This would put me off getting one! Vendor lock-ins are understandable but unethical.

I would say that whilst Apple have the “right” to do it, they should really be careful what press they get.

I’m with you immediately if you want to say it’s a crap idea and a potential publicity disaster… but as I understand, it’s not such a *very* unusual thing in the US, where apparently cell phone providers have a history of locking people into their contracts (and binding them to their devices) far more than in Europe.

In the end it’s the customer who chooses – how many people can honestly say they weren’t aware of Apple’s stance on this when they bought their iPhone? I think now that things have turned out the way they have, it’s still better to speak up than to do nothing. But at the same time I also believe that a consumer has a certain responsibility for his/her actions, and complaints after the fact are not the way to go.

As you’re asking elsewhere – Has Apple shot itself (SIC!) in the foot? – well, they might have, given enough negative publicity. But knowing Apple, I would actually assume they were going to bring a piece of the stability of the Mac platform, or even of the iPod, to the telephony market… both these platform have not achieved their stability and, in the end, their popularity by being particularly open, free or cheap.