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Imagine Apple replacing your broken Macbook Pro M1 base model with the upgraded model because they didn't have any exact replacements in stock, and then years l

Imagine Apple replacing your broken Macbook Pro M1 base model with the upgraded model because they didn't have any exact replacements in stock, and then years later deciding to disable two of the CPU cores, two of the GPU cores, and half the SSD space (1 TB to 512 GB). People, especially on HN, would lose their freaking minds. They would also lose their minds if Apple only sold the highest-end model but firmware-locked CPU cores and SSD space unless you paid extra for it, or, even better, paid a subscription for it. Refresh rates up to 120 Hz, available for $4.99 per month!

rsynnott 4y ago
Intel has occasionally done this: https://www.zdnet.com/article/facepalm-of-the-day-intel-charges-customers-50-to-unlock-cpu-features/ https://www.zdnet.com/article/facepalm-of-the-day-intel-char... It tends not to go down well.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- Crosseye_Jack 4y ago
  And they are planning to do it again https://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-software-defined-cpu-support-coming-to-linux-518 https://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-software-defined-cpu... Now this time the idea is that because their differnt SKU's are basically the same chip under the hood anyway just locked at the Silicon level why not allow them to be unlocked if the extra features are found to be needed after purchase. This happen in other markets just fine. One market that jumps to mind is oscilloscopes, you will basically have a single piece of hardware spanning multiple skus where features are disabled via software/hardware (sometimes the CPU is just reading resistor values or jumpers to determine which model it is and therefore which features it has enabled), one notable vendor jumps to mind is Hantek. You can take a 70Mhz scope and opening it up to unlock it to 250mhz. (The same can be done in a number of Rigol scopes iirc)
elzbardico 4y ago
Please, don't give them ideas.
isametry 4y ago
We’ve come a full circle where rather than using the “Car Analogy” to picture the consumer realities of personal electronics (”imagine if they locked the performance of your car like they do with your phone”), it’s now the other way around (“imagine if they locked down your laptop like they do with your car”).
- htrp 4y ago
  And welcome to the dystopian nightmare that is a subscription based service for features like heated seats.
  - chii 4y ago
    It stems from the desire to receive revenue without actually performing new work. Physical objects sold never had that option before the advent of a persistent internet connection, and you at least fully owned it. Now, software updates which are mandatory, are making physical objects not be truly owned by the buyers. There needs to be new laws to allow consumers to retain the rights of ownership that is being erroded at record pace.
- pm90 4y ago
  Heh, this made me smile. The world has changed and keeps changing. When I was a kid, smartphones just weren’t a thing. And yet today I simply cannot imagine life without them. As the world changes so do the metaphors useful in describing it.
addicted 4y ago
Yeah, this is ridiculous. I had the exact same situation with, weirdly enough, InstantPot. My device had a clear warranty-covered issue during the warranty period. The model I had had been discontinued (and I suspect because of supply chain issues they didn’t have any in stock stateside anyways). They sent me the new upgraded model as a replacement which was at least twice as expensive. I would be mad as hell if a few years in now, if they had the ability, they would decide to degrade it to the older model.
- account42 4y ago
  Unrelated, but it's weir how the electric pressure/combo cooker market has been cornered by InstantPot to the extend that plenty of recipe sites have specific InstantPot recipes rather than electric pressure/combo cooker recipes. There are competing devices but they seem to mostly fly under the radar. Perhaps it's just the term InstantPot being genericised? Don't have a complaint about mine at all but just feel a little bit icky when a brand gets that much mindshare.

rsynnott 4y ago

Intel has occasionally done this: https://www.zdnet.com/article/facepalm-of-the-day-intel-charges-customers-50-to-unlock-cpu-features/ https://www.zdnet.com/article/facepalm-of-the-day-intel-char... It tends not to go down well.

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
Crosseye_Jack 4y ago
And they are planning to do it again https://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-software-defined-cpu-support-coming-to-linux-518 https://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-software-defined-cpu... Now this time the idea is that because their differnt SKU's are basically the same chip under the hood anyway just locked at the Silicon level why not allow them to be unlocked if the extra features are found to be needed after purchase. This happen in other markets just fine. One market that jumps to mind is oscilloscopes, you will basically have a single piece of hardware spanning multiple skus where features are disabled via software/hardware (sometimes the CPU is just reading resistor values or jumpers to determine which model it is and therefore which features it has enabled), one notable vendor jumps to mind is Hantek. You can take a 70Mhz scope and opening it up to unlock it to 250mhz. (The same can be done in a number of Rigol scopes iirc)

elzbardico 4y ago

Please, don't give them ideas.

isametry 4y ago

We’ve come a full circle where rather than using the “Car Analogy” to picture the consumer realities of personal electronics (”imagine if they locked the performance of your car like they do with your phone”), it’s now the other way around (“imagine if they locked down your laptop like they do with your car”).

htrp 4y ago
And welcome to the dystopian nightmare that is a subscription based service for features like heated seats.
- chii 4y ago
  It stems from the desire to receive revenue without actually performing new work. Physical objects sold never had that option before the advent of a persistent internet connection, and you at least fully owned it. Now, software updates which are mandatory, are making physical objects not be truly owned by the buyers. There needs to be new laws to allow consumers to retain the rights of ownership that is being erroded at record pace.
pm90 4y ago
Heh, this made me smile. The world has changed and keeps changing. When I was a kid, smartphones just weren’t a thing. And yet today I simply cannot imagine life without them. As the world changes so do the metaphors useful in describing it.

addicted 4y ago

Yeah, this is ridiculous. I had the exact same situation with, weirdly enough, InstantPot. My device had a clear warranty-covered issue during the warranty period. The model I had had been discontinued (and I suspect because of supply chain issues they didn’t have any in stock stateside anyways). They sent me the new upgraded model as a replacement which was at least twice as expensive. I would be mad as hell if a few years in now, if they had the ability, they would decide to degrade it to the older model.

account42 4y ago
Unrelated, but it's weir how the electric pressure/combo cooker market has been cornered by InstantPot to the extend that plenty of recipe sites have specific InstantPot recipes rather than electric pressure/combo cooker recipes. There are competing devices but they seem to mostly fly under the radar. Perhaps it's just the term InstantPot being genericised? Don't have a complaint about mine at all but just feel a little bit icky when a brand gets that much mindshare.