fore  
> of the
> consumer rights' violations debate -- witness the long EFF case  
> against AT&T
> for unilateral violation of privacy rights of millions of Internet  
> users, using
> huge packet sniffer installations at key points in their network.”

Just another phone company really.  There're good ones?

> Another great point is the “schizophrenic
> attitude of Apple, in which they start preaching for an end to DRM  
> and at the
> same time sign an incredibly restrictive ... contract like this?””

They've actually talked one company out of DRM.  To do that they had  
to be in there.

> Someone who buys a digital set top box is
> not locked into anything. The set top boxes I have had have not  
> locked me into
> anything. On Foxtel or their equivalents, I’m not sure if I’d agree  
> it’s the
> same thing. But, I guess you can argue there are similarities.

I was talking about a sky box or a foxtel cable set top box.   
Completely locked in.  Unusable on any other cable system.

> And then, from what I can work out, Apple
> have developed a device that ignores the rights of people with  
> disabilities,
> especially those who are blind and vision impaired. You can say  
> this is only
> one device, but it sets a terrible precedent if it’s as I think it  
> is. Kim,
> being the owner of one such device, would have more of an idea of  
> this.

I'm not sure what you're talking about here, if you're talking about  
the iphone, you don't have to buy it.  Apple PCs are reasonably good  
for people with disabilities AFAIK.  The software has been getting  
better.  How's Vista for people with disabilities?


--
Kim Holburn
IT Network & Security Consultant
Ph: +39 06 855 4294  M: +39 3494957443
mailto:kim at holburn.net  aim://kimholburn
skype://kholburn - PGP Public Key on request

Democracy imposed from without is the severest form of tyranny.
                           -- Lloyd Biggle, Jr. Analog, Apr 1961