/. system not working correctly today...
First, there is no "bait and switch". The deal is clear and in the open from the beginning.
Actually, the alternative OS removal with the PS3 happened quite some time after the units were put of for sale. I think many in the EU will succeed in getting some sort of compensation for their purchases because of it as mentioned here on /. last week.
The seller decides what they are offering to a customer, and what they charge the customer for this offering. A different offering would cost different amounts of money. You are basically saying that you don't want to allow any contracts where contracts are used to establish what you get for your money.
Actually, I never said anything of the sort. I read the fine print and decided caveat emptor. The way the agreement went with the iphone said essentially that I am paying for a device that I wouldn't technically own, just use, and it actually belongs to AT&T and Apple. So, no thanks.
As an example, let's say a car manufacturer sells two variations of the same car, one with 100 horse powers, and the other with 200 horse powers, for different prices. Which is Ok, you get different things, you pay different amounts. Now the manufacturer finds a way to change the horse power of its engine using software. They can still offer the same two car variants, but you are saying they shouldn't be allowed to do that. What justification do you have for that except your own personal greed?
I see your point but I disagree; its a terrible analogy. If a person buys the 200 hp car and discovers the 100 hp purchaser got the same deal for the software upgrade then they are entitled to some form of compensation. Afterall, they bought the 200 hp model. If the upgrade makes their car a 100 hp lemon then same thing applies.
If I buy a car I don't have to go to the dealer if I decide on a better stereo, rims, seats, shocks, tires and add tint to the windows. If I lease a car I cannot do any of those things unless I can restore the vehicle to 100% of its original condition when i return it minus the usage i put it through.
As for the 'own personal greed' jab; I honestly don't think its greedy to expect to get what you pay for. If you purchase something and its to your liking then you got what you wanted because the product is what it is. If you purchase something and later the manufacturer of the product decides to remove functionality, for whatever reason, and makes the product useless to you then that's just not right.
How would you like it if in your car analogy the manufacturer decided that in order to be more 'green' and cut emissions by 14% (cool new trendy feature added) the car shouldn't be operable one day a week?
