Is it really a fail? They've still made a massive profit on hardware, they don't use the console model! Plus they have quite a stranglehold over the 95% of users who won't void the warrenty.
Oh well that's certainly true. However they've been jailing these devices for an age and they still snap open with the slightest bit of pressure. If your intention is merely to restrict clueless users and apps, then there's plenty of preexisting mechanisms to implement that policy.
Lets hope someone can figure out a way to get XBMC on there and play 1080p.
I can then see a new media streaming device for me :)