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Apple's Proprietary Software Locks Kill Independent Repair on New MacBook Pros

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Re: Apple's Proprietary Software Locks Kill Independent Repair on New MacBook Pros

#101

Post by noobermin »

wrs wrote: post #73
crankylinuxuser wrote: post #40

So, with more of this happening, I have a bigger question for HN. Why does used Apple hardware command a premium, even years later? Is this really come down to status? I don't think I need to discuss the anti-user features that Apple does. This crowd is more than aware.

Because it’s pretty great hardware. And if you price out trying to duplicate it, without arbitrarily discounting for features you don’t want, it’s not even much of a premium.

I'm curious for answers to this after one of the worst experiences with buying a macbook myself back in 2015. It isn't "great hardware", it's just okay but more expensive. If you people really mean "pretty case" and "nice keyboard" then say that because Mac specs are often more expensive for the same specs on most laptops.

Re: Apple's Proprietary Software Locks Kill Independent Repair on New MacBook Pros

#102

Post by icantdrive55 »

smoyer wrote: post #70
Jmcdd wrote: post #6

This is a shame and another setback for Macbooks / Macs. I'd agree with "planned obselescense" over security being the motive as the article pointed out. This will also not hurt Apple in the slightest, only their consumers who are blinded by their unwavering loyalty to the brand. Sent from my iPhone

"Sent from my iPhone" - nice! I bought my last ever Apple product, an IPad v1 and was dismayed when less than 2.5 years later it stopped receiving OS updates. Its battery still lasts 20 hours and yet bugs in the browser makes it crash on so many modern web pages. I can get an Android tablet every year for $70 if I just want something I'm going to throw away.

"This page will reload due-----."

I really loved my iPad, but like you, will probally not buy new again.

As to receiving regular OS updates, you need to be careful. The new operating systems usually slow down an older iPad.

You can't argue with Apple because it's always for the customers benefit. "We're just keeping on top of security, and new apps!"

I wonder if Steve Jobs would be o.k. with devices that seem to short longevity lives?

Yes--it's a brilliant strategy. Keep them buying. For guys like me, it doesn't work. I just don't have the disposable income anymore.

(You can jailbreak that old iPad. It does speed it up, but there's drawbacks too.)

Re: Apple's Proprietary Software Locks Kill Independent Repair on New MacBook Pros

#103

Post by noobermin »

parrellel wrote: post #77
crankylinuxuser wrote: post #40

So, with more of this happening, I have a bigger question for HN. Why does used Apple hardware command a premium, even years later? Is this really come down to status? I don't think I need to discuss the anti-user features that Apple does. This crowd is more than aware.

It really does come down to status. Apple isn't really a computer company anymore, it sells "Luxury Goods" and gets the same sort of value boost you see in diamonds, Rolexes, and Armani suits. This isn't to say the components are trash, but if you removed the cachet of the brand, and the lock in afforded by OSX and iOS, you wouldn't see nearly the current stupidity.

As much as I think this is true, many people around me have macs, especially non-gamers and non-tech savvy people, so it's not that much of a niche.

Re: Apple's Proprietary Software Locks Kill Independent Repair on New MacBook Pros

#104

Post by philliphaydon »

dwaite wrote: post #71
philliphaydon wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Asia you can get an iMac sad upgrade done for $10. You just supply the ssd. If you buy the disk from the shop the margin is tiny. You can get an iPhone screen repaired for peanuts. Apple quoted $190 to do it. Shop did it for $95. Speakers replaced on a MacBook Pro? $45.

On the flip side, none of those parts (the SSD, the iPhone screen, or the MacBook speaker) are the same parts as Apple uses. Third party iPhone screen replacement is generally not worth it due to shoddy warranty by the shop and noticeably worse screen quality. Where it is worth it is when you are already out of warranty and trying to extend the life of your phone. The SSD is probably closest, although Apple does have…

> none of those parts (the SSD, the iPhone screen, or the MacBook speaker) are the same parts as Apple uses.

With the exception of the SSD. The screen and speakers etc are the same as Apple uses.

Re: Apple's Proprietary Software Locks Kill Independent Repair on New MacBook Pros

#105

Post by jvolkman »

floatingatoll wrote: post #8

This is an excellent step for protecting MacBook Pro users against hardware invasions (such as US and China border authorities). If you trust the user to replace hardware, you permit the user’s hardware to be altered by malicious actors. By restricting final approval of hardware replacement to a vetted subset of all humanity, you ensure that it’s vastly more difficult for the vast majority of malicious humanity. Yes,…

https://xkcd.com/538/

Re: Apple's Proprietary Software Locks Kill Independent Repair on New MacBook Pros

#106

Post by blihp »

thinkling wrote: post #46

Back when end users could replace (upgrade) RAM and storage, I cared about keeping that flexibility. Now those are soldered to the motherboard and generally non-upgradeable from the start. This change affects “display assembly, logic board, top case (the keyboard, touchpad, and internal housing), and Touch ID board”. I could see wanting an alternate, after-market keyboard, but otherwise am happy to stick with Apple p…

... and anyone who likes to keep their system a good long time https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201624

Given the lackluster upgrade options in the last 5+ years, I can see a lot of people trying to hang on to their next/last PC as long as possible. Now they'll have no options once Apple decides their system is done.

Re: Apple's Proprietary Software Locks Kill Independent Repair on New MacBook Pros

#107

Post by mcphage »

> “Another is security, but I don’t see a security model that doesn’t trust the owner of the device making much sense.”

It’s not the owner of the device that Apple doesn’t trust. I wonder if there has been any major instances of people other than the owner of an Apple device trying to get into it? Maybe the CEO of iFixit can think of one?

Re: Apple's Proprietary Software Locks Kill Independent Repair on New MacBook Pros

#108

Post by hkjayakumar »

slr555 wrote: post #99

This is true for farmers in many places who buy or lease machinery from companies like John Deere. Using IOT, Deere can tell when a non-OEM part has been installed and they can remotely disable the machine until the "proper" part has been installed. Their customers are locked into their parts and service.

Here's [0] a nice article from Vice which discusses the Tractor-Hacking movement and the wider push for right-to-repair.

[0] https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/kzp7ny/tractor-ha...

Re: Apple's Proprietary Software Locks Kill Independent Repair on New MacBook Pros

#109

Post by qaq »

mleonhard wrote: post #81
qaq wrote: post #52

Bought first non Apple notebook in 12 years turns out Ubuntu is fairly usable and docker performs way better than on OS X.

Which laptop did you get and which version of Linux do you run? I bought a 2015 DELL XPS 13 (9343) Developer Edition with Ubuntu. Ubuntu 16.04 has worked very poorly on it from the start. The installer crashed and I had to reinstall. Then the wifi was very slow. It would frequently lock up on resume. Hardware video decoding would occasionally crash and switch to software decoding which is choppy and eats battery powe…

Honestly bought used ThinkPad 450s (as I primarily use my Mac Pro) installed 1TB SSD and 20GB RAM and pretty happy with it. No issues really. Now thinking of trying out ThinkPad X1 Extreme.

Re: Apple's Proprietary Software Locks Kill Independent Repair on New MacBook Pros

#110

Post by jwalton »

jen729w wrote: post #91
Jmcdd wrote: post #6

This is a shame and another setback for Macbooks / Macs. I'd agree with "planned obselescense" over security being the motive as the article pointed out. This will also not hurt Apple in the slightest, only their consumers who are blinded by their unwavering loyalty to the brand. Sent from my iPhone

I’m not “blinded by [my] unwavering loyalty to the brand” but the suggestion that this sort of thing is going to send me over to Windows or Linux is ridiculous. I’m a normal guy who works in IT and does pretty much everything with my MBP. Work (Citrix, email, Office), play (Logic, Lightroom), development (Sublime, Chrome, the Terminal) ... I mean come on. For my “loyalty” to be considered “unwavering” there would hav…

I'm a developer. I just bought a 2018 MBP. I seriously thought about jumping ship to Linux. If I'd known about this, I would have.
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