One reason that many many many people keep missing to not get the PS3 is to avoid the Sony brand name in general. Many things are problems that you get from normal companies, but the Sony rootkit incident took a huge step over the immoral line.
For those unaware, for about a year (possibly inaccurate) Sony intentionally released CDs with a rootkit on it (code that forces its way into an operating system's core components to change fundamental properties.) Here's SYMANTEC's (makers of Norton Antivirus) entry on it:
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/securityrisk.aries.htmlNote a few things:
-It installs without permission (according to Symantec)
-Its hiding of files and entries starting with $sys$ create a HUGE security hole since anybody or anything can then take advantage of this. (IE, another virus writer could simply start their filenames with $sys$ to stay undetectable to the user)
-REMOVING IT MANUALLY CAN DAMAGE THE USER'S OS AND VOID THEIR WARRANTY
It is atrocious that a company would intentionally invade and damage a LEGITIMATE customer's PROPERTY all in the name of their religious war against filesharing. (Anybody who thinks this is okay would be willing to have people break into their room while they're away just to make sure there's no drugs in there, right?)
However, the mere fact that they did this was not the only disgusting thing Sony did in this matter. Others include
-Lying about the software actually installed in the EULA (by not explicitly saying they were invading the computer with invisible software)
-After being found out higher-ups claimed it didn't need to be addressed because the average joe didn't know what a rootkit was
-Once the message really began spreading they started releasing a patch to "fix" it, still underplaying the problem, stopping their production to "think" about the problem instead of initiating an immediate recall like they should have
Disgusting and terrible. I avoid the brand name now because I don't want to give such an immoral company my money any more.
Sure, they take a hit whenever a PS3 is bought, right? Actually, they take a hit for two reasons instead of one this time around (IE more than just to make it up with games) and that means that if you're avoiding the company you have twice the reason not to get the system. The other reason is their Blu-ray format. They're really looking to get a hold on next-generation HD media. Personally, I wouldn't trust it in what I view as the hands of as greedy a company as Sony.
Then again, I'm also not going to support HD-DVD, either, since both use that atrocious "downgrade signal quality" AACS flag crap. (Oh, sure, they say they're not going to use it now, but Sony has only dedicated themselves to not using it for the next 4 years so that it gets market penetration... oh wow, submarine customer rape... how evil)
Anyways, that last bit was a little bit off-topic (me ranting about the idiocy of next-gen media.)
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