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Apple expands independent repair program to Mac after US antitrust investigation

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Re: Apple expands independent repair program to Mac after US antitrust investigation

#51
post #28

Years later, and I've had a ton of problems actually finding an Independent Repair provider. As far as I can tell Apple does not actually maintain a directory, and it's left for local repair shops to market/advertise. The later, then is highly dependent on their Google ranking skills. I went to a local repair shop for years. I went in a third time in a year to change a battery on an iPhone 8. Each time they apologize…

Google adsense banned repair and data recovery from advertising on their platform "We need to discuss Google's anti-repair advertising discrimination." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUBJ2LD-Dao

I just searched google for repair and data recovery for several of my devices with adblock disabled and it turned up several local shops. So seems to be provably untrue.

I kind of lost faith in Rossman after he blamed Apple for Customs agents seizing counterfeit parts.

Re: Apple expands independent repair program to Mac after US antitrust investigation

#52
post #41
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Once you buy the device why the hell should Apple prevent someone from putting a counterfeit battery/screen/whatever inside of it? Sure, people might be defrauding AppleCare, but that's their problem - there's no reasonable justification for why they should be able to regulate who fixes their devices.

I can understand the battery but admit the case is weaker for screen and other components. If someone gets hurt using an Apple product it’s international news [1] and everyone ignores the reports 5 days later when it shown they were using a counterfeit. So I can understand why Apple would care. Keep in mind this article is about bringing repairs to Mac. The 16” MBP has a 100WHr Lithium-Polymer battery. That thing is…

If Apple is so worried about people using crappy Chinese parts, they could sell original spare parts themselves, like proper hardware vendors do.

PS: Don't post AMP links, they cause cancer. De-AMP'ed link follows:

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/iphone-5-owner-ma-a...

Re: Apple expands independent repair program to Mac after US antitrust investigation

#53
post #2

Just as a reminder, their phone "independent repair program" has you signing rights to your business away (you are forced to let apple audit you at any time, you have to share personal client data on all of your clients with apple. All of this not limited to Apple repair part of your business) for the right to: - remove battery / screen from client device - send battery / screen to Apple with all clients personal inf…

> you are forced to let apple audit you at any time, you have to share personal client data on all of your clients with apple I assume they want to be able to confirm the shops aren't also buying counterfeit Chinese components on the side and swapping them in for the genuine ones. I also assume they want the repair information to feed into their tracking of the history of the device, as it can affect warranty, AppleC…

> I assume they want to be able to confirm the shops aren't also buying counterfeit Chinese components on the side and swapping them in for the genuine ones.

> I also assume they want the repair information to feed into their tracking of the history of the device, as it can affect warranty, AppleCare, whether Apple is willing to service the device in the future, etc.

> I don't know the details, but can you point to specifics (actual text) that seem unreasonable,

All of that is unreasonable. When you purchase a device, it is yours. Apple isn't asking for repair information but is demanding personal data on customers of the repair shops.

Re: Apple expands independent repair program to Mac after US antitrust investigation

#54
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

IME, they've really hobbled the functionality of independent repair shops, making it necessary to supplicate to the Apple Store. I was trying to get the battery replaced in a 2015 MBP and the independent shops were 'required' to keep my machine for about 7 days since they had to first 'diagnose' that the battery was dying, order it, wait for it to arrive, and then replace it. In contrast, one could make an appointmen…

This level of customer-hostility would cause a huge uproar for any other "Pro" or "workstation" vendor.

Indeed and it's this utter nonsense that made me finally give in and switch to Windows. Turns out it's nicer than I thought.

Re: Apple expands independent repair program to Mac after US antitrust investigation

#55
post #41
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Once you buy the device why the hell should Apple prevent someone from putting a counterfeit battery/screen/whatever inside of it? Sure, people might be defrauding AppleCare, but that's their problem - there's no reasonable justification for why they should be able to regulate who fixes their devices.

I can understand the battery but admit the case is weaker for screen and other components. If someone gets hurt using an Apple product it’s international news [1] and everyone ignores the reports 5 days later when it shown they were using a counterfeit. So I can understand why Apple would care. Keep in mind this article is about bringing repairs to Mac. The 16” MBP has a 100WHr Lithium-Polymer battery. That thing is…

> If someone gets hurt using an Apple product it’s international news

You can replace pretty much everything in your car which are literally killing machines and yet everything seems to be doing ok why give Apple this special treatment?

Re: Apple expands independent repair program to Mac after US antitrust investigation

#56
post #24
post #6

This is Apple trying to do the least that allows them to get away from more regulation.

The goal should be self repair. I want the manuals and parts so I can make my own repair.

And then someone will mess up the repair and blame Apple for a malfunctioning device or demand they fix it for free.

Re: Apple expands independent repair program to Mac after US antitrust investigation

#59
post #55
post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can understand the battery but admit the case is weaker for screen and other components. If someone gets hurt using an Apple product it’s international news [1] and everyone ignores the reports 5 days later when it shown they were using a counterfeit. So I can understand why Apple would care. Keep in mind this article is about bringing repairs to Mac. The 16” MBP has a 100WHr Lithium-Polymer battery. That thing is…

> If someone gets hurt using an Apple product it’s international news You can replace pretty much everything in your car which are literally killing machines and yet everything seems to be doing ok why give Apple this special treatment?

The injuries usually have different causes though.

For car accidents there is usually human action or inaction at fault. It is possible for parts to be at fault but that's the minority of cases.

For phone injuries it is usually a faulty part at fault.

If someone sharpened their iPhone and went on a killing spree I don't think anyone would be asking which parts are inside.

Note that I support the right to repair. I just don't think this particular analogy is a good one.

Re: Apple expands independent repair program to Mac after US antitrust investigation

#60
post #31
post #2

Just as a reminder, their phone "independent repair program" has you signing rights to your business away (you are forced to let apple audit you at any time, you have to share personal client data on all of your clients with apple. All of this not limited to Apple repair part of your business) for the right to: - remove battery / screen from client device - send battery / screen to Apple with all clients personal inf…

This is Apple trying to avoid real Right to Repair legislation by taking actions that look like they support independent repair. Consider taking a moment to donate to https://repair.org/ - we're pushing to get Right to Repair laws passed in state legislatures across the US.

I am a real believer in right to repair. But I wonder, if we are unable to achieve legislative results, what can be done to build hardware on open standards?
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