[m3galinux]

Can you have an "anti-"emotional connection to a brand? The iPhone for me is missing a critical feature, which is ability to run the software I choose even if it didn't come from the App Store. Which means that brand is dead to me until that situation changes.

Not particularly happy with Google for other reasons either. There are some days I want to go back to the days of Windows Mobile ROM kitchens and PalmOS. At least it wasn't such a monoculture back then.

[jacquesm]

Yes, that's a problem, but this is akin to all of the other ways in which things are no longer properly sold but come with all kinds of strings attached. My computers are mine, and I determine what is being run on them. I realize that puts me in a - small - minority but I prefer to own things than to rent them. I don't want an ongoing relationship with vendors beyond the initial transaction and possibly warranty issues.

This informs a lot of my choices. It's the reason my car is old, it's the reason my computer is running Linux, it is the reason why I don't wear branded apparel and it helped me decide where to bank. But I fear that it is a losing battle.

The monoculture that you refer to creates choke points and legislators love those. It gives an illusion of control, but actually it is just a massive security risk.