The difference is that with a smartphone you can choose which service provider you want (even if they're more or less the same, at least there's "competition")... or don't if you just want to use your smartphone as an internet device/music player/weak little *nix box.

Without a subscription, what can you use a Peloton treadmill for? A really low bench?

We didn’t buy a Peloton, but we did buy an Aviron row machine [1] after its Launch HN post [2]. $2k + $30/month. Is it worth it? It’s worth it to us between juggling work, zoom meetings, kids, life minutia and not having time to get to a gym. I can row at 2am if I want (and I do).

That’s what money is for: to bring happiness and solve problems.

[1] https://avironactive.com/

[2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25905467

This still doesn't feel like a fair comparison.

The Aviron website clearly states that the device is still perfectly functional as an exercise device without the membership.

Also, I cannot fathom that I'm considering a subscription service for something like this, and yet I am... anything to make exercising fun, I guess.

I suppose that’s fair, as we can still row without the membership. I think the bigger issue is how this relates to right to repair and product warranty/merchantability. If you sell a product and then take away features using a software update, you should be required to either compensate owners for the lost functionality or buy back the equipment from them at purchase price.

What's the $100 for? Do people normally spend that much on app subscriptions?

Cell/internet service.

It’s true you can use a phone as a tablet without internet but it’s also true that very few do.

This made me laugh