It seems that the Big Apple-in-the-Sky is punishing its acolytes users for daring to change the pre-ordained Order of Things.

Thursday afternoon, Apple released the scheduled update to the iPhone software. And the gadget blogs confirm that it does, as Apple threatened, wreak havoc on modified iPhones. Some phones have indeed been “bricked.” In others, unofficial applications have been disabled. And there are worries that hacking the updated phone will be harder.

Don’t get me wrong, I hate all things Microsoft with a passion.. Well, not all, there is one social object associated with them that is unobjectionable. But neither I am an Apple fan. I own an iPod that I got as a gift, and a nice one it was. I thought iPhone was great news for everyone because it is the ‘web’ people doing phone, as opposed to telecoms people, and showing what can be done. I have been thinking about about MacBook but the Sony Vaio although perhaps inferior in other respects is still a lot lighter. I do appreciate Apple’s design superiority and functionality. But I don’t want to be locked-in and treated as an accessory to a brand. Which is what Apple has been doing with their customers.

On Monday, Apple had issued a press release warning of “irreparable damage” to iPhones that have been modified or unlocked from the AT&T network. It also threatened users that “the permanent inability to use an iPhone due to installing unlocking software is not covered under the iPhone’s warranty.”

Of course, the small print is clear. The users knew very well that they are not supposed to unlock their AT&T-possessed iPhones and install programmes on it. But users do what users will. They try to improve the usability of their gadgets, toys and business devices. No amount of functionality will be able to match usability as defined by me, the user.

Since the iPhone is a very sleek, capable handheld computer, people are going to want to run programs on it. They are going to want to hack and see what they can build. It’s a law of nature. And Apple might as well be fighting gravity.

Many other cell phones are locked down, of course. But few other phones capture the imagination of programmers the way the iPhone does.

Nokia’s approach with the N800 internet tablet stands in stark contrast to Apple’s strategy. The operation system is based on Linux and a complete developer kit is freely downloadable. It has extensive documentation and a community around it. Its designed is not as refined and it certainly requires a fair amount of configuration. But that’s precisely my point. You can configure it any way you want. And you can “hack root” on it, which does turn some people on, if not others.

Apple’s propensity for control and closeness is well documented. It also seems to be accepted by its fans and evangelists.

When the price of iPhone was cut by $200 people interpreted it as broadening its appeal to the mainstream. It worked apparently, the sales trebled. But it’s not just the Apple aficionados that will need to be appeased and controlled. One could argue that Apple’s brand is so strong that it can withstand such expansion. Nevertheless, once a business has to fight its own customers and users, something has gone horribly wrong. Just look at the music industry…

Bonus link: iPhone Wars… May the unlock be with you!

Update: Gizmodo does a damning summary of Hacked and Official version of iPhone. Via Hugh.

Update II: Class-Action Lawsuit Over iPhone Locking?

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