> the DRMed video plays through itunes on windows too

That's the problem. The DRM locks it to Apple only software and/or hardware.

How does Amazon's VOD DRM free you of software/hardware lockin?

Amazon doesn't manufacture the device you view your content on. Amazon VOD support is available on a wide range of hardware from multiple manufacturers.

So yeah, the DRM is still there, but if you're not happy with the way Samsung is doing things, you can hop to LG or Sony just as easily.

Compare with Apple where if you bought video content on iTunes and don't like the AppleTV... well... tough.

I never said it did. DRM is a problem no matter who provides it. But Apple definitely ties it much more into their devices than other companies. There's an iTunes app built into the iPhone that can't be removed unless you jailbreak. Google has yet to do something like this with Android. You have more options and aren't tied to one specific service.

well, for one thing, you can stream amazon VOD on linux, whereas you can't view itunes movies on linux.

Or RealPlayer, MediaCenter, or Songbird.