Like Alex Payne, Mark Pilgrim, and Cory Doctorow, I have "The Fear", about purchasing and evangelizing a closed device. The Cory Doctorow piece, in particular, is a little over the top (and I don't agree with all of it), but this resonates:
"Then there's the device itself: clearly there's a lot of thoughtfulness and smarts that went into the design. But there's also a palpable contempt for the owner. I believe — really believe — in the stirring words of the Maker Manifesto: if you can't open it, you don't own it. Screws not glue."
I think that if I spend $499 on something, and it has been advertised that I am "buying" said something, then I should be free to do whatever I want with it. But I'm conflicted, because I think that the iPad is probably going to be a hit, that it'll be the right device for a whole lot of people, and that's OK.
John Gruber tries to defend Apple, but doesn't really get it right. His conclusion:
"Something important and valuable is indeed being lost as Apple shifts to this model of computing. But it’s a trade-off, because something new that is important and valuable has been gained."
I think where John goes wrong, is that this isn't an either/or proposition. Apple could produce an iPad, the same as what will be released tomorrow, that is also open. It could allow users to attain root (or "jailbreak") access, without disrupting the ease of use of the device. I think that Google has it right with Chrome OS, where they say: "Users will always own their computers.".
Michael Tsai seems to agree, and Dave Winer is on the right track as well. But I don't want to try and "offset" my purchase of an iPad. To that end, I really like what Joel Johnson wrote for Gizmodo:
"I don't like DRM. I think it's a fool's game.
I don't prefer a closed ecosystem for applications without a way to unwall the garden
I don't like that it's illegal to install a different operating system on an iPad.
These are legal issues. They are issues that should be fixed by legislation and by judges. Donate to the EFF, because they put the pressure in the right places. It's money well spent."
While I do support the EFF, I could also live happily in a world where Apple did the right thing, without being forced to do so by law.
So all-in-all, on the eve of the iPad's release, I have extremely mixed feelings. I've read every review (and FAQ) I've come across, and actually watched Fox News today, all because I'm really curious about the iPad. And I'm going to spend the majority of this weekend playing with one. I'm just not sure if ultimately, I'm going to end up buying one.
And that's sort of a weird place for me to be in, when it comes to the latest and greatest from Apple.
-Andy.