Every polished ecosystem rewards staying: seamless sync, family plans, device bundles, and features that only work when everything is inside the garden. That is not a conspiracy; it is product design. The cost shows up later: when switching means re-buying storage, re-learning workflows, or losing access to media you thought you “owned.”
Lock-in is not only legal; it is friction. AlterTechnica will keep returning to the same practical questions: Can you get your data out in a standard format? Can you run it somewhere else without a migration project? If the price doubles next year, do you have a credible alternative?
This stub article will expand into concrete checklists for files, photos, music, and identity. This ensures “I’ll deal with it later” becomes a dated export on your calendar instead.