[bitwize]

> Not only that, but we're now creating devices that depend on remote servers. It's completely obvious what the downsides to this are, yet we embrace it without question.

But there are upsides as well: the devices are usually attached to services for which the device acts as a conduit. If the service is valuable, you can sell devices and keep collecting money after first sale, driving huge margins. Didn't Hackernews post a lot of Fs in the chat for the original BlackBerry service -- one of the first devices of this kind to reach a mass audience -- once it was shut down?