The System Is Rigged Against Repairable Products (It's Not Just Greed)

[@Design.Theory]

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[@klyanadkmorr]

Born poor shopped at Salvation army or Kmart all my life, repaired clothing learned to sow and iron patches, with the toss-buy new all the time economy, buying used barely old stuff is how I keep up. I wait a good 2-4yrs after something comes out and then buy the overstock or someone already tossing their perfectly good used items at 1/2-1/10 the original marketed price. I've a degree schooling in computer IT and electronics but the hassle and I my skill makes taking the time to repair something anyway a hassle. For my cat to have a 24/7 4cats nature vids playing I will fix up a dirt cheap notebook fix sound jack or made a franken monster of a working screen onto a working HDD keyboard for a ACER. My cats attack the birds and mice/fish breaking 2 already over 4-5yrs for only $50 spent.☺

[@aaronplays_]

While I agree that repairability can be immensely boosted by a cultural shift, I don't understand why these companies that are making such efforts don't sell to a market that is virtually untapped and hungry for such products. iFixit, Framework are missing out on a HUGE market by not selling to the entire continent of ASIA. The culture already exists there, but these companies aren't selling and the market has been captured by other brands that are aggressive with making their products available to the customers in there. Despite that, there's still a huge demand for repairable and customizable products in Asia because most people want to squeeze the most out of everything they use. It's like they don't even know this part of the world exists.

[@alkazarblack7266]

Vintage thinkpads being uterly indestructable or simple to fix makes me apreciate good design ngl

[@our_roadtrip]

I've broken quite a few ThinkPads beyond repair...

[@Stellar-Cowboy]

It’s a brick compared to anything now

[@uwize5897]

thinkpads suck today, new and old ones for different reasons

[@deanwoodward8026]

A vintage Thinkpad was designed by IBM, a company that at the time was still very focused on big metal; then they sold the laptop business to Lenovo, a Chinese company. Even then my Yoga 2 Pro, possibly the ugliest laptop in a 20 mile radius, still keeps chugging... But like myself it's a little creakier than ten years ago.

[@levierina]

Oh yeah, my trustworthy x220t from 2011 still serves me loyally and I thanks to my cat's and my own clumsyness it saw quite a few repairs. But still running smoothly for everything but games

[@avocares]

I was impressed when I visited Japan how good the secondary market was for, well, most anything. Culturally there is value placed on items and they don't become useless as they get old. It made it more clear to me than ever the disposable culture of the US. I did not see it well until I visited somewhere that was different.

[@JimJPoggers]

I see what you mean but I have a bit of a differing opinion, Japan has a good secondary market for things because they are looked after not because people value older things with the exception of tradition ("the physical world is scared and worthy of respect, anything that fills you with wonder or awe can be a kami" idk who I'm quoting). Items that are well looked after and lack sentimental value end up on the secondary market they are sold because I believe in Japanese culture people prefer newer objects, because the items are taken care of by the majority of people they can't charge as much for them compared to the west due to an abundance of good second hand items. Shinto beliefs about rebirth and renewal are part of this the Ise Jingu grand shrine is torn down and rebuilt every 20 years, If I was to build a watch smash it throw it away and have it rebirthed as I build a new one I wouldn't call that valuing the original item but someone might.

[@DaveEtchells]

The housing market is the direct opposite. In most parts of the world, you’ll be able to sell your old house for more than you paid for it. Not so in Japan: People view old homes as “used” and outdated, so values drop over time, until they’re torn down and new ones are built in their place. There are complex cultural and historic issues involved (the frequency of earthquakes is part of it), but older houses are very much looked down on.

[@dvol]

I have a Framework, and the difference is immediately visible. It feels surprisingly solid, but not absolutely perfect next to my Macbook. Those spacers next to the trackpad aren't perfectly flush, even after reseating a few times. The switches for the mic/webcam are both hard to move and lose-feeling at the same time. The keyboard feels fine, but squishy next to the Mac. While the dimensions are similar on paper, it feels bulkier and definitely heavier. But I have a number pad, one of the light-up ones. The trackpad is centered under the keyboard (so, it's weirdly to the left, which feels great but I can't imagine a designer would ever put it there). It has exactly the ports I want, and none I don't. And those switches do actually completely disable the mic and camera -- the OS sees it as the camera being a USB device that gets unplugged when I flip that switch. It arrived with some assembly required (they included the screwdriver needed!). But it has a little credits list printed inside the case of the people who built it, and there are tons of instructions, QR codes, and "This battery is replaceable!" notices printed on components inside the device! So the look and feel really do emphasize repairability and customizability in a way that's as obvious as Apple products are about sleekness.

[@caesiumx1334]

That sounds so great though..

[@minimumapature3361]

I guess that the wider margins make it more durable as well.

[@Thinginator]

Guess I know where I'm looking for my next laptop...

[@Thinginator]

Guess I know where I'm looking for my next laptop...

[@garydiamondguitarist]

I wouldn't have a Framework device myself but I love the design philosophy; right to repair, modular components etc. Very commendable. Older electrical devices often used to come with a little schematic inside if you did happen to disassemble them (or your favourite Mr Fixit tech did) or indeed a Service Manual bundled in, or at least very easy to get from the manufacturer. I think this was all in the name of getting the maximum amount of use from your purchase, less waste. It amazes me that in this day and age when carbon footprints and green living are apparently all the rage, we're in an era of some of the most user hostile company practices including eschewing right to repair. You can eat all the kale you want but it doesn't change that, does it? 😂

[@Nik930714]

Electronics engineer here. I'm really grateful to be working for a company that mostly works for other companies and not consumers. Companies tend to not want to replace equipment they just got last year, so my design goals are durability-durability and durability. If it cant last at least 5 years (usually we aim for 10+) with no repairs in a hot or freezing environment, it doesn't pass mustard. Its nice designing something with no planned obsolescence.

[@kaielwyn]

I’m not here to make enemies, but the term you’re looking for is “muster,” it’s a military term, for when you gather in formation and receive an inspection

[@Nik930714]

@@kaielwyn On no, thank you for the the correction. I'm not a native English speaker and while i do get by, i have holes in my vocabulary. I always assumed it came from cooking, as in someone fucked up making mustard in a professional kitchen.

[@Waldohasaskit210]

Personally, I like the phrase "doesn't pass mustard" better. There are way more people that use mustard than have been to military boot camp, so I vote we change it.

[@something-from-elsewhere]

​@@Waldohasaskit210 To me it feels like it could be a cross between "doesn't pass muster" and "doesn't cut the mustard", which mean pmuch the same thing in this context anyways so it makes sense to mix them like that to my mind ^^

[@RoyaltyInTraining.]

Sure, society is partially responsible. But a company giving their low end devices only two years of security updates while also locking down their firmware to make 3rd party support impossible... That is 100% corporate greed and needs to be regulated out of existence immediately.

[@Design.Theory]

Agree

[@murtazarajabi8183]

At least we should be able to replace the battery if not the other parts.

[@Tombombadillo999]

🙏

[@童緯強]

I have been using phones with old OS for years without being hacked. Old features phones don't get OS updates but they lasts forever. Most of the time OS updates either brick or slow a phone down anyway.

[@LiviuGelea]

It's also ARM architecture not being as backwards compatible as x86. At one point vendors have to suport a large numbers of incompatible versions of chips and they just drop support

[@idiotluggage]

I bought a Framework laptop just because it was repairable, three to four years ago. I bought the low end board and maxed the RAM. It does everything that I want it to. I went back to their website recently and noticed that they have cases so you can continue to use old motherboards when you upgrade.

[@Zuldaar]

One of my biggest gripes is with headphones. Whenever they break, it's just some solder coming off, an extremely easy repair. But since these things are made of rigid plastic, no (outside) screws, this means that taking it apart equals breaking it up. I hate those plastic shells.

[@johnharvey7913]

Agreed. Modern headphones are built like crap, unlike the old Koss and David Clark variety. I literally am in the process of replacing the ear pads and headband cushions on two different headphones that decided to self destruct at the same time. Luckily you can get replacement ear pads for a lot of headphones, but nobody offers replacement parts for the headband. Unless you are the lucky owner of the famous Sony 7506s, which you can actually get all the replacement parts for, and install them yourself. Bravo to Sony! Of course that product is aimed at working pros who like things to...work. I just got back from JOANN fabrics with some material to cover my two flaking headphones. "Pleather" is the lying word they created for "fake leather that falls apart." BTW I listened to this video with my daily drivers, a pair of Mario Bellini-designed Yamahas. Bought them about 40 years ago and they still sound good. The leather headband deteriorated about 10 years ago, so I removed it and wrapped some tape around the cross piece. Works fine. Next, I gotta try out those 45-year-old Stax that I haven't used in a while. They were made of metal and leather. Haven't fallen apart. They were the cheapest Stax then, the new "cheap" Stax ($500) are plastic. Will they be around in 5 years? Headphones should last a LONG time. Stax had almost perfect sound way back when because of their electrostatic design, which has stood the test of time. And the Yamahas are the more affordable alternatives. My desk came from Design Research in the late 1970s, along with the Aalto stool I am sitting on. Design junkie here, can ya tell? Just replaced my 14-year-old iMac with a "too-thin" iMac M3. Gorgeous screen...too bad Apple will "obsolete" this in 5 years. I think that kind of thinking is obsolete. What is so "woke" or "progressive" about designing stuff to go straight into a landfill so shareholders can be pleased? Nothing. Disposability is past its "sell-by" date. My longest-lasting product: a pair of bright orange Fiskars I bought 50 years ago, and still work great. I don't baby them either. Could they last 100 years? The trick is to care about what you buy, but not about what anybody else thinks about your choices. You decide for you. Better to have fewer, but better things. My 2 cents.

[@minimumapature3361]

Let me introduce you to Grado. A company that makes 200$+ headphones that have worse build quality than 0.99$ gas station earbuds. Low quality non-replaceable cables that will break in 4 different locations. Plus they are so heavy that they will eventually break the SOLDER connections on the driver board all by themselves. Worse part is if you live anywhere that's not in the U.S.A. it'll take 6 months+ to get them repaired and shipped back to you (if they even bother to honour your warranty).

[@cjay2]

Meanwhile my 20 year old Sennheiser HD600 are still working fine, and I get replacement pads and parts for them easily.

[@hoozn]

For this very reason, the Sennheiser HD25 is one of the timeless gems of headphone design, in my opinion. Super simple design, fully modular, so you don't need anything except for a screwdriver to take it apart, every single element is replaceable, and most importantly, it is made from flexible plastic, so it is nearly impossible to break. Even when operating fully wasted - which is probably why it has been a DJ's favourite for 30+ years now lol

[@clayz1]

@@johnharvey7913 Fiskars is crap now

[@ethanrogers9627]

At 15:00, I flew into a rage and starting typing up an essay about why camera lenses are wildly different to computer components - then remembered what channel I'm watching and continued with the video. You addressed all my objections and more, and added a bunch of context specifically from your industrial design experience. Your content is just too damn good, I can't even...

[@p_mouse8676]

I have been a professional electronics engineer for 25 years. I can tell you that technically it's absolutely NOT difficult to make a product repairable. Also not from a bigger company point of view. There are some very few exceptions, but I wouldn't count most consumer products for this. That being said, you have to keep in mind that doesn't mean all repairs will be easy to do and will require skilled people. Btw being obsessed by new stuff is mostly engrained in western culture and is something companies like to abuse big time. There are plenty of cultures out there where this isn't a thing at all. There are also plenty of healthy growing companies out there that don't focus on these things and where products are (relatively) easy to repair.

[@garydiamondguitarist]

I mostly agree with this; it's sad how companies like modern Apple have resorted to using strong adhesive and other practices like riveting laptop keyboards in for mass production, adding lots to the difficulty curve of repairing devices. Then when they were forced to comply with Right To Repair, they did it in the most user hostile style that they could legally get away with, to the point where it's still barely worth it for a skilled third-party technician to source parts direct from Apple and go through all the hardware pairing hoops, so essentially Apple have maintained unrepairability through loophole abuse. The "advantage" of having a highly paid legal team I suppose.

[@brettito]

> There are plenty of cultures out there where this isn't a thing at all. I want to go to there.

[@p_mouse8676]

@@brettito grab your backpack, and see the the world!

[@Ellivation]

As soon as I see anything pertaining to “right to repair” I immediately think of Louis. Thankfully, he was the first person you mentioned

[@ericlippe]

Hi John- I just wanted to say that I think you are doing such incredible work with these videos. It seems like I can hear the same 2 takes on every topic from every source and then I watch one of your videos and you address the basic arguments, and then expand the perspective on these really complicated and nuanced issues. It is such amazing work and I think you should be proud. I hope your channel continues to grow into the new year! Keep up the great work!

[@Design.Theory]

That's the goal! Providing some nuance. Thanks for the nice comment. I appreciate you watching the vids

[@edgarweiss9907]

Hey, here is a short story about how this channel influenced my life. about two years ago i was working as a mechanical engineer wich was okay but i wasn't happy, because i didn't feel any passion in this job. Then i stumbled along one of your videos and thougt: Hey, Industrial design sounds interesting. So i digged deeep in to your channel and watched every video. two years later i switched country from swizzerland to germany to study industrial design in the town and university of my dreams. i am 3months in by now and i just know that it is the perfect thing for me and my future career I cant describe how happy and grateful i am to be able to say that. because i know what it means to be unsure and insecure about my own future, i had that problem for the two years, before i found out about your channel. Your passion was the sign to the door of my career as an designer and it really is that way. Thank you very much for that. i am 3months into my studying by now and i just know that it is the perfect thing for me and my life.

[@MM-lg4ni]

are you studying for a Bachelor degree? i'm asking because there are also some schools for this that offer a 2 year program, named "Berufskolleg für Produkt-Design" (at least in a south-west town in Germany where i live), but this seems to be, somewhat, only preparatory for the next step, for example „Industrial-Design“ as "Studiengang" at a university.

[@Thinginator]

I think it's awesome that you can now approach industrial design from a mechanical engineering perspective though! Mechanical engineering might not have been the right fit for you, but it makes you an even more valuable designer because you can understand the mechanical needs of the product while designing it so the design is not impractical.

[@mikethecat3921]

I'm planning to study mechanical engineering next year, but if I had to choose an second option I would choose industrial design, and it's because of this channel

[@Digiflower5]

This reminds me of my Wii U, I still use it regularly. Its HDMI port just failed after 10 years of use about a month ago. Thankfully it has a component slot that works with an HDMI adapter otherwise that is about 100+ dollar repair. A used Wii U cost less than the repair.

[@NortexG]

I tried doing a masters design project on exactly this topic. I felt so hopeless that I physically fell ill and burned out and had to quit the program. The points you raise are spot on. The realisation that most people do not care about this stuff (as much as they think) was heartbreaking. I still feel there is scope to aid designers in decision making within their CAD programs… so might revisit this… wish me luck lol

[@IXPStaticI]

one great thing about repairability is that it goes hand in hand with customizability. Repairing and customazing are really just the exact same thing, swapping out or changing some parts for different ones that suit your needs better, in the case of repairing ones that work at all.

[@NikolaiRubanovskii]

Thank you sooo much for making this video! I commented on one of your previous videos about how I wanted to hear your thoughts on this specific topic and so glad you covered this! I liked what you said about incentives - that the main incentive is to sell new products not repair, otherwise, they'd make repair seamless - that's something I haven't thought about, until now. There is a relevant video by Johnny Harris about why McDonalds ice cream machines are always broken - that's precisely the case of a company whose main profit is maintenance (the ice cream machine company) - because of that they make the machine extremely glitchy and breakable and block out any user except "certified technician". So yeah, if companies made money through repair, they'd damn ensure you need to repair your products A LOT.

[@iliasiosifidis4532]

Informative and engaging as usual. An Interesting design idea is the "hard points" used by the automotive industry. Essentially those is where the engine goes, the chassis, etc, so the designers will adapt their designs to that

[@9Tensai9]

Another very influential reason for repairability is also manufacturing. It's already complex to design a product; now you gotta consider how to make that design scalable for production. Designers sometimes forget that their grand designs should make sense in manufacturing. Then there's the fact that products sometimes are never intended to be touched by human hands. That's why they are so delicate cuz a machine can easily handle them and solder in the exact precise points required AND the reason for them to be so delicate is cuz people won't buy bulky products. Still, we let companies get too confortable and of course they took advantage of it. Why wouldn't they? It started as us not giving a crap about repairability but if we care they are gonna care eventually when we put pressure on them.

[@garydiamondguitarist]

I've followed this channel for a couple of years now, back when he had maybe 5K subscribers, and it's been a genuine pleasure to watch it grow from basic slideshow type videos into deep dives which cover the good and the bad of design. More recently the channel has started to show a social conscience, and it's inspiring to watch. John is informative and educational, a great content maker.

[@gabbamoreno]

I love you being afraid of Luis Rossman’s rage every time repairability is mentioned 😂

[@lillywho]

7:55 Here's the revolutionary alternative: Don't consort with superficial people.

[@our_roadtrip]

I actually just bought an AirFryer because the company promised repairability, spare parts and repair for 15 years... Next phone: Fairphone!

[@Marauder-q2v]

You should just try to get your hands on a 2nd hand phone instead.

[@Marshallchandra]

Which one?

[@wethermon]

Great video. Totally agree with you. People kinda look funny at me for using a old Thinkpad but I don't mind, it's certainly a badge of honor for the ones in the know. ♥️🎩

[@zetectic7968]

6+ years ago a power surge fried the mainboard on my washing machine. The cost of the repair, parts & labour was 1/2 the cost of a new machine: I would only get a 6 month guarantee. So I bought a new machine( on credit) with a 3 year guarantee plus a surge protector for the plug, thus I could spread the purchase price over a year whereas the repair needed to be paid in full.

[@quintessenceSL]

One of the incentives for repairability was brand loyalty, not only for the consumer, but the retailers that would have to cover the initial warranty period. But that only really applies when there is competition and honest (ahem) dealings inter-business. Conglomeration contributes massively to disposable culture.

[@NickNab]

I still have the occasional use of a netbook as a typewriter to this day. It's old, it's slow, it can't do much at all... but it can process words, and it's small and portable. Modern tech to do that is surprisingly expensive.

[@JefferyMewtamer]

Honestly, I don't get the obsession so many people have with ultra slim designs and much prefer devices that actually fit in my hand to something that feels like a pane of glass with rounded edges... And to that end, while I was annoyed when my phone company forced me to replace my ~8 year old flip phone that was working just fine because they were dropping support for 3G devices, I was quite pleased the flip phone I have now is decently hefty, probably the best phone from an ergonomics stand point this side of cordless lan lines of the 90s.

[@filmweaver2013]

As an engineer, who has designed some complex stuff (autonomous robots), one of the most uninteresting/painful process of design was to make it repairable. I support RTR, but it just is very very hard to meet engineering, manufacturing constraints, forget making it easy for someone who doesn’t understand the product completely be able to repair it. I totally agree on not making something irreparable, but most things, like electronics boards with very mundane microcontrollers become complex, fast.

[@erkinalp]

i see, i'm an engineer too, but why not publish a suitable manual for technicians and inclined users then?

[@童緯強]

Just use screws instead of glues, and stop soldering everything to the MB.

[@filmweaver2013]

@ 100% agreed. I think more products should get back to giving comprehensive manuals like in the past.

[@rogermuggleton8127]

Having spent my working lifetime in the manufacture of such products, I have seen the sheer difficulty of keeping a product repairable. These devices contain components from a myriad of manufacturers, all of which can cease production of the part you need at short notice. In fact they can often disappear off the market shortly before your product starts volume manufacture. Highly complex microcircuits have a short manufacturing life, they are only economic to make when there are bulk purchases. You can get round this by keeping a dev team redesigning and manufacturing new replacement parts but it gets hellish expensive because the sales are relatively low. Framework laptops have a market because there are enough enthusiasts who love taking apart their machines and updating them, and the desktop PC market still features highly configurable machines in huge cases. It remains to be seen what will happen as x86 architecture is phased out.

[@erkinalp]

@@rogermuggleton8127 x86 isn't being phased out, in fact the opposite happens, x86 manufacturers have just recently started an advisory group to standardise x86, which may in future become ISO/IEC x86

[@claybford]

Thanks!

[@Design.Theory]

I sincerely appreciate the donation! Thanks :)

[@claybford]

@Design.Theory I remember you mentioning covering R2R a bit ago, glad to see great follow through :)

[@Etrehumain123]

This video is very very good, one chapter would be itself an entire video from another youtuber, you really made an excellent paper, you went to all corners, excellent writing

[@mememe37]

You must've put a lot of effort into this video, thanks!

[@kattenfrederik618]

You failed to mention Fairphone - I fixed my 2019 Fairphone with a new charger module last year, when it by my mistake was drowned in wine... They get 10/10 on fixit.

[@caesiumx1334]

Thanks for mentioning. I personally hate replacing electronics like phones... my phone, my pcs... once I get them set up just how I want them on every little detail.. they are like extensions of my brain... Not a think I want to start part of from scratch without verrrry good reason lol. Hoping I can keep my now 4 or 5 year old phone going many more years, but when it does die if that place is still around I'll be highly considering them.

[@Disthron]

The problem with Oculas making money on the apps is... it's not a console, it's a different kind of screen + input device. The fact that different VR devices are incompatible with one and other is just another major reason hardly anyone has one.

[@jamez6398]

All I'm asking is that they make parts available to repair shops and get rid of those warranty voiding stickers inside their products so you can have your system repaired without voiding your warranty. Then the repair shops can figure out how to fix the products regardless of difficulty level. That's all I'm asking for.

[@vladamark98]

I adored the channel before, but I absolutely love it now! Thank You for making such incredible content and talking about such important topics. Keep up the amazing world. Thanks again

[@elespecia5604]

"Corporate disfunction" made me smile, because it's true... 😂

[@quazar5017]

Easy: make something Difficult: make something modular Very difficult: make something modular on industrial scale Extremely difficult: make something modular at scale and backwards compatible God level: make something modular, backwards and forwards compatible, at scale that random, unskilled people can cost effectively repair ... like lego

[@RAZR_Channel]

The era of making the Best product to earn a good name... has devolved into who can make the Worst...

[@thomas6502]

Flip phone FTW! (Also, added Framework into the brand mix in my laptop search thanks to this video. Cheers John et al.)

[@El_Rey_247]

I still use a flip phone to this day! I might make the switch soon, not because I dislike flip phone technology, but because the internet is leaving me behind. It's a struggle to even check emails on the darn thing thanks to new interfaces and layers of security checks. Captchas also regularly screw me over. The worst is, of course, when mobile websites don't actually let you use the website, and refuse you access unless its through the mobile app.

[@9an13l]

if someone would make a truly reliable and repairable product with longevity in mind, do you think it would find success? I mean the fairphone is "barely" successful....also i have seen people flex about being able to pay the high repair costs of something they owned as if that was something to boast about, and in the end frank zappa's quote stays true: "they're not only selling you a product, they sell you the lifestyle in which the product functions"....

[@jimurrata6785]

"While de ones with de M.B.A.'s hit de lobby 'n sell some $hit, 'fo de customers over-run yo' ass!". 😂 Epic Frank!

[@Amphibax]

That would need a big shift in overall consumer behavior, repairabelity always comes sacrifices and for most its not worth it.

[@jimurrata6785]

@@Amphibax Certainly not in the case of consumer electronics. The field is changing fast and the standards do too. Whether it's hard infrastructure (think 3G) or lines of code (HTML, etc) or some combination of the two (SDR) it's not necessarily that obsolescence is built in intentionally. There are probably millions of perfectly functional 3310's sitting in a drawer because they the planet shifted beyond their capabilities

[@brendanfinlayson]

the day i see you not in that jacket, is the day my mind will melt.

[@Design.Theory]

I actually am not wearing it right now. If I'm about to go surfing I usually wear a different jacket because I don't want to leave it in the car (don't want it to get stolen while I'm out)

[@glazdarklee1683]

This is fascinating and covers so many different ideas. Interestingly, I am watching and typing this on a Lenovo Legion, which I have repaired and upgraded many times. And what I think allows this are the offset hinges, which seem very inconsistent with that aesthetic ideal you describe.

[@hullinstruments]

Apple needs to take a play out of caterpillars book. Try buying parts to fix your bulldozer .... They'll sell you any part for any machine they've ever made. But holy hell get ready to bend over

[@vtange_eng]

1:59 this basically sums it up really well. Most people work 9-5 (some people work more, odd hours) and prioritize whatever gets them promo as soon as possible, usually stuff like a11y and cleaning technical debt gets you nothing at all, heck it might even make you easier to lay off.

[@Dukenukem]

One way to fight the "social pressure" is to have unique devices. I choose distinct products that I plan to keep for a while (like amobile phone), that is why I bought ZFlip phone and Edge before that. It takes a while for others to catch up (and iPhone never will) or it stays unique forever. Also keeping it pristine and clean helps immensly... I can have 5 years old phone, but it is still scratchless and clean like freshly unpacked. I also keep the original boxes so when I resell my stuff eventually it has everything original, people are shocked that the device has been extensively used and not just recently unpacked.

[@maxwell8773]

This is a very difficult topic that most right to repair advocates won't discuss fully. Even though it can be fun to rage at companies and their greedy practices, it's important to fully address the real issues with repairability- especially when it's partially our own fault, too. Thank you for another insightful essay.

[@xelaxander]

I love seeing a well maintained, well-worn high-quality bike. It’s definitely a status symbol because the owner was able to put so many kilometers on it. It signals both commitment and purpose.

[@JimJPoggers]

When I was taught planned obselescence in engineering it was compared to designing for a racecar, the racecar may only do 20 laps in a single race if we want to go as fast as possible it should break after those 20 laps. People like fast cars, cool looking things and keeping up with trends I don't think people will change how they value things. I believe it is here to stay. Civilisations have tried to last forever but never do I don't see a point in trying to make things last forever, but an extra few years is nice.

[@leinadreign3510]

I loved my Razr phone. In silver. Blue lightning keyboard. Just great! And even if it was that small and thin, you could still change the battery! And it survived a heavy rainfall!

[@alpacamale2909]

Amazing video again my dude. Keep it up. Your channel has grown so much this year. I think you're the fastest growing channel I've ever seen.

[@Daniel-dp7ey]

One thing to note about 3D printers at 13:43 is that the market is shifting towards more "premium" feeling machines with more custom parts and close-sourced software. It isn't a completely bad thing because the consumers were tired of companies like Creality providing low-effort clones of their own products and new printers developed by Bambu Lab have become a new generation of workhorse machines. These new machines are generally quite repairable for most situations with affordable first-party parts and cheaper third party alternatives, but many of the components don't use standardized and off-the-shelf components. Moreover, we can't be completely sure how long these companies are willing to support these new machines. With the influx of users that want a machine that "just works", it'll be interesting to see if the 3D printer market follows the same trends as other tech industries.

[@distantprince4564]

I feel something that shows the devaluing of repairability overall in American culture is peoples ability to mend clothes. Most people don't know how to sew or have very limited knowledge (i include myself in this). I like punk culture because overall people value repair. Having something you fixed or modified is better then getting something new. though i feel we both don't have as much time to do repairs in the modern day and clothes are made cheaply so it is not seen as worth it to repair most clothes.

[@MH-fn8ft]

TBF, buying new laptops or monitors from lenovo also sucks, there are so many similar products with hard to get differences

[@TalenGryphon]

Im actually running into this right now with an Acer Nitro 5. Apparently it is OBSCENELY common for the power MOSFET to burn up because it doesn't have a heatsink. And because it's soldered directly to the motherboard it takes the entire board with it (Unless you are a wizard with a hot air rework station). This problem plagued even my generation despite about a dozen prior board revisions! I call it "Defective by design" and am currently trying to build my own heatsink for the sucker out of scrap aluminum sheet

[@nintendoeats]

I worked with somebody who used a dumb phone, Nokia 1100 sort of thing. I really really respected him for that. I think those stats about old phones are going to change, as smart phones have become a commodity item. The industry isn't bringing anything really interesting to the table, more and more people that I talk to don't see any value in newer phones. OTOH, they do complain that phones are too large now and...a non-trivial number are with me on wishing that phones with keyboards would come back. I MAY self-select likeminded people >_>

[@hiddenbear5306]

Ou yea Mr. Design Man with another +25min video, somethink to watch while maintaining my X260 Thinkpad

[@trazwaggon]

the video at 15:43 is called "My Lens Collection" by KickThePj

[@journi2508]

10:10 Nah, the Nintendo 3DS is the actual cutest thing ever and it still maintains a decent level of repairability 🎉

[@Disthron]

About corporate dysfunction... WHAT?! How dose that make sense... are they afraid of bumping into someone elses patient?!

[@dmisso42]

Try and get a spare part for your Honda Power tool. Back order wait lists can run to six months or more in Australia. If you rely on any of the tools to run a business, can you affortd to have it out of use for that long? Better buy a Masport.

[@DanDan-li4hr]

A YES! Louis Rossmann and the great story of vacuum

[@chrisk5985]

My husband uses a flip phone (he's 29, I'm 25) and honestly I've only ever thought highly of him because of it. He's used it since before I met him, and I like it because I felt he was so much more present when we hung out because he wasn't absorbed into his phone. That phone statistic just feels so weird and vapid to me.

[@zyxw2000]

I'm on my 4th. I buy them on Ebay. My friends don't care that I'm not cool, because that's not important to them.

[@garydiamondguitarist]

Sounds like he's in good habits - be there in the moment, don't doom scroll on your phone kind of thing. Back to basics. There is a trend among younger generations starting to come through whereby they are going back to old audio standards we used to take for granted like vinyl and cassette, and "dumb" phones which only offer the most basic of features. As someone who is increasingly tired of big companies abusing the notification feature of their apps to distract you constantly (and a lot of them you can't disable ones that don't interest you properly) which is just more noise when you're trying to stay in contact with people, I can definitely see the appeal, in the same way I've always seen the appeal of vinyl - as long as your turntable spins, the stylus is good and your amp and speakers work, you'll get many happy years of music from it.

[@nandu1770]

And what about you, are you absorbed in your smartphone?😂

[@IanZainea1990]

25:27 Ah, so per usual over the last 20 years or so, Europe is able to create laws that affect US companies, while here in the US we continue to backslide into dystopia. Wonderful.

[@Seelingfahne]

21:44 I would argue this is a weakly-supported dichotomy that most engineers have, that a product will compromise UX or cost if repair is given too much priority. Might be time for a culture change, so long as your business model can profit from selling spare parts, you will create the internal incentive structure necessary for good designs and efficient manufacture of the product.

[@willywodka]

There is an interesting study which shows that up to 20% of the new price of a product is the upper limit of what a repair is allowed to cost psychologically. E.g.: as a new washing machine costs ~350$ hourly wage of the repair man is going over this treshold. This is why repair no longer an alternative to replace. Robert Pirsig said it correctly in Zen and the Art of Motercycle Maintanance: you only think about the value of an object you own once it has broken down. The only option companies can viably offer is to offer the modules with the highest failure risk only, at below this 20% cost treshold, and to make these self-replacable. The washing machine company should thus only offer the motor module, the pump module and maybe the PCB as a self contained module.

[@1337GameDev]

22:32 - This is a design decision that's INTENTIONAL. They intentionally don't offer tools to reprogram or SIGHNED firmware for chips....

[@quazar5017]

From my days working in a sea port I know "every part on a shipping container can and will break". Shipping containers aren't high tech, but repairable by any craftsman in a third world country to at least workable condition. Or by unskilled workers with some duct tape, silicone, a big hammer and a random plank of wood in a emergency. Sophiceset to say that most shipping containers look like patch works after 15 years, but are objectively in fully serviceable condition.

[@dielaughing73]

"Suffice it to say"

[@quazar5017]

@@dielaughing73 thx

[@johnharvey7913]

Just wanted to say I thought that this video was remarkably fair-minded, and credible because you have real-world experience. Your best one yet. Thank you. Semi-seriously: can you also do an exploration about our health care system? Boy, do we need one of those, especially after the disturbing events of the past week. We all need to slow down and think.

[@quocanhnguyen7275]

"Here's one example" goes fucking HARD

[@Design.Theory]

lol

[@NathanGrajek]

15:52 Concept 2 exercise equipment is a great example of repairability and backwards compatibility as well! 😊

[@mintee8638]

Changing the definition of beauty and visual design to include time (durability)... ...at least for products you expect to not be obsolete for 10+ years.

[@1337GameDev]

24:34 - The problem is it's hard to communicate reparability, as well as "defects" or design decisions that limit reparability. EG: Flexgate, TouchIC "disease" for iphone 6, GPU failures in 2014/2015 macbooks, etc. And then other common failures such as "non user replaceable ssd" don't even describe the effort needed to replace a single bad NAND on macbooks. Same for a battery. And an SSD is a WEAR ITEM and Apple protects the process to replace it so it's hard to even find. The computer EASILY could detect mismatched NANDs/parts and then require a signed binary file for apple diagnostics (or load it from a smaller secondary nand or flash drive) and easily repair and calibrate ANY component EASILY. They literally used to provide this. I remember changing fans, thermal paste, and a temp sensor on a PowerMacG5 -- and launching ASD from a flash drive/disc and it handled everything without my intervention. But they want to limit 3rd party device lifetime to shrink the used market over time as they don't benefit from it anymore in terms of sales.

[@datsunpolo]

once again , a great informative video , you nailed it with all the aspects , great work !

[@finntjomstol9364]

Let’s go right to repair woo

[@tankfire20]

7:12 pimp out your old phone with aesthetics. Flip phone aesthetics are pristine.

[@TeaBurn]

I'm a little delirious from being sick...I thought I clicked on a video with John Travolta was hosting for a moment as soon as I saw that flip-phone together with that leather jacket and hairdo look.

[@alap1983]

This is so sad, yet fascinating to watch and listen. Companies not making their products durable and repairable. This is indeed an uphill battle, but Consumers CAN make a change. Boycott/avoid companies that have products with "Planned Obsolescence". Celebrate and reward companies that prioritize repairability, sustainability, and durability. Remember: thin and shiny DOES NOT mean better. Being bulky isn't necessarily a flaw. And the latest doesn't mean the greatest. Consumers are already starting to use the products they purchased for a longer duration. And this is causing companies to panic. Instead of conspiring or napping, companies can capitalize on this trend by introducing products that are "Built to last" and with "Easier Repairability". BUT, will the companies take up the challenge for the greater (and their own) good?

[@phildf2447]

Thanks for making this. I appreciate that you addressed all aspects of this issue and fairly represented both sides. In regards to not being able to repair microchips or chip boards, I’m not a trained mechanic, but have made a lot of fairly complex repairs to my vehicle. I was not capable of fixing the parts themselves, but I could replace them. Same thing goes for electronics, I couldn’t repair a microchip, board, or a screen, but I can replace it without having to replace the entire device. That’s reasonable repairability, or at least being able to replace the most frequently damaged or failed parts.

[@il-ma.le.]

8:31 ,bits before as well, is proof that Steve Cutts was not lying when showing people changing smartphone in matter of seconds

[@lassemogensen7099]

Very good points, and a nuanced take on the issue. As a design engineer I see these issues from the manufacturing side and making things repairable is not always easy. From the consumer side, two personal experiences: 20 years ago I considered buying a titanium mountain bike frame. If I had, that frame would have still been in great condition, but it would be too small, the angles would be wrong and it would not fit modern wheels or forks. It would have been "unrepairable", not becuse it was technically impossible, but because the design of mountain bikes has moved on. The other example is my Concept II rowing machine. I have a 1980's model (I think) that I bought second hand. WHen I needed spare parts, I went on their website and found that they still stock parts for my machine. 30 years on! I will never buy another brand if I can find a Concept II next time I need on. Of course, that may take a while since I can keep it running...

[@ricardoramirezv]

It is always a good day when I find one of your videos in my feed, thnx

[@renatanovato9460]

Companies have invested millions in marketing and propaganda to mold our culture, habits, and desires.

[@Digiflower5]

All I know is the Quest 2's value is dropping like a rock and I see no reason to upgrade a quest 3 since it will be obsolete in a few years anyways.

[@xnexxy]

NEW DESIGN THEORY VIDEO DROPPED 🗣🗣

[@cembayraktar9846]

This is great, I learned so much from this video. Thanks a lot for making this!!! 🙏

[@THEEJONESY]

amazing, more people need to hear this

[@Jorda5s]

I feel there’s an odd fascination of showing no screws to make a product appear more clean but then use a shit Ton of adhesive to make them inconvenient to fix now. The old galaxy active phones had removable backs and were still waterproof and they had headphone jacks. Now we got one port and no memory card slots.

[@drehzahlmesser]

Great Video. Absolutely how it is working in our company.

[@galgrunfeld9954]

Absolutely fantastic video.

[@clayz1]

Thanks for doing this video.

[@hairyneil]

Another factor, which maybe comes under corporate greed, is the idea that the economy must grow, so new things must be bought.

[@StudioHoekhuis]

This is why I always buy desktop PC's, I'm used to swapping out parts whenever something is broken or I want to upgrade. It's not that hard, it's like Lego, each part only fits one way. With a little help from KZbin anyone can repair almost any PC.

[@LonkinPork]

8:00 my dad hung onto one of those early-10s phones with a slide-out keyboard until his phone carrier mad him upgrade to a smartphone, in 2022

[@FairbrookWingates]

I went a month without my laptop (thanks to security features implemented without my knowledge or understanding) in order to have said laptop repaired. It's now running plug-in only, no battery, but I still have it!

[@toby182]

mine from third world countries, built to break and dump at third world countries, then claim self low carbon footprint green country

[@francischang]

On repairable laptops: Buy a Lenovo or Dell, and get the extra 4 year accidental damage next-business day onside support. If you break your laptop, they send a person to your house to come fix it for you. Also, the Oculus Quest is a bad example. They're not making money, they're losing money hand over fist just to try and establish VR as a thing that normal people want to do. They're just trying to not lose as much money getting there.

[@ijchua]

1. Lenovo, or rather, the ThinkPad line of products, have a long history of being repairable. For 20 or so years, they have been publishing the hardware maintenance manual for their ThinkPad products. Through it, I have been able to repair and replace parts (if they fail at all), over the past decades. 2. Lenses are far simpler than hardware. It is easy to shim old lenses to new bodies. It is practically impossible to say, make an old ISA port compatible with Thunderbolt 4.

[@strangelyrepulsive77]

what i don't get with repairable products just like with health insurance is why we don't get what we want due to manufacturers competing with each other by offering us what we want and advertising it.