I’m waiting to see how this shakes out. I think all products should be self-serviceable and parts, tools, and documentation should be readily available.
What bothers me about the EU legislation is that it’s worded in a way that implies someone like my mom (who can barely USE an iPhone, let alone service one) should be able to replace her own batteries. That will very likely result in product designs that are bulkier, heavier, more fragile, and less resistant to the environment (water, dust, etc)… e.g. snap-in batteries. That is not a future I want.
I have no problem opening a phone, tablet, or laptop and replacing the battery now… you just need the right tools and a little technical competency. The only thing I want is for companies to be prohibited from throwing up artificial barriers to self-service, like invalidating my warranty, disabling OS features or activating nags, or withholding parts, specs, or information.
I’m waiting to see how this shakes out. I think all products should be self-serviceable and parts, tools, and documentation should be readily available.
What bothers me about the EU legislation is that it’s worded in a way that implies someone like my mom (who can barely USE an iPhone, let alone service one) should be able to replace her own batteries. That will very likely result in product designs that are bulkier, heavier, more fragile, and less resistant to the environment (water, dust, etc)… e.g. snap-in batteries. That is not a future I want.
I have no problem opening a phone, tablet, or laptop and replacing the battery now… you just need the right tools and a little technical competency. The only thing I want is for companies to be prohibited from throwing up artificial barriers to self-service, like invalidating my warranty, disabling OS features or activating nags, or withholding parts, specs, or information.