[chimeracoder]

> I'm fairly confident the threat of not being able to buy a general purpose computer is not a high probability outcome.

I already have to go very far out of my way and pay a huge premium for getting an unlocked Android phone. As phones/tables supplant many "general-purpose" computer use cases, this threat is only increasing, if current trends continue.

[tytso]

As eropple has already pointed out, the Nexus 4 is quite reasonably priced. More importantly, it's not that you're paying a premium, it's that you're paying the true cost. Most of the locked phones are locked because they are enforcing the fact that you are paying an extra $10 to $20 a month to defray the cost of the phone. If you don't replace your phone after two years, you'll end up paying an extra $120 to $240 extra for your phone. And if you do get a new subsidized phone, you'll be locked in for another two years.

[chimeracoder]

You're confusing having a carrier-unlocked phone with having a phone that has an unlocked bootloader. The two are completely orthogonal concepts; you can unlock the bootloader of a phone that you received with a subsidy by signing 2-year contract with a carrier.

The point is that, once I've bought the hardware, nobody should be able to tell me my that I can't flash my own custom ROM on the phone.

[tytso]

So don't buy locked down devices. There are unlocked device for sale, and the Nexus devices are at least price competitive, if not downright cheaper in the case of the Nexus 4 and Nexus 7. (Yeah, there are some availability issues, but I bet after Christmas things will get better on that front.)

[chimeracoder]

> (Yeah, there are some availability issues, but I bet after Christmas things will get better on that front.)

The availability issues for the Nexus 4 have absolutely nothing to do with the Christmas rush.

> So don't buy locked down devices. There are unlocked device for sale,

You're missing the two points, which are:

1. Unlocking the device should be an option for all phones - it's a basic right of ownership.

2. It's getting harder and harder to find truly open devices (the Galaxy Nexus had issues on this front). If things keep heading in this direction, soon there won't be any unlocked devices for sale.

[sbuk]

"1. Unlocking the device should be an option for all phones - it's a basic right of ownership." If you bought the phone subsidised as part of a contract, then no. You should be able to unlock the phone when the contract is finished, but not before as you don't actually own the phone until such a time.

[chimeracoder]

> you don't actually own the phone until such a time.

This is simply not true at all, from a legal standpoint.

You're confusing subsidy with ownership - the phone isn't rented; it's yours. You received a discount on the price at the moment of sale because you agreed to a separate (independent) contract which happens to guarantee them more money overall, but that doesn't change the fact that you own the device. If the contract gets broken due to breach of contract, you keep the phone, because it's your property - they don't take ownership of it again.

More importantly, this discussion is all completely irrelevant, because phone unlocking has nothing to do with a subsidy - almost all phones are locked, subsidy or no subsidy.

[eropple]

I already have to go very far out of my way and pay a huge premium for getting an unlocked Android phone.

How is that the case? I pay less for my Nexus devices than I'd pay for any locked-down phone (either up-front or given the increased cost of a subsidized-phone plan).