XPost: comp.os.linux.advocacy, comp.sys.mac.advocacy   
   From: nobody@haph.org   
      
   -hh  news:10kns16$166dh$1@dont-email.me   
   Tue, 20 Jan 2026 12:21:58 GMT in comp.os.linux.advocacy, wrote:   
      
   > On 1/19/26 22:24, Gremlin wrote:   
   >> Alan  news:10kh1ls$2tajo$5@dont-email.me Sat, 17 Jan   
   >> 2026 22:15:24 GMT in comp.os.linux.advocacy, wrote:   
   >>   
   >>> On 2026-01-17 00:31, Gremlin wrote:   
   >>   
   >>> But on a factual basis, the laptop is not turned into a "paperweight"   
   >>> if the internal SSD dies:   
   >>   
   >> If one or more of those NAND chips which make up the internal SSD   
   >> shorts to ground, your mac becomes a paperweight. It's no longer able   
   >> to make use of external media in that case. To repair it requires NAND   
   >> replacement as well as power management components.   
   >   
   > But isn't that true of all computers when a soldered component fails?   
      
   Nope, it's not. If this rig were to blow say a diode, that failure most   
   likely would not resort in a main power rail shorting to ground. I   
   actually worked on an HP laptop a few years ago that had a failed diode.   
   It wouldn't let you use the charger; but as long as the battery still had   
   power the machine would boot and operate normally. The diode failed in a   
   closed manner vs open. I did have to tear the machine down and pull the   
   main board to troubleshoot and repair it, but the component wasn't   
   difficult to replace and the laptop has been running fine since. Supports   
   the charger again too. :)   
      
   All kinds of components are soldered on computers and other electronics.   
   Those usually don't resort in main power rails being grounded out. In   
   2019-2020 Apple had a problem (surprise surprise) with their power   
   management IC. It would overvolt the NANDS and kill them. When they died,   
   the opted to short to ground and as they did so, took out the main power   
   rails along with them. I haven't worked on any non apple products which   
   opted to take out main power in such a failure condition. This seems to be   
   a design feature of Apple. They're also bad about running the data lines   
   very close to the power lines on the PCB. I'm not sure what cost savings?   
   this gives them, but, it does invite problems from a failed electronics   
   POV.   
      
   A lot of the kits I've built over the years, including my own custom   
   drivers have soldered components too. None of them when they fail take out   
   main power along with them. That's just not a good design practice...   
      
   > Its been 40+ years since I've owned a computer whose RAM was installed   
   > in sockets - - are you suggesting that this is what we all should be   
   > "just in case" going back to?   
      
   What sort of computers have you been using for the past 40+ years that had   
   their RAM soldered in place? And what do you mean by going back to? Socket   
   based RAM is still very much a thing.   
      
      
      
   --   
   Liar, lawyer; mirror show me, what's the difference?   
   Kangaroo done hung the guilty with the innocent   
   Liar, lawyer; mirror for ya', what's the difference?   
   Kangaroo be stoned. He's guilty as the government   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)