Donation Programs Extend the Lifecycle of IT Assets
The Right to Repair is no longer a small idea but a growing movement sweeping across the tech world. Industry leaders such as Apple, Microsoft and Google have all announced their own versions of repair kits and made adjustments to their repair policies to expand repair options. Apple’s self-repair kits sparked several debates over whether or not the purchase is worth the price and work; and last month the company expanded the self-service repair to include MacBook Air and MacBook Pro notebooks with the M1 family of chips. Some are excited about the addition, but this is an opportunity to point out the many challenges presented by the right to repair.
The right to repair is just that, consumers’ right to repair their own electronic devices or have the liberty to take it to a third party repair shop. In the past, larger tech companies withheld the necessary information that third-party repair shops need to access in order to fix certain devices. Right to repair calls for the manufacturers to expand their repair policies and to make this information available for repair shops. However, many of these companies took this a step further and announced self-repair kits for users to repair their own devices rather than trained repair technicians in third-party shops. This may seem like a positive change, but it can be extremely dangerous.
Whether it’s hanging a bookshelf or installing new software on your computer, we have all turned to the internet for quick tutorials, but electronics repairs are much more complex and require certain knowledge and experience that tutorials cannot provide.
Most electronics today are made with Lithium Ion batteries, which are known to cause fires when damaged, and have been the culprit of many house fires. There is a reason device repairs are left to professionals. It takes one wrong tool in the wrong port to destroy a device completely or ignite a lithium battery simply by trying to remove the battery.
For this reason, it is important to consider all aspects of repair before making a decision. Repairs by manufacturers can be costly, as well as replacing devices, but keep in mind that third-party repair shops are also professionals trained in handling electronics, and self repairs should never be attempted without proper knowledge and preparation.
IT asset disposition enterprises like HOBI collect old electronics and ensure they are disposed of in a safe, environmentally friendly manner, and some offer repair opportunities for device remarketing. HOBI provides repair and refurbishment services for devices that have not yet reached the end of their useful life cycle to maximize value in retired IT assets.
For more information about our ITAD services call 817-814-2620, or contact HOBI at sales@hobi.com.
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