Droid X Self Destructs if Modded

[presray]

In celebration of the copy and paste ban, I'd like to start us off with a nice article about the Droid X.

According to the article listed at http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2010/07/14/d...o-mod-it/, the new Droid X phone actually "self destructs" if you attempt to mod it. There has been a bit of outcry that the phones will be permanently bricked. However, the phone is not actually bricked. The operating system can simply be reinstalled. The hardware is not actually damaged in any way. To quote the article,

Quote:If the eFuse failes to verify this information then the eFuse receives a command to “blow the fuse” or “trip the fuse”. This results in the booting process becoming corrupted and resulting in a permanent bricking of the Phone. This FailSafe is activated anytime the bootloader is tampered with or any of the above three parts of the phone has been tampered with.

Personally, I believe that certain aspects of a phone should not be tampered with. Any part of the phone that actually interacts with the communication hardware in any way should be restricted. We don't want people trying to spoof other people's accounts, trying to get free access, etc. However, the Android OS is supposed to be open source. In my opinion, this should allow the user to make reasonable modifications, excluding the ones I have described above. If a device maker wants to benefit from open source, they should play by the rules of open source. It is the principle of the matter. If you want to make a closed phone and keep people from making reasonable modifications, then pay the money to buy or develop a closed system. Don't take from open source without allowing others to benefit.

[North]

(07-17-2010 02:06 PM)presray Wrote:  Personally, I believe that certain aspects of a phone should not be tampered with. Any part of the phone that actually interacts with the communication hardware in any way should be restricted.

I disagree with that statement. I believe that you should have the freedom to do anything with your property short of getting in the way of others.

Quote:If you want to make a closed phone and keep people from making reasonable modifications, then pay the money to buy or develop a closed system. Don't take from open source without allowing others to benefit.

Or just don't buy the phone.

[jo$h]

Wow Great feature for those mucking around with the phone

[presray]

(07-23-2010 12:25 AM)North Wrote:  I disagree with that statement. I believe that you should have the freedom to do anything with your property short of getting in the way of others.

Being able to modify certain parts of the phone, such as those that interact with telephone networks, could theoretically cause harm, such as interference from high power levels, hijacked networks, free calling, etc. if one was able to modify these parts of the phone.

[North]

(07-23-2010 01:14 PM)presray Wrote:  

(07-23-2010 12:25 AM)North Wrote:  I disagree with that statement. I believe that you should have the freedom to do anything with your property short of getting in the way of others.

Being able to modify certain parts of the phone, such as those that interact with telephone networks, could theoretically cause harm, such as interference from high power levels, hijacked networks, free calling, etc. if one was able to modify these parts of the phone.

Being able to modify your chair can also theoretically cause harm. Yet, your chair doesn't blow up if you modify that. You could, for example, potentially make it so you could kill someone with it. Doesn't mean you are going to. You bought the phone, it's your property. You should be able to do whatever you want with it as long as it doesn't kill someone (or do anything that would be covered by that part of the law). Same with chairs, printers, paintings, desks, paper, etc.