Re: [fsf-community-team] [HELP!] Apple iPad press work

[Simon Bridge]

On Thu, 2010-01-28 at 09:52 -0700, James Phillips wrote:
> On Wed, Jan 27, 2010 at 06:23:51PM -0500, Holmes Wilson wrote:
> it's a general purpose computer whose manufacturer 
> > (and its business partners) have total veto power over the applications 
> > you can run.

> I think it is fairly clear that the iPad is *not* a general-purpose computer: 
> otherwise, it would be using the "standard" Mac OS X.

You figure it is an iPod Touch with a big screen?

Thing is, these *are* general purpose computers. The artificial
limitations imposed by the manufacturer are not important in this idea.

In this case the lines do seem more blurred than usual as the iPad has
custom HW. However, it does not really matter if we agree about the
generality here: Apple are set to do to books what it did to music.
People focussed on short term gains may feel it is worth it.

As far as this group is concerned, we can write to the various forums we
visit pointing out the evils of this new event. Though, by now, it will
be a matter of reading responses and choosing who to support. Also, lets
find online publications which are reporting the launch uncritically,
and/or have missed the DRM angle.

I've been hitting the NZ publications - though most appear to have been
critical.