“Despite having a huge display strapped to it, NordicTrack’s hardware pushes people to subscribe to exercise software operated by iFit, its parent company, and doesn’t let you watch videos from other apps or external sources.”
Owners paid $4,000 for a treadmill with a 32-inch Android screen. Tap ten times, wait seven seconds, tap ten more, and you could watch whatever you liked. Then NordicTrack pushed an update to close the door. You bought the hardware, and iFit still decides what it shows.