>I used to build and blueprint my own engines (cars and motorbikes). >Then gradually cars became electronic appliances, locked down to the >extent where engine modifications became difficult and expensive to >implement. I fear that PCs and before that laptops may be heading the >same way. :-(
this has the potential to go really bad. on the other hand tpm had too. maybe we should relax. it's not about being complicated though. you can't blame the industry for building more complicated engines that perform a lot better. that doesn't need to keep you from building your own engine (although it will probably be no competition). and i think cars are a lot more hackable today than they ever were. thats not the same as putting a lock on the front lid only the manufacturer can open. concerning computers, the lockout (if there will be any) is purely artifical. the complexity doesn't keep people from tinkering with it.
