May I propose that we're talking two different talking points? (see below)

I know your pain.

Less features is actually usually a good way to focus a product. But these so-called "smart devices" never last as long as previous dumb devices and actually incorporate more features.

I know we live in different times, but my parents had a TV that lasted from my childhood to my sophomore year in college. Why? Because it was a TV that played television programs. It also had parts that could be taken out, replaced and it was repairable - I know, because I was the one that replaced all of the parts and even once had to fly back from college just to come home to solder a replacement part before the Super Bowl before my father lost his religion for not being able to watch it from his favorite recliner.

But that's not my point actually. javispedro brought forth a quite unique use case where he wanted headphones and speakers and posited that we've been locked out of granular control out of these smart devices. To that point, I actually agree. But it's not the same as your point. Which I also agree.

So let's break it down a bit further. javispedro's point stands - these devices have locked us out. Your point stands as well. But you're coming in at a slightly different angle. The corporations aren't about to dumb down anything for a minority group. But it's not about dumbing things down. It's more about opening things up and allowing combinations that they've yet to consider.

The lack of control is the problem in these streamlined devices. Most users just will never care. Heck, we're quickly getting to that oft-promised one button future that the Jetson's showcased.

And to my own added point; the lack of continued support of these devices after a relatively short time adds to my future purchase avoidance. Sony Google TV - not even 4 years old and fully abandoned by Sony and Google. That's the software bits - but it plays HDTV feeds, connects to modern video game systems... I can even still surf the web still! The hardware still works.

And that's where this built-in obsolescence bothers me. It's around the features and more importantly, the OS of these smart devices. But as a dumb device it still works. I lose those compelling features once the big corporations decide they will stop supporting it. My LG WebOS TV was not even a year old before they stopped providing OS updates. And if I wanted to alter its function (say combine speaker audio and headphones audio) I couldn't do it if I wanted to (still not sure why I would want to, to be honest).

I don't want things dumbed down. Not in the least. How to fix this though? Users want convenience, we want access. I'd rather see the following: once a device will be dropped from support by the big corporations, open it up. Let us have access to the bits that we'd like to control and/or give us a path so these previously smart devices can become our own devices and lesser at the mercy of these big corporations. Access and convenience wrapped up in one.

People can follow Apple all they wish. It doesn't bother me because it places the user usually at the center of their endeavors. But it leaves the advanced users, the tinkerers and folks that do not want to replace their TV every other year. And that is my problem with these smart devices.

They have a tighter built-in obsolescence (my point) and lock us out (javispedro's point) from doing what we'd like to do. And your point... it also stands if you were to ask me (and you didn't).