Apple Expands Its Independent Repair Program To Mac (techcrunch.com) 32
Apple is expanding its program that provides parts, resources and training to independent repair shops to now include support for Mac computers. From a report: The repair program was first announced last fall, with the goal of making it easier for consumers to repair their out-of-warranty iPhones by allowing them to use third-party shops, including small businesses, that would now have access to official repair parts and other tools. The program was meant to complement Apple's existing network of over 5,000 Apple Authorized Service Providers, like Best Buy, which handle both in- and out-of-warranty repairs. To some extent, the program arose from consumer demand.
Many iPhone users were turning to unauthorized repair shops for a variety of reasons -- perhaps the shop was closer to their home, could fix their device more quickly, or offered more affordable repairs, for example. But this choice could result in an uneven consumer experience as the shops were locked out from using official Apple parts. Since its U.S. launch, the independent repair shop program expanded to over 140 businesses and over 700 new locations. This summer, Apple announced the program would now expand internationally as well, to both Europe and Canada.
Many iPhone users were turning to unauthorized repair shops for a variety of reasons -- perhaps the shop was closer to their home, could fix their device more quickly, or offered more affordable repairs, for example. But this choice could result in an uneven consumer experience as the shops were locked out from using official Apple parts. Since its U.S. launch, the independent repair shop program expanded to over 140 businesses and over 700 new locations. This summer, Apple announced the program would now expand internationally as well, to both Europe and Canada.
Useless PR stunt according to industry.... (Score:5, Insightful)
Apple's Independent Repair Program is a useless PR stunt.
https://youtu.be/0rCUF-V1esM [youtu.be]
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Yes, Louis Rossmann confirms it is just a political move, Apple hates right to repair.
He points out that under this repair program:
You don't always get parts, you may need to send the broken item to apple.
You have to take personal customer details and the give those details to Apple.
This program won't help him as an independent repair centre to be be able to repair macs.
The program is not independent in any way, that is pretty much a lie.
One of the youtube comments nails it with "Its all about being able to
How about not using GLUE? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: How about not using GLUE? (Score:1)
I don't mind prying a case apart once in awhile to change out a battery, but *GLUE* is malicious and hostile. I won't buy any device that's GLUED together, solely on principle.
Sometimes it's the only practical way to do it. But you wouldn't know that; because you're not a packaging engineer. It all depends on the type of glue that is used.
You will note that when, for example, Apple uses and adhesive to stick parts together, like on the iPhone, it is specifically a type of adhesive that can easily be released with a $10 heat gun available at Harbor freight. And for years, they have also used releasable adhesive tabs on their batteries and for years, they have also use
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Re: How about not using GLUE? (Score:3, Interesting)
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Gaskets and screws work just fine.
Glue is stupid.
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Smoke and mirror (Score:2)
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Easy enough.
Does this program provide board schematics? Does it make replacement chips available? Or is it just whole board/whole machine swaps?
If it's the latter, it's smoke and mirrors.
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Easy enough.
Does this program provide board schematics? Does it make replacement chips available? Or is it just whole board/whole machine swaps?
If it's the latter, it's smoke and mirrors.
Back when TVs were repairable, many manufacturers would only sell "modules" or "boards"; no proprietary components.
No one called that "smoke and mirrors".
Yet, when a modern device manufacturer doesn't want to sell a 320-pin BGA IC, they are "anti-repair"?
Gimme a break.
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Huh? TVs used to come with a schematic sheet inside the cabinet.
And yes, making it impossible to replace a BGA IC because Apple deliberately made it unobtainable is absolutely anti-repair. WTF does the pin count have to do with it? A BGA rework station is under $1000 these days.
Electronics repair (Score:3)
I can finally use my diploma from the TV/VCR correspondence course I bought via the 1980s Sally Struthers ad.
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imac pro MB is only sold + ram and cpu (Score:4, Informative)
imac pro MB is only sold + ram and cpu
Wait !!!!!! (Score:2)
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It's a fake repair program. They don't let the independent repair stores actually repair anything, they only let them swap large components.
Have a single bad capacitor on a motherboard? Instead of helping the independent repair shop figure out which capacitor worth a few pennies is bad or what type of capacitor it might be, Apple will only sell the independent repair shop a whole new motherboard (often with CPU/RAM/SSD included even if they're not soldered on) for hundreds or thousands of dollars.
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With the possible exception of the power supply in the Mac Mini or iMac, there's almost certainly not a single non-surface-mount capacitor in any Apple hardware. The odds of successfully repairing one in a shop without making things worse is pretty small.
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Which is why there are repair shops that specialize in micro soldering. Rossmann Repair Group is only the most well known, they're hardly the only one.
Combat the giant (Score:2)
You know what my efforts have been to combat Apple's dominance of the market? I bought an Android (One Plus) phone and have switched back to a PC laptop. It's just that simple. You either support Apple by buying their shit or you don't. And all the examples listed here make me feel like I made the right choice. I don't miss Apple products one bit either.
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I'm so confused? You rebelled against Apple's "dominance of the market" by buying competing products that both have significantly higher market share in their respective markets? That's like saying, "I'm tired of BMW's dominance of the automotive market so I bought a Toyota."
Bad keyboards and ribbon cables (Score:2)
So we're almost back to the 1980s then? (Score:2)
Apple Stores... (Score:2)
... Well, many of them are closed these days thanks to COVID-19/2019-nCoV/SARS-CoV-2.