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Imagine if all our gadgets had a repair manual. Even if it was just schematics and assembly guide. Wow.



most of them are not repairable. They are manufactured using one-way techniques like fusing plastics vs. screws or clips, or the discrete parts are amalgamated into a single component, or you need special tools (or software) to do anything.


The manufacturers’ service teams want you to think that, but the truth is there will always be aspiring individuals who can figure out the fixes, and through the power of the internet share with the world.

Is an Xbox meant to be fixed? I learned to hot air rework a tiny QFN40 chip and got it working.

I plug a usb-can cable into my vehicle, and unlock all kinds of functionality that was held back (ex. rolling windows down from key fob).

I like to hope that out there are all kinds of engineers making small opportunities for doors to be opened, perhaps for themselves or the collective. So perhaps you too, can contribute with that “secret” menu or properly labeling the PCB pogo pins.


In a way, an undergraduate education provides the "user manual" for a field, and graduate the "shop manual".




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