Puck and shark fin on the roof ?

[Brutal_HO]

Intellectual property should remain to the owner. 100%. That is not what my point is.
John Deere is using "software" to lock everything mechanical so you have to go through their service. It is not about technology. It was 100% made to force you to get service from them. They created the perfect excuse to lock you in and software was the key. That is trash business.
Very similar to ink printers companies who tried to force you to buy only their chipped cartridges. Now the chinese were able to bypass these restrictions and you can buy cheap cartridges on Amazon. But who's gonna risk it on a $800K tractor when your yearly income depends on it?

The printer manufactures are often one step ahead of the aftermarket. We have a Saltgrass (ricoh) sublimation inkjet printer sitting here dead since a forced firmware update killed it because it had aftermarket (refillable) ink carts in it.

 

[Distillusion]

Apple plays the same b.s. game with batteries in phones. Buy an aftermarket battery, or have a non-Apple repair shop replace it, and Apple bricks your phone. Same with their laptops. I just replaced a battery in one of my Rams recently. I put in a gel battery that exceeds the OEM specs. Imagine what would happen if Ram bricked your truck for that....

BTW, Apple charges an arm a leg for small repairs, far more than most repair shops.

John Deere is doing some of the same thing. If you're way out in the country at harvest time, and your tractor breaks down, is that dealership 50 miles away going to race to your rescue? Let's compare your feelings on that to your impression of Ram dealerships as you read about them in forums.