I've got a Mac Pro paperweight because the motherboard went. It's going to the landfill. I can't even sell it for parts because I can't erase the SSD. If they didn't solder everything to the board you could actually repair it. When I replace my current Dell laptop, it will be with a repairable framework laptop.
It will be easy to break in time. Eventually you'll just be able to use a tool that shines a laser at the right bit and breaks the rate limiting. We've already seen similar attacks on hardware wallets previously thought invulnerable.
I don't think any cryptography has stood the test of time. It's unlikely anything today will survive post-quantum.
Even repairable only buys you a few years repairability that actually makes sense. For example something similar happened to me, lost the mac mobo on a pre solder addiction model. Only thing is guess how much a used mobo is for an old mac: nearly as much as the entire old mac in working shape. It makes no sense to repair it once the computer hits a certain age between the prices of oem parts and the depreciation of computers.
ok but now get this: what if we started a program where people prepay part of the repair with an initial fee, and then for a couple years they can have their laptop repaired at a reduced, fixed price? That helps secure the supply chain. You could then partner with a retail computer store (or start your own!) and have a network of brick-and-mortar stores with subject-matter experts to perform the repairs as well as more minor troubleshooting etc. It’d basically be like healthcare, but for your computer!
I think if you partnered with a major computer brand, that kind of thing could really be huge. Maybe someone like framework perhaps. Could be a big brand discriminator - bring that on-site service feel to average consumers.
Thats basically applecare+ already. You pay like $100 upfront to get things like your phone screen fixed for $29 instead of $129. So it works out in your favor if you are one to go through a few phone screens per device. Past couple phones I've had I'm under 1 screen per phone's life on average so it works in my favor not to get applecare+ and just pay out of pocket the few times I go through a screen.
Get a heat gun and remove the NAND. Then sell the rest of it to a local repair store or just give them for free if it's an old Mac Pro. The parts in your Mac Pro are something someone can reuse to restore their Mac Pro instead of a landfill. Not every part is security related. Also Apple may take the Mac Pro itself and give you store credit cause they do recycle it.
i don't think you can do that. there was just a video on here last week of a repair shop drilling the memory out, as that was the only way to remove it without damaging the motherboard.
They accept Apple branded computers for recycling if it has no trade in value (they'll try to get you an offer if it has any value). I have recycled damaged apple computers at the store before without trading in.
Now you claim you "went there" and discovered they do accept recycling but only if you mail it.
One of those is necessarily false, since I doubt you went to the Apple Store in between your comments.
However, I suspect both your claims are wrong, because Apple stores absolutely accept old devices to recycle directly. (They also provide mail-in options for people who don't have one they can visit directly.)
From your many comments, it seems like you have an ideological axe to grind that somehow your device can't be recycled, despite abundant evidence to the contrary and lots of people here trying to help you.
If they took it at their store, fine. If they want me to take an hour to go print a label (I don't have a printer), and then another hour to package it up and ship it. I'll pass.
They also say to erase the data before shipping it - which I can't do.
That's mostly my conclusion, unfortunately, also. There is also some nonzero culpability of cost of time-money-hassle Apple and local municipalities shift onto the owner too.
Depending on where, a lot of electronics "recyclers" are actually resellers. Some of them are even cheeky enough to deny electronics they know they can't resell (If they're manned.. many are cage-drops in the back of eg Staples)
Just because you lack the skills to fix it, doesn't mean it's not repairable. People desolder components all the time to fix phones and ipads and laptops.
That stuff makes it more difficult to work on, but it doesn't make it impossible for Apple to sell replacement motherboards... nor does making a "thin desktop" require soldering on SSDs, M.2 SSDs are plenty thin for any small form factor desktop use case.
It is being optimized, it's just that the optimization is geared towards vacuuming money from brainwashed pockets instead of making a product that's worth the money.
In this case, you need to find working motherboard without soldered parts to be able to fix it cost efficiently. Otherwise you need to buy factory component (for extra price, with soldered components...)
