[scratt]

The main appeal of these hacks is for people like us overseas who want an iPhone and are most likely in countries that don't have the sophistication to get a deal with Apple to sell these things. Or if they do will be so restrictive (even more so than AT&T) that it makes the whole thing a painful experience.

If there is ever an official launch in Thailand you can bet your bottom dollar this will be priced with the kind of ridiculous and frankly corrupt premium that all imported goods are hit with here. And any phone company supporting the gear will have a monopoly so loaded in their favour that it will be embarressing to witness. Far better to make these things SIM free and sell them on the open market. We'd all hapilly pay the price. It's not about gettting something for free 'scates. It's about being given legitimate choices to buy products from companies with the options you want, and not with lock-ins that they dictate simply to satisyf their own greed and that of their shareholders.

From that point of view this kind of capitalist bullshit is something that I feel is morally fine to hack in order to let legitimate customers who love Apple's gear get hold of it sometime before they are old and grey / greyer!

I also am personally kind of bored of the crap that phone companies force on their 'customers' and the phone manufacturers so they can continue to prop up an RIAA style monopoly on overpriced communications. Ever wondered why with increasing amounts of cheap storage you can't have a flash answerphone in your mobile, with the ability to screen calls live? Think about it.