4 ms·

> but they’re super difficult to use I can't read the link as it's paywalled: but my understanding of the Apple tools is that they're hilariously over-engineer

• Bud 4y ago
  "hilariously over-engineered" read: "not crap"
  • cududa 4y ago
    I mean I can take pictures underwater with a freakin phone. I guess you could call that "over engineering" but I also understand that means maintaining that type of device integrity would require some heavy lifting to service the device after it's been sealed up.
    • spookthesunset 4y ago
      > I also understand that means maintaining that type of device integrity would require some heavy lifting to service the device after it's been sealed up. Wel;l... it did require heavy lifting but according to this article that is no longer the case! Sure you'll still need a bunch of specialized tools for handling super small components but it is miles ahead of what it once was. It took me a while to come around to the idea of "right to repair" because I had the same concerns many people here have. To make it repairable would mean to sacrifice a bunch of stuff like waterproofing and weight. But I guess with this new iphone it's "game on" for repairability. Which is awesome.
• Spivak 4y ago
  They just seem engineered to a different market, their own repair techs. Bulky doesn’t matter, expensive doesn’t matter. Being absolutely completely foolproof when used by non-expert techs with a few weeks training and having as little risk of damaging the device at possible does matter.
  • adhesive_wombat 4y ago
    Also they need to work day in, day out, for years, not just a couple of times. Which can sometimes end up in James Webbification, as the more expensive and robust it gets, the more likely it's the only one and the higher the stakes if it breaks. So you make it more over-engineered and expensive.
  • threeseed 4y ago
    > They just seem engineered to a different market, their own repair techs I would hope and expect that third party repair techs (and to a slightly lesser extent ordinary people) would be repairing devices with the same level of quality as Apple's techs.
• kitsunesoba 4y ago
  The tools are made to guarantee a factory-quality repair, complete with stock levels of part fit and water resistance, regardless of the skill level of who’s using it. That can’t really be done in a way that’s not overengineered and bulky.
  • kube-system 4y ago
    I’d argue that they’re not over engineered at all. They’re engineered for a particular purpose. Which is: Apple doing warranty repair. I love how people used to complain that Apple didn’t make their tools available, and now people complain that their tools are too nice. Well duh, did people think that Apple was using hairdryers and guitar picks for warranty work?
    • potatolicious 4y ago
      Yeah I really wonder what people's expectations are here. "First step by putting a hair dryer to the front face of the phone and turning it up to max. We don't really know what temperature that will be, but hopefully it's enough to loosen the adhesive. Now improvise a tool for lifting the screen off, hopefully you won't cut the ribbon cables underneath while doing that - maybe a guitar pick? Ok then, when reassembling the device try to get the new screen on as evenly as possible. Who knows if you've done it right - but if you did it wrong your phone will definitely bork if you get it wet!" Like, you can still do all of the above. There's nothing preventing you from doing a phone repair cheaply (and poorly) - but to expect a company to support that officially seems nuts? It turns out repairing modern consumer electronics at a high quality bar is expensive! And it's equipment intensive!
      • smoldesu 4y ago
        The actual critics are mostly mad at the way Apple prevents them from using legal donor boards to make less-wasteful repairs. Apple heard this, and their response is an 80-lb rent-able flight-case of random equipment. Admittedly, it made for some great free PR on YouTube. As for addressing the concerns of the right-to-repair community... they would have been better off just uploading board schematics for the M1 Air and calling it a day. Most repair shops would probably feel less offended if they did.