Apple's Secret Repair Kill Switch Hasn’t Been Activated—Yet

Megalith

Megalith

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Yes, it’s true: Apple has a chip (“T2”) built into MacBooks that could effectively bar them from independent repair, as it requires a proprietary toolkit to phone home and verify new parts before a faulty machine can function normally again. While a future software update could theoretically render devices repaired by a third party inoperative, iFixit has found that Apple’s laptops, for the time being, can be disassembled without worry or issue.

This service document certainly paints a grim picture, but ever the optimists, we headed down to our friendly local Apple Store and bought a brand new 2018 13” MacBook Pro Touch Bar unit. Then we disassembled it and traded displays with our teardown unit from this summer. To our surprise, the displays and MacBooks functioned normally in every combination we tried. We also updated to Mojave and swapped logic boards with the same results.
 
DocNo said:
A story about Apple was overhyped? Whoa, that never happens!
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How is it overhyped? Unless you don't connect your fixed Apple computer to the internet they can brick your perfectly property with a flip of a switch on their end.
 
jmilcher said:
Overhyped? The stories were saying the chip existed. That's the story. Which is true. It wasn't about ather or not has enforced or used it yet.
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Oh, then I completely misread this: https://www.hardocp.com/news/2018/10/05/apples_t2_chips_prevent_user_repairs

:rolleyes:

EDIT: And to be clear, I don't put it past Apple at some point to throw the switch. But click baity headlines or over hyped stories exaggerating the facts are not helpful.

I do heartily encourage everyone reading this thread to visit https://repair.org/ and get engaged in your state or companies like Apple will eventually do this. I firmly believe it's not if, but when. And if you think Apple is the only company considering crap like this, think again.
 
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DocNo said:
A story about Apple was overhyped? Whoa, that never happens!
Click to expand...

Well why was that even developed if not to be "maybe" used ?
I agree that some check should be done for online shopping, but they should only disable critical features instead of bricking HW. And yes, they've done so in the past so they should have more pressure.
 
Whether or not Apple has or will activate this lockdown, the fact that this story falls somewhere between "plausible" and "more likely than not" should speak volumes.
 
cyberguyz said:
And this is[...] why my pcs are all home-built running windows
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Sure is a good thing Microsoft doesn't possess the capability to disable a Windows machine running a pirated serial # remotely. Or to note the MAC address associated with the machine running said number, and black list it. It's not like they've had the ability to do this for the last two decades.

But hey, it's only trendy to hate on Apple.
 
MMitch said:
I agree that some check should be done for online shopping, but they should only disable critical features instead of bricking HW.
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I agree - for components that have to be trusted like the Touch ID sensor on the iPhone and now a few Mac's, having verification of parts and tampering serves a logical purpose.

Locking out a RAM, CPU, screen or other upgrade just because it didn't come from Apple? A supremely dick move.

I still can't believe John Deer gets away with what they have been doing. Simply disgusting. This is nuts: https://www.extremetech.com/computing/246314-farmers-pirating-john-deere-tractor-software-stick-man

Pirating software to keep your tractor operational? We think we have it bad with games or computers?!?
 
Wyodiver said:
I don't like Apple.
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If you think Apple is the only one thinking about this your nuts. repair.org. Visit it, get involved. It's far easier to stop this crap before it gets started than after the fact.
 
TeeJayHoward said:
Sure is a good thing Microsoft doesn't possess the capability to disable a Windows machine running a pirated serial # remotely. Or to note the MAC address associated with the machine running said number, and black list it. It's not like they've had the ability to do this for the last two decades.

But hey, it's only trendy to hate on Apple.
Click to expand...

What ? This example is far from the original story.
Microsoft won't brick my Hardware because I replace the RAM myself ... Comeon at least try.
Yeah they can disable WINDOWS portion of a pirated computer but what is to stop you to buy Windows or install Linux then ? EDIT:: And do that yourself ? No need to pay an Apple Genius to do it...

Anyway, the problem is they do not allow you to use your hardware not because you pirated but because you repaired your cellphone... Why can't I replace the cracked digitizer myself ? Ok disable TouchID, I don't mind and understand but to brick the phone for that... go pound sand.
And please... don't use the "They're repair pro blablabla", most of us work in the industry and are capable of removing screws to replace a Screen...
 
MMitch said:
And please... don't use the "They're repair pro blablabla", most of us work in the industry and are capable of removing screws to replace a Screen...
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There's also the point of "the only reason you might want a pro is because Apple designs things to be unnecessarily difficult to repair."
 
Mohonri said:
There's also the point of "the only reason you might want a pro is because Apple designs things to be unnecessarily difficult to repair."
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Yeah, the use of screws of different sizes for all of them is out of whack (Don't know if it's still the case in the latest ones). But still, that's not "that" difficult to replace a digitizer or battery.
Anyway, people vote for their wallet so if they buy it, I consider they're ok to be raped.
 
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