XPost: comp.sys.mac.advocacy   
   From: crude@sausa.ge   
      
   On Sun, 25 Jan 2026 00:49:35 -0000 (UTC), Gremlin wrote:   
      
   > 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.   
      
   I get the impression that you would have been able to fix the 2017 MacBook   
   Air I spilled coffee on. Of course, that thing was so slow that I didn't   
   even see the point of fixing it.   
      
   >> 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.   
      
   That's actually very nice of you to do, to buy an extended warranty for a   
   gifted purchase. I can only hope that the recipient appreciates you going   
   out of your way.   
      
   >>> 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.   
      
   This is an issue I've always found annoying in both Android and MacOS   
   actually, if I'm reading this right. The idea that an application is made,   
   but only for this or that version of the operating system. If your version   
   is too old or too new, too bad. I find it incredibly frustrating when, if   
   using a Mac that is no longer supported, you go into the App Store looking   
   for an application and everything you try to download tells you that it   
   needs a superior version than what you're running. The Mac zealots assured   
   me that in that scenario, the store offers you an older version, but it's   
   never been the case. It is yet another of their lies. Unlike a Windows   
   machine which will let you download and install because it will also   
   download the additional libraries necessary, Apple truly locks you out the   
   moment they consider your machine to be too old. They are the ones   
   deciding when it's time to replace your hardware, not you. I imagine that   
   if you've had that Mac since 2016 and never needed to reinstall, you will   
   have installed the application beforehand and simply never been offered   
   the newer version because it doesn't support your system, and that's fine.   
   However, if you _do_ reinstall your operating system, you'll never be   
   allowed to install the software you were using. That just sucks.   
      
   >> 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.   
      
   It is pure retardation and yet more evidence that Apple has no desire to   
   allow individuals to repair their hardware, regardless of what kind of   
   repairability rating they might get whenever they release a new machine.   
   Apple wants you to buy the machine from them, pay for their warranty and   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)