Yes, Steevdave, I'm with you on that! I agree that it is unfortunate that Sony removed the install Linux option. But why did they remove that? Why did they add it in the first place?
They added it because they knew that the PS3 could be used in cluster computing and that it could be an interesting feature for Linux enthusiasts that wanted to use the PS3 beyond its original capabilities (e.g. as a better, crazier home theater device, or as a desktop replacement even). Then people started to get closer to being able to run pirated games with certain versions of the "Other OS."
At that point Sony realized that it would be better to drop that feature from their hardware rather than risk massive piracy. But what did the removal of that option really entail? Did it mean that all those massive compute clusters could no longer run? Nope. Did it mean that people that were using the console with games that they bought up until that point couldn't play those games any more? Nope.
It just meant that if they wanted to play new games, or play online, that they couldn't have that option any more. No killswitch. Nothing too awful. Protecting their business interests. And who really forced them to do that? It was the crackers that were trying to enable piracy, err... sorry... "homebrew." Sony is not against hackers. They want hackers. They don't want crackers and thieves.
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Umm, the system was open when we first bought it...
Yes, Steevdave, I'm with you on that! I agree that it is unfortunate that Sony removed the install Linux option. But why did they remove that? Why did they add it in the first place?
They added it because they knew that the PS3 could be used in cluster computing and that it could be an interesting feature for Linux enthusiasts that wanted to use the PS3 beyond its original capabilities (e.g. as a better, crazier home theater device, or as a desktop replacement even). Then people started to get closer to being able to run pirated games with certain versions of the "Other OS."
At that point Sony realized that it would be better to drop that feature from their hardware rather than risk massive piracy. But what did the removal of that option really entail? Did it mean that all those massive compute clusters could no longer run? Nope. Did it mean that people that were using the console with games that they bought up until that point couldn't play those games any more? Nope.
It just meant that if they wanted to play new games, or play online, that they couldn't have that option any more. No killswitch. Nothing too awful. Protecting their business interests. And who really forced them to do that? It was the crackers that were trying to enable piracy, err... sorry... "homebrew." Sony is not against hackers. They want hackers. They don't want crackers and thieves.