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> In some ways, AirPods Max feel quite a bit like a premium Aeron-style modern desk chair — the mesh canopy atop the headband, the telescoping steel stems, the
by outworlder 6y ago
> In some ways, AirPods Max feel quite a bit like a premium Aeron-style modern desk chair — the mesh canopy atop the headband, the telescoping steel stems, the general sturdiness.
In some ways, possibly.
Here's what's nice about Aeron chairs: they last essentially forever. I got a second hand one for cheap. It's easily a decade old, possibly more, judging by the armrest mechanism (which had a redesign, mine is old). Using it every day for two years, on top of what it already had. Still looks brand spanking new.
In case something breaks, I can easily replace any component. There is a healthy replacement parts market. In fact, the person that sold it to me was essentially living off "flipping" Aerons - they would get them wholesale from companies, and then refurbish them.
If you are buying them new, they are covered by a 12 YEAR WARRANTY. Parts and labor.
The AirPods price would be totally justified if they were even remotely like this. Make the battery user-replaceable (even better if they are swappable, for more run-time) and provide user-replaceable parts, plus a healthy warranty, and this could be potentially the Aeron of the headset world.
It isn't, though. The battery is the most egregious issue. Sure, we can understand why Airpods don't have replaceable batteries. Not that it's impossible, but at least it's understandable - they are tiny. It's also possible to understand why Macbook batteries are not easily replaceable - they occupy most of the internal space and are rather fragile.
I don't know what Apple's excuse is, this time.
- arthurcolle 6y agoAereon chairs last forever? The arm rests got janky in mine after 2 years. Maybe they are replaceable...?
- syntaxing 6y agoI'm a bit spoiled since most of jobs use the Aeron chairs, but I definitely used and sat in Aeron chairs that were at least 6 years old with no issues. I had a coworker that had one he bought for like a $100 during the dotcom bust and he still used it 12 years later with no issues (he ran his own business/contractor and WFH for a long time).
- outworlder 6y agoYou mean the pads? Those definitely are - that's one of the items you can get from Herman Miller themselves in their online store (vinyl or leather), and there are third party options too. Even if you mean the arm rest mechanism, that's replaceable as well. As are cables, the seat, lumbar support, gas cylinder, you name it.
- arthurcolle 6y agoI meant the pads. And it looks like you are right. Mine were vinyl, and started to crack after 2 years. I'll prob get the leather pad replacements. I love my Aereon, it is such a pleasant seat.
- wskinner 6y agoIndeed. I bought a secondhand Aeron - with the old armrest design, like yours - and it needed new wheels. I called Herman Miller attempting to buy replacement wheels, and they just sent them to me for free. Other than the wheels, it is in perfect mechanical condition.
- frakkingcylons 6y ago> It's also possible to understand why Macbook batteries are not easily replaceable - they occupy most of the internal space and are rather fragile. I would guess that the batteries on the AirPods Max are not user-replaceable for the same reason. We'll know more once the iFixit teardown is out. But stepping back: it seems that the parts most susceptible to long-term wear are replaceable. That is the ear cups (user-replaceable) and batteries. Hopefully the headstrap is more durable than it looks.
- nickflood 6y agoBatteries inside a laptop have no reason to be glued in. Look at the sleek laptops from Dell or Lenovo. Somehow they managed to put an easily replaceable battery into all of them - even tablets - without sacrificing weight or thickness. Glued-in batteries are not a necessity contrary to what Apple wants you to believe. Similarly, Samsung somehow managed to make their Galaxy Buds Live (small airpods pro competitor) very user-serviceable with standard replaceable battery without making them much bigger.