While a government that's "monolithic and controlling but keeps the trains running on time" is clearly a bad thing, it's not clear that the same holds for computers -- particularly for your average user. I'm not too concerned about Apple locking down my machine as long as I can get what I want to get done done -- and that doesn't involve making my tool conform to some ideology. I have more important things to worry about -- even more important infringements on personal freedom -- and I'd rather have my tool work adequately with as little pain as possible.