this post was submitted on 04 Feb 2024
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That's completely false. There's no technical basis for this assertion or tradeoff. On the other hand, there are plenty of device manufacturers that prioritize reparability without sacrificing anything.
The only argument is that Apple and Apple fanbois repeat these claims. But they have vested monetary interests in such a design. That's why it's a lie. Agreeing to it just lends credence to Apple abusing their market position. So no.
There absolutely is.
SODIMM slots disappeared from laptops because of technical limitations, and it took an entirely new design to eventually bring socketable RAM back to laptops. And those new sockets still take up more space than just soldering the RAM in place.
Engineering is all about tradeoffs.
Right, but that's not why companies started soldering batteries. Yes, there's truth in the concept that with some features you may trade some repairability for some portability, but it's not like it's a 1:1. It's close enough to the truth that it makes a good lie, but if you think Apple's resistance to allowing users to repair their phones is actually because of decisions made by engineers rather than decisions made in board rooms, I have a bridge in Florida to sell you.
Yes, engineering is all about tradeoffs. But not the ones made by a company with incentives for an unfavorable design. You're arguing against reparability based on the designs of such a company, not based on what could have been done with reparability in mind.