More and more it seems that laptops and desktop computers are disposable, and it is cheaper to throw one out than try to repair it.
In fact, this led one of the founders of Oculus VR headsets to quit his company and found a new one focused on creating repairable computers.
That company, Framework, and its founder Nirav Patel, offer a laptop that is easy to open and easy for end users (with a small bit of knowledge) to effect repairs if one component goes bad.
This legal idea is called “Right to Repair” and it seeks to replace closed-system devices, where consumers either can’t repair or can’t find aftermarket parts because the company controls the supply chain and fails to stock parts.
Now Lenovo, the biggest PC vendor in the world, is taking note.
According to Luca Rossi, Lenovo’s President of its Intelligent Devices Group, 4 out 5 Lenovo computers will be repairable by 2025.
This means batteries, SSD, and other parts will no longer be sealed into the device, and will be available to be swapped out should the component fail.
And while this looks on the surface as if Lenovo is responding to competitors like Framework, there is a bigger driver for the change.
The European Union is changing its laws to require companies to be more forthcoming on device lifespan and how repairable products are.
California and New York are considering similar bills that will require manufacturers to stock repair parts for at least 7 years.
To show just how far sentiment is swinging on the topic, even Apple, long known for its closed devices, is coming around to the idea.
The company, after long opposing any such bills, has signed on to support the California bill.
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