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"Apple's Unfixable Gadgets"

post #1 of 6
1/21/08 at 4:29pm
Thread Starter 

I read a few different green blogs on a regular basis.  One of them is EcoGeek.  Here's an article I came across that got me a little ticked.  Basically, the gist is that Apple has designed the iPhone and the 6th generation iPods to be unfixable.  Great way for them to make more money forcing you to buy a whole new gadget when yours breaks.  But bad news in terms of reusing the resources poured into the devices.

 

"Apparently, the sixth generation iPods and the iPhone have been designed to be 100% unfixable. According to Brett,

 

The new generations of iPods and the iPhone are not designed to be opened. Because the Nano, iPhone and generation 6 "Classic" bodies are metal to metal the body gets completely trashed upon opening. The parts are actually soldered together.

So, for me, it will be harder to fix these, increasing repair costs and diminishing their resale value after they have been repaired.


All of this kinda flies in the face of Apple's new green image." (H. Green, 'Apple's Unfixable Gadgets...Made to Break?', 19 Jan 2008)

 

Of course, I wonder what Apple has to say about that...

 

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post #2 of 6
4/2/08 at 4:31pm

That's really annoying. I've done a lot of electronics repair, including Apple gadgets (ipod mini), etc. I don't want to have to unsolder everything now!

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post #3 of 6
5/10/08 at 7:21pm

 These comments are generally made by those with no familiarity with Apple's roadmaps for product development.  We hear this comment time and time again.  First its the iPod with the non-user replaceable batter.  Enter the third-party battery replacement with simple installation instructions.  Enter the MacBook Air: no replaceable battery.  Here, again, comes the third-party with a user-installable battery with instructions.  I don't understand why Apple is taking all the heat when there are a multitude of products on the market that are a complete environmental wash (The SUV with non-replaceable poor fuel economy).


Can these people please move beyond a singular source of complaint (Apple) and think about the millions of barrels of oil and tons of coal that are wasted on energy to keep Microsoft's Windows software working?  Seriously!  

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post #4 of 6
8/22/08 at 3:03pm

I think Apple gets the brunt of the heat because they are so well known.....

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post #5 of 6
8/22/08 at 3:21pm

The new iPhone 3G is actually a ton better in this department (Apple was listening to the previous complaints).  While it will still void your warranty if you take it apart, it's a least a bit more serviceable.  It's only two screws to actually open the device.  The battery is no longer soldered in and the glass cover and screen are now two separate pieces, making replacing either one a ton easier.

 

I certainly wouldn't call them easily fixed or repaired, but it's a ton better than the 1st generation model.

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post #6 of 6
8/22/08 at 3:46pm

From a design perspective it seems crazy that they wouldn't have realized that this was the right way to do it the first time, so the planned obselesence must have been intentional which is unfortunate. Anyway, good to know that they were listening and thought the better of it

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