Comment by fratis | Hacker News Reader

Comment by fratis | Hacker News Reader

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You're twisting the analogy in a way that clouds its real meaning.

The point is that authorized service shops are provided with the training to perform repairs on these things, so whether the display/glass is glued to the body or not, people are going to be able to take their machines to a shop, have it repaired, and receive it back in working condition. The iMac, if we're following the analogy in an honest way, doesn't have its hood welded shut. (Because iMac mechanics can, in fact, repair them, even if it is more difficult.)

Further, as far as the user is concerned, breaking out a heat gun is just as inaccessible as buying a Torx screwdriver (they don't own one, I promise) and suction cups to pull the glass and display off the old model. They're going to a repair shop or an Apple store 99% of the time.

That's the problem, "authorized shop". The only reason you need to be "authorized" is to give Apple money for upgrading something that you own. It's a lock-in scheme.

Imagine having to go to a Toyota or Honda dealer just to get a battery upgraded, and that it cost 10x more than replacing the battery in a Ford or Chevy at a 3rd party dealer. The battery is no different, just the manufacturer.

Also, what if you don't live in an area with an authorized Apple store? I think there's only 2 Apple Stores in my state, and if I drive south, the next authorized Apple reseller is 4 hours away (I don't think they even do repairs). On the flip side, there are PC repair stores peppered in nearly every town.

That's like saying that the only place you can get your car repaired is 2 hours away, even though there are 3 car repair stores that repair literally every other kind of car in your home town. That's a BIG deal!

In most of my old laptops you could replace the memory with a standard philips screwdriver, a 5 minute job even for someone technologically unsavvy.

By requiring a ton of tools and time you are pointlessly making it more difficult (and therefor expensive), regardless of whether the end user repairs it themselves, gets the nerdy kid down the street to fix it or takes it to an Apple store.

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