Last month, Sony nixed the option to install a second operating system to the PlayStation 3, one of the console's original features. That angered some folks, particularly those who bought the console specifically for that feature, like the Air Force.
Last year, the United States Air Force Research Laboratory bought a whole mess of PlayStation 3s—following their successful assessment of the hardware—to capitalize on the system's Cell processor and relatively cheap hardware. With "Install Other OS" yanked from the system, the USAF sounds none too pleased about its investment.
Lab reps told Ars Technica that the change "will make it difficult to replace systems that break or fail."
"The refurbished PS3s also have the problem that when they come back from Sony, they have the firmware (gameOS) and it will not allow Other OS," a USAF lab spokesperson said, "which seems wrong. We are aware of class-action lawsuits against Sony for taking away this option on systems that use to have it."
Yikes.
Air Force may suffer collateral damage from PS3 firmware update [Ars Technica]