This strip first appeared in issue #251 of Linux (Pro) Magazine. It’s the first of a pair of strips that summarise the dismay I feel every time I see a product that requires a closed-source app that uses proprietary protocols in order to access the full functionality of the device.

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↓ Transcript
[Panel 1: Elvie is talking to a salesman about some kind of electronic kitchen gizmo on the table counter between them. We're looking over Elvie's shoulder, with the smarmy salesman facing us]

Caption: What they say…

Salesman: The great thing about the Gadget-o-Matic 4k is that you control it entirely with an app…

[Panel 2: Same scene, but the view is reversed, so we're now looking over the salesman's shoulder at a very unimpressed looking Elvie]

Caption: What I hear…

Salesman: One day we'll stop supporting the app, and your shiny, expensive hardware will only be good for landfill…