Apple Still Sucks On Right To Repair
from the do-not-pass-go,-do-not-collect-$200 dept
Apple has never looked too kindly upon users actually repairing their own devices. The company’s ham-fisted efforts to shut down, sue, or otherwise imperil third-party repair shops are legendary. As are the company’s efforts to force recycling shops to shred Apple products (so they can’t be refurbished and re-used).
That’s before you get to Apple’s often comical attacks on “right to repair” legislation, a push that only sprung up after companies like Apple, Microsoft, Sony, John Deere, and others created a global grass-roots coalition of activists and reformers via their clumsy attempts to monopolize repair.
While Apple has made some concessions to try and pre-empt right to repair legislation, there’s clearly still a long way to go. John Bumstead, a MacBook refurbisher and owner of the RDKL INC repair store, recently revealed that used MacBooks retailing for as much as $3,000 are being scrapped for parts because recyclers are prevented from logging into the devices.
Bumstead told Motherboard the culprit is Apple’s T2 security chip, which prevents anyone but the original owner from logging into the laptops. He also stated that despite Apple’s promises on right to repair reform, the problem has gotten notably worse over the last few years. As a result, a countless number of costly 2018/2019 era Macbooks can’t be completely repurposed:
“The progression has been, first you had certifications with unrealistic data destruction requirements, and that caused recyclers to pull drives from machines and sell without drives, but then as of 2016 the drives were embedded in the boards, so they started pulling boards instead,” he said. “And now the boards are locked, so they are essentially worthless. You can’t even boot locked 2018+ MacBooks to an external device because by default the MacBook security app disables external booting.”
Experts state that Apple could make this all go away by building more convenient unlocking systems for independent repair shops, but then Apple might sell fewer new laptops — and threaten its own lucrative repair monopoly — and you wouldn’t want that.
Filed Under: activism, hardware, laptops, right to repair
Companies: apple
Comments on “Apple Still Sucks On Right To Repair”
Security
But but but the security!!!
You have to decide that the computer can be booted from an external hard disk. When you do need that? When you probably can’t change the option anymore.
Friend of mine fried his Mini over the weekend. He had to bring the computer to the Apple Store because he wasn’t able to fix the computer himself. The warranty is expiring tomorrow. Because the end date of the repair – whatever is fried – is after the end date of the warranty he has to pay for another year of AppleCare.
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Exactly, if we are talking about the security of Apples hold on your wallet..
Thats like linux not forking a kernel for all of the legacy hardware prior to 2020/2015/2010 to keep all of that hardware running for decades more.
Most of the software is past the point of diminishing returns anyways. New standards don’t do anything innovative, just streaming codecs, video card features and security updates. Features that are optional.
Disposible intellect is a dead horse. Pretty is not that desirable.
they wouldn’t want that.
FTFY.
I’m all for the right to repair, however I disagree that 3rd parties be allowed to release devices. Only the owner can and should be allowed to release the device from their Apple ID. If I trade-in my device or donate it for recycling, I am required by the trade-in or recycling company to release it from my Apple ID.
If someone picks a device out of the trash or “finds the device”, they can strip it for components and the raw materials. Allowing 3rd parties to release devices will just create a market for stolen devices. That was the whole point of the device lock, to de-incentivize theft by eliminating the market for stolen devices.
The right to repair laws should require Apple and other manufacturers to make parts available 3rd party repair shops so consumers can have more choices!
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And how does the person dealing with your estate get at the information they need if they have no way of unlocking the device?
Re: Re:
Paper already had a reliable solution.
Its becoming obvious that cloud pollution is the norm in the 3rd world.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/daveywinder/2023/01/30/jd-sports-group-hackedwhat-10-million-customers-need-to-know/
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/us-no-fly-list-shared-on-a-hacking-forum-government-investigating/
Thats just a few examples from Jan 2023.
Its just waiting to find vulnerabilities in all of the old software that is in use. New network infrastructure resolves most of the issues. Only technology people know that TCP/IP evolved to be used on trusted networks. The Internet is not a trusted network, hence, all of the perceived security lapses in many of the old components. They work just fine on new network protocols with updated standards though, when always-on and direct connections are not the glaring security oversight. IPV6 is already inferior.
https://cve.mitre.org/cve/
Its the undiscovered CVE’s that are amusing. Insteqd or rewriting all the software, investing in new network protocols keeps the innovation going.
Or, just keep your will and other important information on a reliable medium aka paper in a safe.
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Apple allows you to specify one or more Legacy Contacts who can get access to your data after you death.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212361
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That works if it’s set up before the owner dies. But that seems like a security risk—how much effort will they go through to properly verify the supposed death? And of course it has no benefit to an actual decedent.
Anyway, we’re talking about device unlocking here, not data access, and there’s nothing on that page that suggests a “legacy contact” would gain the ability to unlock hardware. Nor anything about an “unlock-only” contact; being able to unlock a specific person’s devices while physically in posession of them is not nearly as concerning as the ability to access all data.
Of course, Apple could just agree to unlock any device if the owner doesn’t use it or report it stolen or respond to an account notification within a few months.
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IIRC Apple already allows the device owner to bypass this feature if they prove who they are. So, let a third party do this work a 30 day delay during which Apple attempts to contact the previous owner.
I wouldn’t say that. When I bought an Apple II back in the 1980s, it came with a detailed reference manual, ROM source code listings, and a pull-out gigantic set of schematics.
Re: The first time I saw an "Apple store" was in the early '80s
There is a building in the town where I work, and the first time I saw it, the signage proclaimed that they specialized in selling Apple computers and Yamaha motorcycles. That was in the era of the Apple II.
Re: Apple ][ era opposition to repairs and clones
The Apple ][ clones inspired Jobs to train US customs agents to prevent work-alike DIY motherboards (the Orange, the Pineapple, etc) from being allowed into the US. When I upgraded my Apple ][e ROMS, Jobs wanted my old ones back so that they couldn’t be used to repair another ][e, even though the PROM copies of the ROMs were common. Apple has always tried to churn hardware by limiting repair and gear that might run their softwares.
New ad campaign
Older adult office workers dancing in silhouette with their broken laptops and phones to One Thing Leads to Another by The Fixx.
and because of all the kickbacks, government/politicians will, again, do absolutely fuck all to change things! nothing more important than getting under the table payments! keep the rich, rich and the poor even more poor but make sure they can keep enhancing the rich by buying stuff!! aint this a great country, or what?
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Evolution happens easier with some individuals. Did you become a victim of the obesity crisis or over-prescribed prescriptions?
Pump and dump has its own language and vocabulary. Without inferior integers, the house of cards needs economical steroids (as seen at least twice this century). Waiting for the steroids to leave the system is a luxury.
How do we know they obtain devices a legit way?
Nice story, but where is the proof that you did not steal these 3000 machines? Why did you accept 3000 locked computers, as a donation or for a price, when you know that it benefits you more with the lock removed and the previous owner doesn’t care either way?
So stop whining about your fault. If you accepted donation of a bicycle with a lock to its wheels, you only have a lock bicycle. Good for you if you can kill the lock, otherwise it is your fault not having asked for it unlocked first. Yes, Apple could have helped you “for the environment” and it would be a nice gesture from them if they choose to do so.
Re: How do we know they obtain devices a legit way?
These companies have dumped this equipment with the assumption that it would be destroyed. That this fellow is obtaining it is apparently highly suspect. He even said he was buying this from destruction companies in another story.
It’s completely ridiculous to now be claiming any sort of right to functioning equipment when the original owners intended for it to be destroyed.
no mention
Of software.
they have some of the best for Certain things.
But it requires the higher end Mac’s.
And as a Software developer, you would think those programs would love OPEN market with 2-4 times as many Purchases.
Windows 11 e-waste
The Windows 11 hardware requirements are likely to create a lot of e-waste too. I recently picked up a refurbished ThinkPad (which is like new except with 70% battery capacity—those are easy to replace, and full Hardware Maintenance Manuals are freely available). These things mostly come with Windows 10, which will be unsupported in less than 3 years, and are not officially upgradable to 11. Unofficially, people have ways to install 11, but this hardware came via a Microsoft-certified refurbisher and I doubt Microsoft will let them do that.
So, around the end of 2025, you might be able to get old and perfectly good computers for cheap, if you’re willing to wait and don’t care about Windows. I suspect a whole lot will be headed for landfills, as happened with printers when Google shut down Cloud Printing from ChromeBooks.
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That’s every semi-recent version of Windows. The system requirements double for no readily apparent reason. You’d think the OS was running a high-spec game in the background all the time.
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Yeah, but it used to be that people could disregard those, install anyway, and see how it worked. Then upgrade RAM, disk, video card, even CPU if necessary. In the 64-bit transition, MS supported 32-bit versions till most people would’ve given up on those PCs. This time, people get to throw away reasonably performant computers just because they lack the TPM chip that most won’t even use. It’s an intentional decision on their part, as Apple’s is, that “unnaturally” accelerates the garbage-production.
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For your security Microsoft moving towards a world where they control every bit of software that is allowed to run on your machine. You will not actually own your own computer, or even start up the operating system without Microsoft’s permission.
Again, half truth and fiction
Here yet again the author intentionally leaves out half the story.
The T2 chip isn’t forcing anything.y
The problem is ignorant users failing to completely log out of the security and logging system.
And idiot buyer companies what pay before they check.
The solution is rather easy and takes less than 5 minutes from the seller.
Log out of ALL non-apple accounts. Settings: internet
Then disable findmy. Finally use the system erase and restore option.
Bingo, ready for new owner.
Apple even offers a guide on “how to reset a secured device” among dozens of link-throughs for standard reset.
If a repair shop isn’t smart enough to request a customer’s id info before they begin, they have no business repairing secure devices. This is not an apple only problem. Many secure BSD systems have the same issues using both Arm and Intel platforms. It’s called user security.
A reputable repair or reseller shoppe is not going to have any problems .
This (lack of understanding) is exactly why people like myself have said so many times right to repair is a great thing for smart people who know what they are doing. To a lesser degree, users capable of actually reading instructions.
But such laws need to protect companies from user stupidity. The story’s repair company is a prime example of where NOT to take a device.