wizard69

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wizard69
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  • FTC concludes manufacturer repair restrictions harm consumers

    wizard69wizard69
    avon b7 said:
    This is an important first step and is good news.

    We'll see what comes of it but it is about time that manufacturers began improving their designs to make things easier to repair or upgrade. 


    Upgrading is a different issue.    I don't see a good reason why a company should have to make "upgradeable hardware", in fact in my estimation it makes little sense to have mandatory upgradeability.   However if you look at repair, that is a different story, as Apple has done much to make its electronics not repairable.   This includes buying slightly modified chips and then preventing the sale of such chips to the repair businesses that could actually save consumers huge dollars.   Often it is the difference between selling a $4 chip to the repair shop or Apple charging somebody $400 for a new mother board.   This has nothing to do with trade secrets; it is simply a way for Apple to keep consumers locked into their services even if they are grossly over priced.
    muthuk_vanalingam

  • FTC concludes manufacturer repair restrictions harm consumers

    wizard69wizard69
    genovelle said:
    Well there goes Apple’s satisfaction rating down the tube. These jack legs are going to create huge problems and blame Apple for the device failure after supposed repairs. 

    As opposed to the dissatisfaction that customers have with Apple outrageous repair costs.    Apple often charges 2X the cost of a motherboard to repair something that could have been fixed by a capable technician replacing a cheap component.

    I'm certain that the perception of Apples service practices being so good is the result of people simply being ignorant of the electronics industry.   I don't mean ignorant in a bad way here but rather people simply not knowing what is involved in many failures in modern electronics and the relative costs to set things right.   I base this on decades of experience in the field of industrial automation so I do have an idea as to the costs involved in buying parts and servicing electronics.   Apple has setup its business to rip off the customer at every turn.    They charge massive fees for Apple Care even when the statistics highlight how stupid, for the consumer, such services are!   The charges for Apple care often cover the cost of an entire device to Apple so effectively the consumer ends up buying two devices, with one held in the bank by Apple.   To make all of this look good to the consumer they don't even try to fix the simple things and instead do a motherboard swap.   That way they can show the poor sap that just had a motherboard swap what he is getting for his money.

    In a nut shell everything about Apple's repair business is BS.   The real stinky BS that is hard to wash off.
    muthuk_vanalingam

  • FTC concludes manufacturer repair restrictions harm consumers

    wizard69wizard69
    22july2013 said:
    ...companies like Apple negatively impact consumers and small businesses. ...

    The report, "Nixing the Fix: An FTC Report to Congress on Repair Restrictions (PDF link)," was fulfilled at the direction of Congress and takes an in-depth look at the right to repair issue with a concentration on phone manufacturers and carmakers. Findings were issued to Congress with unanimous consent from the FTC.

    ... the report reads. "Repairs today often require specialized tools, difficult-to-obtain parts, and access to proprietary diagnostic software. Consumers whose products break then have limited choices. Furthermore, the burden of repair restrictions may fall more heavily on communities of color and lower-income communities. Many Black-owned small businesses are in the repair and maintenance industries, and difficulties facing small businesses can disproportionately affect small businesses owned by people of color."
    So the FTC has unanimously stated that Apple's (and other companies') restrictions on third party repair "may fall more heavily on communities of color and lower-income communities." So the FTC has unanimously declared that Apple's restrictions are racist. Wow. The FTC has opened my eyes.

    Yeah that was fairly stupid to include in a public statement.   Apples unfair practices impact all people equally.
    muthuk_vanalingam

  • The critics were impossibly wrong: Apple CEO Tim Cook was -- and is -- the right person fo...

    wizard69wizard69
    lkrupp said:
    MplsP said:
    Apple hasn't been perfect since Tim took the helm but I would agree with the article; overall they are doing well.

    Oh, and they were perfect under Jobs? Deal with your Cook hatred.

    Huh, the guys point is valid as are others that point out real short comings at Apple.   Apples relationship with China must come to an end.   Instead they seem to be adopting the attitude of the CCP when it comes to customers and the rights of the general population.   Management at Apple is either delusional or actively supporting the CCP out of greed.   The unfortunate thing is that Apple seems to have doubled down under Cook when it comes to radical politics.
    iHy

  • ACLU, EFF ask Supreme Court to review border device search policies

    wizard69wizard69
    Besides the invasion of privacy which is good enough reason to have this addressed by the court there is the other problem of the government doing this for reasons of intimidation.   From all I can see the policies only reason for begin is to put fear into the minds of international travelers.   As has been noted, even by customs, the policy doesn't effectively address any problem.   So it becomes pretty obvious that it is tactic of intimidation which frankly has no reason for being in a free society.
    beowulfschmidt