5 ms·
Doesn't DRM means they tried hard to stop you from clone it? Any hobbyist can get a sample chip from Maxim, clone the data from the original PSU and write it to
by yftsui 6y ago
Doesn't DRM means they tried hard to stop you from clone it? Any hobbyist can get a sample chip from Maxim, clone the data from the original PSU and write it to the new chip.
I agree it should be an open standard, but the implementation is really similar to EDID. As we are moving forward with USB-C power supplies, this is probably going to be irrelevant very soon.
- Causality1 6y agoYes, I'm sure it has nothing at all to do with forcing customers to buy OEM chargers for $119 a piece plus tax and shipping instead of buying a generic one for $30.
- yftsui 6y agoIf a company is making a "Generic" charger using a proprietary connector(only used by Dell in this case), it is their responsibility to make sure it works. Otherwise, it is a bad quality knock-off.
- Dylan16807 6y agoIf someone is making a dell-specific charger, I can see that. But generic chargers usually have interchangeable tips, and they should not need to embed a different chip inside each one of them.
- ProZsolt 6y agoI don't like the proprietary protocol, but actually there is a good reason for this communication between the charger and the laptop. There are multiple charges with the same barrel jack, but different wattage. You plug a low wattage power adapter to a high powered laptop. Without the chip: The laptop can draw to much power and in the best case scenario it damages your power adapter, in worts case damage your laptop or burns down your house. With the chip: the laptop can throttle, so it draws less power. USB Power Delivery does the same thing, just without the properitary protocol.
- Dylan16807 6y ago> in the best case scenario it damages your power adapter The best case scenario is that your charger is not a garbage fire hazard, and so it slowly drops the voltage when the laptop tries to draw too much.
- Causality1 6y agoA barrel connector is hardly proprietary.
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- catalogia 6y ago> The content is something like `DELL 01 AC 065 195 033 {23bytes} 01` Are they doing that trademark hack thing where they threaten 3rd party manufacturers who put that "DELL" string in their product without a license?
- WWLink 6y agoThat's ridiculous. What the hell kinda court would accept that claim? The packet is clearly 0x44 0x45 0x4c 0x4c 0x01 0x41 0x43 0x65 0xc3 0x21 <23 bytes> 0x01!
- dannyw 6y agoAre you being sarcastic? I unfortunately can't find a source as the exact case is escaping my memory at the moment, but this was successfully argued in court that a third party using "TRADEMARK" in a chip (which is checked by the DRM system) was a violation of their trademark.
- kalleboo 6y agohttps://segaretro.org/TradeMark_Security_System https://segaretro.org/TradeMark_Security_System https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_v._Accolade https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_v._Accolade I read it like Sega was on their way to losing the appeal, so they settled it out of court.
- catalogia 6y agoEven if it doesn't hold up in court, it may still be a deterrent to any company looking to produce compatible parts. Shipments of their product could very plausibly be stopped at customs then held up for years until the court case is won.
- littlestymaar 6y agoThat's exactly what Apple does to prevent other companies to sell computers with MacOS on them![1] [1]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psystar_Corporation#Legal_issues https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psystar_Corporation#Legal_is...
- littlestymaar 6y ago“Any hobbyist can circumvent it” is a poor test to determine if something is a DRM though, most DRMs pass this test too, since most of them are vulnerable to the “analog loophole”.
- ProZsolt 6y agoIt as DRM as Printer cartridges or Keurig 2.0 K-Cup[1] [1]https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8726707 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8726707