Why do you feel the need to be so overdramatic? You don't seriously believe that do you? Many users regularly need access to the Terminal. Developers for one user it all the time. I use it for git. Many people (including non-developers) use vi. People run scripts from it and use it for automation.

Yeah, or 10.30, which will not even have a UI, just an OS-to-Mind interface.

Can we please stop repeating BS?

People like to make it sound like some kind of slippery slope, but including Mountain Lion, NOTHING has been taken away from users re: freedom, from OS X 10.0.1 to 10.8.

In addition to running whatever from whatever, 10.7 gave you the option to use an App repository. You know, like the one, say, Debian had from decades, only not restricted to OSS.

In addition to running whatever from whatever AND from the App Store, 10.8 adds the ability to only run signed apps. You, know, like the security solution that is considered one of most effective ones by security boffins.

> NOTHING has been taken away from users re: freedom, from OS X 10.0.1 to 10.8.

Well, no, that's not quite true. See also: PTRACE_DENY_ATTACH in random binaries (e.g. iTunes) and the gimped DTrace implementation.

Are these showstoppers or the end of freedom as we know it? Not be a long, long way. Are they (fairly small) limitations on the freedom of users? Yes.

Introducing new features that aren't completely open is not the same as taking away existing freedoms.