By buying the device and then breaking the lock-in, one does more harm to the anti-consumer device manufacturer than had they done nothing at all.

Only if you can guarantee that the vendor is going to remain in business forever, and provide service and support for the product forever.

Neither of those things happen. Ever.

That doesn't make sense, I don't think you understand what I said.

If the manufacturer subsidizes the hardware purchase, that loss is realized at hardware purchase time.