On 2017-05-27 18:07, Wols Lists wrote:
On 27/05/17 04:24, David C. Rankin wrote:
On 05/26/2017 10:15 AM, Billie Walsh wrote:
A while back I bought a Dell Inspiron Duo. You have to dismantle half the laptop to get to it. But that's only half the battle. Dell put a secret chip in the battery. If that chip isn't in there the battery won't work. Most replacement batteries don't have this chip. So, I'm stuck with a notepad sized computer that will only work when plugged in. Kind of takes away from why I bought it in the first place.
Just something else to think about.
No antitrust/anti-competitive/illegal tying arrangement/etc. there...
What will these guys do next?
Problem is, the regulators all too often try to ban sharp practice. They should just make it uneconomic. Bit like EU fines are aimed at preventing future infringement not putting right past wrongs.
So if a non-user-replaceable part is something that needs replacing "regularly", it's a warranty return ... set a "usability life" for electronic gear - I would have thought ten years isn't bad - that's what it is for cars - and parts have to either last that long, or be easily replaced by aftermarket equivalents. If you can't do that, the manufacturer has to do it "free".
There is a fight on courts and elsewhere, on the USA, about the right of people to repair their own gadgets. The gadget can be an agricultural machine or a tablet. Some companies want to forbid it, because it contains their intellectual creation (software). It is related to replacement of batteries. Only a law can help us. -- Cheers / Saludos, Carlos E. R. (from 42.2 x86_64 "Malachite" at Telcontar)