XPost: comp.sys.mac.advocacy   
   From: nobody@haph.org   
      
   CrudeSausage  news:69722f08$4$18$882e4bbb@reader.netnews.com   
   Thu, 22 Jan 2026 14:07:04 GMT in comp.os.linux.advocacy, wrote:   
      
   > I've watched enough of the Apple repair videos to acknowledge that I have   
   > no interest whatsoever in repairing any of them. I'm very happy to open up   
   > my laptop and replace any part that is faulty, but I wouldn't be happy to   
   > desolder certain parts after washing them with a specific liquid before   
   > resoldering another part and flashing the chip and hoping for the best.   
      
   :) I have a small ultra sonic cleaner and some fancy cleaning juice I got   
   from the UK. It's the best stuff I've used so far for cleaning pcbs. It even   
   assists with water damage issues; leaves less for me to clean up before I   
   can start the repair process.   
      
      
   > There is no way I'd buy an Apple laptop without AppleCare for at least   
   > three years. Of course, I don't believe that I would be happy to buy even   
   > a PC laptop without extended coverage either. Anything can happen.   
      
   I typically don't buy the extended coverage warranties for my own purchases.   
   I will if it's a gift or something. I consider them to be a waste of fundage   
   for the most part if i'm purchasing it for myself.   
      
   >> I don't think some of them are fully aware of the situation. They rely   
   >> on their IT dept to make these decisions. Sometimes, IT depts make bad   
   >> decisions which sometimes wind up being costly.   
   >   
   > Going by what my wife said about her IT department, you have to contact   
   > them and hope that whoever answers the phone doesn't have an Indian accent   
   > if you expect your hardware trouble to be fixed. Does anyone know if the   
   > people repairing Apple hardware worship cows?   
      
   I've been going round n round with Happyrun (they make an ebike a family   
   member got for an xmas present). It uses NFC cards and they had an issue   
   with one of the cards. Needless to say, one card still works and the other   
   is dead.   
      
   I emailed them the first time hoping to be able to purchase a replacement   
   NFC card. They wouldn't hardly even talk to me until I submitted proof of   
   purchase. Eventually someone told me to purchase this kind of card from an   
   online vendor of my choosing. They do not send you replacement cards.  I   
   found some cards on amazon. So, before I bought them I sent the happyrun   
   customer support a link to the cards and asked if those would work. I was   
   told they would and to follow the instructions in a not so helpful link to a   
   video.   
      
   It's not so helpful because the app shown in the video is old. None of my   
   android devices are using a copy of Android old enough to support it. The   
   app is required to get the bike to re program one or more of these cards for   
   me. It has the ability to do that - nice thinking ahead on their part. But,   
   for supposed security reasons, you can't just do it with the bike alone. You   
   need an app called Smar Goo. I haven't been able to find another app that   
   can be used in lieu of it.   
      
   I've tried to clone the card already using various Android devices with a   
   copy of NFC Tools PRO; it's a no go. The card is not using encryption.   
      
   So, today, I ordered a hand held device that can read/write/modify nfc/rfid   
   cards. It can also deal with the cards making use of encryption. It does   
   that with software you install on a PC or mac. Now i'm fifty dollars give or   
   take in to resolve the issue of needing more than one working NFC card for   
   the ebike. And I haven't resolved the issue yet. I need to succcesfully   
   clone the working card. I have found out that their might be an over ride   
   option on the ebike negating the entire need for the NFC cards to unlock   
   it's computer in the first place. I haven't had a chance to try the override   
   yet though. I've been focused on getting new cards for it.   
      
   If this works, I'm going to make several copies of that card and keep a   
   couple of them to experiment/play around with.   
   Since this is tech I have little 1st hand knowledge of presently. What   
   little I know about them has been from having to get a replacement for the   
   ebike.   
      
   To their credit, they have offered to reimburse me for the card despite this   
   not being a warranty issue and my not even suggesting they do that. I don't   
   have a problem paying for things. Especially when it's the fault of the   
   bikes owner that one card isn't working.   
      
   > The hardware lock is real. eBay has a ton of M1 and M2 laptops being sold   
   > for a decent price. The reason they're so cheap is because the LCD is   
   > damaged in one way or another.   
      
   I suspected as much. Sadly, you can't just swap it out and go about your day.   
   It's mated.   
   >   
   > The reason is because, as you said, the hardware is locked.   
      
   Sadly.   
      
   > You can't just replace the broken LCD with another, identical one because   
   > the serial numbers don't match. I've never seen a company be so adamant   
   > about preventing people from fixing their hardware.   
      
   Back in the day, companies used to be so proud of their work they provided   
   you usable schematics with the owners manual. I've got two Sansui recievers   
   here that have a full on schematic. Parts list. everything a person would   
   need to make repairs themselves. I love working on equipment like this. The   
   old school pcb design where the parts are big all THT and you have room to   
   work around. Stuff that was built to last - before we started really pushing   
   the idea of disposable. Buy a new one instead of fixing what you have. I   
   just wasn't raised that way.   
      
   Both of my welders included schematics with them - nowhere near as detailed   
   as the ones in those receivers I wrote about though. Just enough information   
   is included that with a little leg work looking up parts one could make some   
   repairs to them if it was necessary. I suspect they're both using the same   
   sort of micro controller but with altered programming between the two. They   
   are both IGBT or inverter based. They don't have a large and heavy   
   transformer that you're actually drawing current from to weld with. These   
   are both basically DC switch mode power supplies that are able to deliver   
   upto 135amps on my baby one and 200amps (if using on a 240volt circuit; it's   
   limited to 140 on 120v). of welding power. I've enjoyed learning how to weld   
   using them. I haven't gotten to try MIG or TIG yet though - I have to   
   purchase a couple of tanks of gas and regulators/flow adjustment controls.   
   And the TIG torch for the larger unit. I already have the TIG torch for the   
   smaller one. The bigger one also supports a spool gun for Alimunimum work.   
   You can changeout the liner and use the MIG gun that it shipped with to do   
   it, but, it's advised to use the spool gun instead. Less chance of a bind or   
   birdsnest due to the softer material you're working with.   
      
   IMHO, It's an important life skill to take a pieces of metal and join them   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)