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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

#111

Post by parrellel »

noobermin wrote: post #103
parrellel wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

It's not that it's a niche, it's that Apple's products are designed to be coveted.

I'm saying uninformed people don't first buy Apple based on specs, they buy Apple because of brand recognition and 'fanciness'

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

#112

Post by qaq »

xvf22 wrote: post #62
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.

Took awhile but finally left the Apple camp. They've been moving mac OS closer to iOS and it finally became untenable for me. I miss it somewhat, but it's clear their focus is not me or my needs so I left.

To me the final straw was the keyboard on the new MBP WTF? Why can Lenovo make a decent keyboard in 1K notebook and Apple can't make usable keyboard on 3.5K one.

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

#113

Post by cmurf »

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,…

Why do you assume such malicious actors can't get a copy of the software, or leverage someone who has access?

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

#114

Post by pfschell »

The comparison to John Deere's anti-competitive actions is flat out retarded. Every repair they list is also an attack vector against your data if your device falls into hostile hands. Show me one nation state intelligence service, border guard, or Romanian hacking syndicate that's trying to pwn a tractor.

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

#115

Post by qaq »

xvf22 wrote: post #62
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.

Took awhile but finally left the Apple camp. They've been moving mac OS closer to iOS and it finally became untenable for me. I miss it somewhat, but it's clear their focus is not me or my needs so I left.

And we are running pretty hefty setup in docker Pulsar Cluster, multiple Postgres Instances, ClickHouse and a bunch of services hyperkit spins out of control periodically slowing down MBP to unusable and much less beefy linux notebook is doing OK.

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

#116

Post by rileymat2 »

colejohnson66 wrote: post #5

I never understood Apple with this. They fight hard to make long lasting devices (iOS 12 can be installed all the way back on the 5s IIRC), but then fight back against repairability

The iphone 5s is only 5 years ago.

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

#117

Post by toasterlovin »

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.

To be fair, there is a pretty big difference between something like a tractor, where most of the parts are simply large pieces of machined metal, and something like a computer where most of the parts are not repairable and, due to security concerns which benefit the customer, there are things like secure enclaves which may entail chain of custody concerns to be properly replaced.

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

#118

Post by pnw_hazor »

fermienrico wrote: post #24
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,…

My opinion about Apple has changed recently. They're now actively promoting privacy and I am OK with trading repairability with privacy. Also, Louis Rossmann on Youtube one of the most vile, deeply corrosive personalities out there and his audience enjoys the bashing of Apple left and right. He has essentially marketed himself as Anti-Apple and his message is always "Apple is Evil".

Watching Rossmann vids is why I have given up on Apple.

He points out bad engineering/manufacturing in $2000+ laptops and I agree with his insights regarding how Apple makes it seem like the customer/user is wrong to cover their bad engineering.

Ala -- the antenna is fine, it's your fault you have bad reception. You are not holding the phone correctly

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

#119

Post by dreamcompiler »

I just replaced the keyboards in two older (2011 and 2013) long out-of-warranty MacBook Pros. Both required the complete disassembly of the machine. One fix cost about $150 in parts and the other was less. If I'd been required to let Apple do the work, each machine's repair would have cost at least $500, and that assumes Apple would even have been willing to repair such old machines.

Apple just gave me yet another reason not to buy a new MBP and to keep milking my old ones along.

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

#120

Post by noobermin »

awakeasleep wrote: post #41
Rjevski wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wouldn't state actors be able to steal the software used by Apple to re-enable the software? With a network of thousands of "Apple Authorized Service Providers" there's gotta be leaks (that is, if state actors didn't have access to Apple's own internal systems).

You're committing the most common sin of thinking-about-security: considering possibilities without adding the weight of probabilities.

If I'm going to be targeted by state actors then I wouldn't fix my computers anyway, I'd have professionals worry with that. For example, if I was an important worker for another state, the hope is that the state that employed me would take care of it. Re probabilities, the probability that a random hacker who wants to tinker will be targeted by a state actor is nilch.
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