4 ms·
"apple is actually ahead of the curve here" I'd argue that old-fashioned desktop PCs were (and are) ahead of the curve. No need to wastefully throw everything
by chestnut-tree 11y ago
"apple is actually ahead of the curve here"
I'd argue that old-fashioned desktop PCs were (and are) ahead of the curve. No need to wastefully throw everything away, just upgrade the components you want. A reasonable level of standardisation has allowed this to happen.
Desktop PCs might not have the polished, all-in-one usability of an Apple device, but the ability to add or remove components from a PC make them very amenable to re-use. For example, I have an older hard drive (HD) that I removed from my desktop PC and put into an external HD case. It's now used as a backup and storage device.
- Zigurd 11y agoOnly a tiny percentage of desktop PCs are ever opened after being manufactured, never mind being upgraded. Retail components also have a high return rate. I would not bet that an analysis of desktop PC resource utilization and upgrades would tell you that upgrade-ability results in lower resource utilization.
- mattnewton 11y agoSure, among enthusiasts, and I would agree that apple's philosophy of hermetically sealed parts goes against this principle. But apple isn't competing with the parts manufacturers targeting DIY-ers, they're targeting the direct-to-consumer market. And on that segment, it's striking to me how much longer the devices have a shelf life (again, anecdotally). Also self repair is much less common in that non-expert market, so their policy of keeping repairs in house as much as possible I'd argue doesn't have a huge effect. Edit: I think I should give the parent comment more credit. After thinking about it, maybe the real goal should be to make partial hardware upgrades (like the DIY pc's enjoy) more accessible to end consumers.