What moral right does he have to claim that Apple SHOULD make their products fixable? Who are these people to tell Apple (or any other company) if they have to include a technical manual or not? I'm with him when he's against Apple attacking people who try to repair their devices but there is no real reason Apple has to support repairing beyond their own offering. From a moral point of view the technical manual and ease of repairing might just be features, that are arguably more or less valuable, and Apple owes nothing.
After all I don't ship my code together with a manual on how to fix bugs...
Note: I don't like Apple, just wanted to add some reasonableness.
There are significant externalities behind every iPhone most of which are borne by manufacturing and recycling plants in India and China. The more a manufacturer can do to ensure their product stays out of landfill and in use the better off we all will be.
Furthermore if we leave the realm of "moral" and "not moral" Apple is not required to keep in mind society's interests in mind by anything except law and any discussion in that direction should not refer to companies but to government (which, ok, may not be that effective). Even then, most complaints don't give much consideration to the environmental impact as a first-order issue and leave it as a two-liner before the conclusion.
I don't understand what you mean, exactly. I would say that he has no moral right to demand that a law be passed forcing Apple to make their products fixable, or to include a manual, or whatever. But he has every moral right to tell Apple what he thinks they SHOULD do — just as they have the moral right to listen or not.
If you are purchasing a product, you then own it, and should have the ability to fix it. If you're not allowed to fix it, then you don't really own it. There's no problem with self-repairs voiding warranties, but apart from that, locking a user out of a device that they own is a moral stance that should be actively defended, not considered default.
If Apple sells hardware instead of lending it, Apple should make it possible to repair it when it breaks. Apple's products are too expensive to treat them as disposable equipment.
Apple should also make it possible to use alternative OS on their hardware, too (because they're selling the hardware; consumers should be able to do as they please with it), but that's another matter.
And yes, the same applies to other electronics manufacturers.
Indeed, it doesn't exist anymore. It disappeared at the time when (almost) all the consumer electronics manufacturers stopped producing fixable things.
Unfortunately for iFixIt if you look around on Amazon you can find a lot of third parties that have copied various iFixIt sets almost 1:1 and are charging less than half the price for them. Even for more bespoke items like the spudgers.
You're better off buying high quality screwdrivers (e.g. wiha brand) and then adding the unique iFixIt additions, rather than buying the iFixIt set and getting really mediocre screwdrivers.
Or, to be more specific, I like wiha for tiny bits, wera for regular 1/4" bits and ratchets, and xcelite for fixed screwdrivers. The Xcelite XPE102 is my favorite screwdriver, and the tool I use the most often.
I have an iphone 5 that needs repairing, so I will soon be able to report back on how well the wiha works for that.
Now, I personally like nice tools the way some people like nice watches, so if the difference in price between the cheap tools and the good tools is significant to you and you don't use the tools often, you probably want to ignore my advice.
http://uk.farnell.com/wera/355-pz1-x-80/screwdriver-pozi-no-...
My favourite was the Ergo Bahco. £8.11
http://uk.farnell.com/ergo-bahco/be-8810/screwdriver-pozi-no...
Also, I'm not a fan of removable bits.. I always end up losing the bits, spending time trying to figure out what size the bit is..
I have this set and also bought a magnetizer/demagnetizer http://www.amazon.com/Wiha-26199-Slotted-Phillips-Screwdrive...
I don't have much experience with industrial-level toolkits, but the convenience factor on ifixit's kit is off the charts. A worthy gift, imo.
Chances are, if your electronics were replaced by the original company, they went to someone else first.
:D
I found these two: http://www.androidauthority.com/lenovo-think-phone-187548/ and http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=zh-CN&tl=en&u=http%...
I am still waiting for the day the only way to obtain an iphone or similar will be lease. As in, you never buy it, you only lease it.
Serviceman Jim can find a belt/board for your 1987 washing machine and have it delivered in 2 hours for $90.
Serviceman Jim says to scrap that 2015 washing machine and buy the 2016 model. The company knows about that recurring problem that every household with that model has, but they're not recalling it.
HVAC unit, fridges, dishwashers, washing machine, dryer, vacuums, etc. I recall there being small businesses with overflowing stock for repair parts for all of these items. Its so much easier to just throw away the item and replace it. Its the age of recyclable electronics, and I can't wait to get an 'iPhone7t multiplied.'
It just saddens me in the age of 'we need more STEM.'
It reminds me of the time the Gizmodo guy got a visit from the Feds after doing the article about the iPhone 4 prototype that they purchased from the bar (or the guy who found it at the bar, or whatever). Apple staff accompanied the cops then, too.
What other property owners get to ride along on federal investigations when there is a suspected case of theft?
It smacks of special privileges and private-government integration. This is not how competition is supposed to work.
