aTypical Joe: a gay New Yorker living in the rural South

Monday, October 01, 2007

Stockholm Syndrome: behind Apple’s Iron Curtain

I read of Friday’s Apple iPhone update turning unlocked iPhones into useless bricks in a Savannah coffee shop while a friend used Google on hers to map out our day’s travels. My comment then, “Apple’s a Hollywood company, not a tech company.”

How much abuse are we willing to take from Apple? Early adopters paid a $200 premium - eased by a $100 rebate that some think is actually just another $75 million in Apple’s coffers - now this.

Alexander Wolfe at Information Week:

It seems like Jobs has turned the famous “Pottery Barn” rule on its ear. In the iPhone world according to Apple, it’s “You bought it, we [might] break it.”

The sheer hypocrisy of it all rankles. Here’s a company whose CEO has railed again the inclusion of digital-rights management (DRM) encryption software on competitors’ music files. Many people supported Jobs in his stance, assuming it was, at least in part, a philosophic nod in favor of consumer’s rights. However, in light of the latest iPhone fiasco, a sober observer would say that was probably just a cynical business move to get onboard where he figured consumers were heading with or without Apple.

Alex is discussing a Saturday post on Apple’s own iPhone discussion forums in which a user posted a message calling for an iPhone Class Action Lawsuit. Wolfe isn’t optimistic that the lawsuit will take wing:

The other, more troubling, reason his suit might not fly is that some respondents on the site seem to be suffering from Apple-induced Stockholm syndrome. Writes one: “I would love to tinker with my iPhone, but it’s not worth bricking it or voiding my warranty. Anyone who turns his shiny new phone into an iBrick by messing with the firmware AFTER he was warned and demands compensation… well… I have no sympathy.”

Here’s another: “I’m not saying what this new [Apple] update did was right but then again neither was modifying the phone to do what it was not intended to do no matter how useful the modifications were.”

In this culture that so highly values pride of ownership, I really don’t understand why we take this so passively, why we so easily buy into our own guilt. What we have here is a large company charging a premium for a product that you may buy but you cannot own.

We’ve been assimilated and we don’t even know it. It’s time we wake up to what’s happening and demand an architecture of freedom.

SEE ALSO:

Unbricked iPhone now fully working with IPSF’s paid unlock.

The iPhone’s been re-reviewed by Gizmodo, “Did I buy these phones or am I just renting them? ... Verdict: Don’t Buy.”

And Apple’s been sued by a disgruntled customer over the iPhone price drop.