Remember the Outer Limits series? "We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical." Great stuff. A growing number of vendors in the computer industry are taking that old Control Voice monolog a bit too seriously to suit me.
Let's start with a bit of historical perspective and then conclude with a chilling real-world example of something that recently happened at our shop that should give every user of computer technology cause to wonder, "Just who IS in charge here?"
Vendors want to get paid for what they produce and sell and I certainly don't have any problem with this basic premise. But there are problems with the way overzealous manufacturers can go about ensuring that your money flows into their coffers. Let's stroll down memory lane for a moment...
[more...]
