Apple's T2 chip won't allow third-party repairs to your MacBook

13 November 2018
But it also enables tons of security and non-security features.

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Kiyasuriin, 15 Nov 2018Great luck! Go smash them and make a flagship killer for us~!Oh don't worry, I will. It's time for this market to calm down with the prices
HahahaHaHaHaHAHAHA

    • D
    • AnonD-731363
    • SH3
    • 15 Nov 2018

    I wonder why people still support this parody like company which squeezes its customers like citrone from all the jjuice and then leaves them with a sad face.

      • C
      • Chudo
      • gDL
      • 15 Nov 2018

      Nick Tagataka, 13 Nov 2018So basically T2 chip prevents thiefs/fishy 3rd party repair... moreWrong!Apple took away the right from their consumers to decide on their own (and with devices that belong to them,not apple) wether they are going to risk it at third party repair shops or take it to Apple's store!Apple (and nobody,for that matter) in no way has the right to decide for their customer where they are going to repair THEIR OWN devices (and call it "security feature" that nobody asked them to make).Btw if you think that apple made this because they are concerned about your security,then sorry,but that is just plain naive...

        Walter C. Dornez, 14 Nov 2018Huh I see. I plan to major in Engineering out Business. Who... moreGreat luck! Go smash them and make a flagship killer for us~!

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          • Anonymous
          • v3F
          • 15 Nov 2018

          [deleted post]Wait... You actually think the WHOLE market n economy revolves around Apple?

          Brilliant, u just proved my point. Your words, not mine hehe.

          You sure you’re a hater bro? Awww, just admit you like apple don’t be shy there’s no shame in that, it’s just gadgets bruh.

            • ?
            • Anonymous
            • m%5
            • 14 Nov 2018

            [deleted post]Apple offers things that no one else is offering. And they come at a price. Which is a well worth it price considering the benefits.

              *never put any Apple store or Authorized Service Center in some country* and then *block 3rd party service center*

              just Apple being apple

                Kiyasuriin, 14 Nov 2018I am actually much better in Physics than Biology. However ... moreHuh I see. I plan to major in Engineering out Business. Who knows, maybe I could make my own smartphone company

                  • S
                  • SmartphoneFan
                  • 3aE
                  • 14 Nov 2018

                  Stupid crApple .. hopefully those naive apple ppl fans gonna STOP buying their products

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                    • Anonymous
                    • v3F
                    • 14 Nov 2018

                    Wow, didn't realise so many apple "haters" seem to be so concerned and upset over a product they claim to "never buy"

                    Guess I was wrong about haters; they really want Apple to do well.

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                      • Anonymous
                      • MwH
                      • 14 Nov 2018

                      Furiounx, 14 Nov 2018That must be painstakingly difficult as a main device for s... moreActually, not really. If I had any trouble or it was more difficult to do those things on the iPad, I would have just gone back to using a laptop. The Apple Pencil paired with the large 12.9" screen and 120Hz touch sensitivity makes for a very easy-to-work-in environment.

                      As for multitasking, yes. I can have 3 apps open and visible on the screen all at the same time, as well as a standalone video playing in any of the corners besides the three apps open.

                      The whole experience is different to laptops or Macs, but once you get used to it and the gestures you have on iPhones, it all makes sense and is a pretty sweet setup. Thin and light, big and awesomely responsive and colour accurate display, great sound, easy to use both on a desk and on the couch, on a plane, in a car, on a train, in the bathroom, etc.

                        Anonymous, 14 Nov 2018I have the 12.9" one. Sold my laptop and I'm using this as ... moreThat must be painstakingly difficult as a main device for such needs. I struggle to multitask on a 5.5" screen. Do iPads have multitasking capabilities these days?

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                          • Anonymous
                          • MwH
                          • 14 Nov 2018

                          Furiounx, 14 Nov 2018Like a newspaper? I'm gonna hold a giant tablet like a news... moreBtw everything you read on printed paper, you read at roughly the same distance from your eyes. (assuming the printed text follows the general printing guides in terms of size, weight, kerning, colour, and contrast)

                          "Newspaper reading distance" is just common terminlogy to define "normal reading distance for text print".

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                            • Anonymous
                            • MwH
                            • 14 Nov 2018

                            Furiounx, 14 Nov 2018Like a newspaper? I'm gonna hold a giant tablet like a news... moreI have the 12.9" one. Sold my laptop and I'm using this as my main device.
                            Doing all my personal productivity, graphic design, video editing, photo editing, browsing, reading, and media consumption, everything on it. Using it as a laptop, using it laying on the couch, holding it 30cm from my face. There's never a feeling of "I would've needed a higher resolution screen". And graphic design and video editing require sharp displays.

                            People who talk about needing higher resolution on iPads and iPhones have never used them.

                              Anonymous, 14 Nov 2018You look at you iPad from book/newspaper reading distance. ... moreLike a newspaper? I'm gonna hold a giant tablet like a newspaper so I can read off it? What are you? 60? Besides, any one who has an iPad that big would be using it for productivity and games, in which case could look pixely.

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                                • Anonymous
                                • MwH
                                • 14 Nov 2018

                                Is Apple's T2 chip 'blocking' independent repairs of new Macs, or is it providing hardware based tamper protection to keep those Macs secure?

                                There's a lot of confusion going around about Apple's T2-based Macs, including the iMac Pro (2017), MacBook Pro (2018), and brand new Mac mini (2018) and MacBook Air (2018) and the trade-offs they make between security and repairability. Which is understandable. It's a complex subject, perspective taking is hard, and the internet is terrible at juggling multiple truths.

                                Apple likely sees T2 as a major advance in security for the vast majority of its customers at the expense of what is a small and shrinking part of the market that still wants to get inside and mess with the guts of their Macs. Independent repair shops probably see it as yet another blow to traditional, modular computing and their own business models. Where some see badly replaced screens and dangerously swapped batteries, others see overblown, overpriced repairs with no reasonable alternatives.

                                Security vs. convenience

                                T2 is all about security. Security is perpetually at war with convenience. With T2, the new hardware security is at war with the convenience of indie and self-repair. Apple's not doing anything deliberately or actively to interfere with those types of repairs, they're simply a casualty of the new security systems being put in place.

                                As much as having T2-level security is a major differentiator for Apple, it's also a huge benefit for many modern Mac customers. And that includes tamper protection. If you can simply swap out parts on a T2 system, then T2 offers no real security. And that's a huge problem when it comes to things like hardware-based disk encryption and Apple Pay authentication.

                                Have a target in mind? Get physical access to their machine, swap out the secured parts for compromised parts, and go to town. Think that's hard? How often do you hand over your computer when crossing borders? Apple has spent a lot of time fighting government agencies and bad actors alike, local and international, to prevent bypasses on iOS and, increasingly, that's the level of protection they're aiming for on the Mac.

                                T2 was designed to prevent all that and more. Including, for example, a website showing you one price and charging you another, higher price. That's done through a hardened, secured channel through the machine, from the Secure Enclave to the display. And it's why, if you do anything that potentially compromises hardware security, potentially including turning off hardware security to run Linux, T2 can disable Touch ID Apple Pay, and require you to authenticate using an iOS device, like you would on a non-Touch ID Mac.

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                                  • Anonymous
                                  • MwH
                                  • 14 Nov 2018

                                  Furiounx, 14 Nov 2018Well do you mount your iPad on the wall and look at it from... moreYou look at you iPad from book/newspaper reading distance. That is 30-50 cm away from your eyes, depending on your reading preference.
                                  There is no pixelation visible at either distance.

                                  Once you use an iPad, you never think it would need a higher resolution screen. That's because you won't see any pixelation or bad text rendering. Everything looks buttery smooth and crispy.

                                    Anonymous, 14 Nov 2018ipads are close up? hahaha Dude please go home you are drunkWell do you mount your iPad on the wall and look at it from 50+ cm away? P.S. I am home.

                                      • ?
                                      • Anonymous
                                      • Fvc
                                      • 14 Nov 2018

                                      Furiounx, 14 Nov 2018IPads are used close up.....laptops and computers are not..... moreipads are close up? hahaha
                                      Dude please go home you are drunk

                                        There was a guy living nearby, who fixed some people's computers by stealing new components and putting old ones inside. He usually did that to people who really aren't into computers and God knows what other ways he had to rip people off.

                                        So I kinda get ot what Apple wants to accomplish with this. You'll get your MacBook repaired, it won't work as well as before, it might even need repair again soon, and you won't be satisfied with your products, blaming Apple.
                                        At the other hand, this sucks for tech people who know how to repair their own stuff, since now they have to pay to Apple to do it for them.