The tech giant has blocked hundreds of users who downloaded Beeper, an app that claims to let them access iMessage on any device.

Beeper was kicked out of the Play Store last week after Apple accused it of breaking its rules.

But now Apple has gone a step further and punished its own loyal customers for daring to use a non-Apple solution.

According to users who spoke to Apple's tech support, the reps are telling them their computer has been flagged for spam, or for sending too many messages - even though that's not true, some said.

This has made many Beeper users think this is how Apple is kicking them off the iMessage network.

One Beeper user told others facing this problem to ask Apple if their Mac was in a "throttled status" or if their Apple ID was blocked for spam to find out what's going on.

Admitting up front that third-party software was the cause would sometimes make the rep lift the ban, some said.

The news of the Mac bans was first reported by Apple news site AppleInsider and Times of India, and is being argued on Y Combinator forum site Hacker News.

On the site, some say that the backlash against Apple's own users is fair as they are heretics who have broken Apple's sacred terms and conditions and deserve to be cast out. Others say that iMessage should work with other devices.

Only a few rationally say that Apple is abusing its power and being unfair to its customers, but that is because buying an iPhone when there is cheaper better gear out there is not exactly a rational choice.