PS3 loses Linux

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/03/sony-steals-feature-from-your-playstation-3

You hear me right, if you update your PS3 once the new firmware for it comes out, you will LOSE your Linux capability and never get it back.

This is the same thing as the ongoing "Homebrew" battle between Sony and the PSP modders. The cause for the Linux revoking is a hack that effectively bypasses the hypervisor and allows full access to the Cell and possibly the RSX.

Quote from the article:

Sony is effectively downgrading PS3s already sold and in the hands of consumers — when you bought it, it could play games, play Blu-ray discs, and run GNU/Linux. After April 1, it's an inferior product.

Could Sony be turning into the new Apple? Locking down so much that it's just like a iPhone/iPod Touch in terms of DRM? It looks like both aren't open source supportive after all.

Remember the days when Consoles didn't need firmware updates? (The PS2, Gamecube days?) This might want to keep some FLOSS (Free Libre Open Source Software) supporters on the PS2.

Edit: A less descript article on CNET on Sony's position on this. Way to brainwash people to say it's making the PS3 more "secure". Well, it is... primarily to lock people out of the hypervisor.

And may I quote a commenter on that article that is pretty much what everyone thinks of this:

This is total crap, seriously. An update to solely remove features is not an update.