Apple now wants to own the right to repair its products

[_MeDotOrg]

Apple may want people to think 'creative' or 'different' when they see their products, but the operative word for Apple has always been proprietary.

At one point that thinking nearly killed the company. Back in the John Scully days, the company nearly went under when their philosophy resulted in very high per-unit profit margins, but presided over a shrinking market share. Steve Jobs brought the company back with innovative products that created the unified Apple environment, with PDA's, cellphones and iPods expanding the Apple universe, with a more consistent user interface across different platforms. The Apple environment has always reminded me of a gated community with a an overly zealous Home Owner's Association. Everything is perfect, because Apple exerts total control over the environment.

Now Apple is taking the proprietary nature of their environment to the next level: by freezing out local repair shops that work on their products.

Apple is reportedly using new proprietary software diagnostic tools to repair MacBook Pros and iMac Pros that, if not used on key part repairs, will result in an “inoperative system and an incomplete repair,” reads a document distributed to Apple’s Authorized Service Providers last month. A copy of the document was obtained by MacRumors and Motherboard today, both of which reported on the contents of the document and the apparent implications on third-party repair services.

It would seem that, without the proprietary software, third-party repair services will not be able to fix MacBook Pros that suffer from issues with the display assembly, the logic board, the keyboard and trackpad, and the Touch ID board, according to Motherboard. For iMac Pros, the lock will engage if you replace the logic board or flash storage. The computer won’t be usable again until Apple Service Toolkit 2, the name of the diagnostic tool, is used by a member of the company’s Authorized Service Provider program.

When I first used computers the business environment was primarily IBM/DOS. Macs were sexy design tools. While the MacIntosh was a revelation in terms of creativity (I still remember the first time I used a Mac) my business and home computers were IBM clones. So I've lived on the DOS/Windows/Android side of the street. I can see how having better integration between environments would be nice, and Apple does a great job.

But I've always rebelled against the proprietary nature of Apple. When Apple started using x86 chips, I built an Apple clone out of spite. This last product 'innovation' I find particularly galling. Apple is one of the wealthiest companies in the world, and they now have their sights set on all the little local repair shops around the world that are able to cling to a living in the Information Age.

[_DarkHelmet]

That sucks. Apple makes great products, but I won't buy them, primarily because they're overpriced, and I don't like their business practices. This is just another example of it. It wouldn't be such a big deal if they didn't give these terrible ideas to their competitors. You can no longer find a decent android phone that isn't sealed shut without an SD slot. That was Apple's genius idea. If Apple gets into the car business, we will all be driving the exact same car (with 3 color options) with the hood and undercarriage sealed. If you need an oil change, you either buy a new car or pay Apple thousands of dollars to change the oil.

[_Dr Exiled]

I hate these monopolistic tactics and the various companies should be prohibited from sealing the phones. Once the sale is done, the consumer is the owner of the phone and should be able to have independent companies repair or change the phone or do whatever they want with it. I'm tired of being herded into nickle and dime killing zones by these companies.

[_subgenius]

That sucks. Apple makes great products, but I won't buy them, primarily because they're overpriced, and I don't like their business practices. This is just another example of it. It wouldn't be such a big deal if they didn't give these terrible ideas to their competitors. You can no longer find a decent android phone that isn't sealed shut without an SD slot. That was Apple's genius idea. If Apple gets into the car business, we will all be driving the exact same car (with 3 color options) with the hood and undercarriage sealed. If you need an oil change, you either buy a new car or pay Apple thousands of dollars to change the oil.

many people overestimate Apple's global market share due to myopia from their American market share. And note, Apple actually makes mediocre products but has kept their marketing strategy from the 80s alive and well for the mucho profito. Apple has been more successful at lowest common denominator marketing while waging quite a successful patent war....but their business plan is like Steve Jobs - won't last.