Very recently, OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturers of consumer desktops and laptops, like Dell, HP and Sony, etc.) have been introducing new features into the Basic Input/Output System (the system that controls all the hardware in a computer).
These features are put in under the guise of protecting the consumer, but in practice they are unnecessary and over-complicating the setup and experience, reducing ownership power and ownership privacy. As a technology service provider, these changes are making harder to provide services to you.
I have decided that it’s no longer a good business decision to have to conform to the limitations these changes place on my services.
Because of the evolution of the internet, the computer industry has been going through a lot of changes in the last couple of years. Some of these changes are good for society, and some are not. For now, manufacturers, who design and sell off-the-shelf consumer computer parts, parts that go into making a computer, are not affected by the anti-customer changes OEM providers are currently making to consumer grade computers. But there is mounting pressure to design hardware around a closed security model where the market-dominating companies can dictate how hardware is developed.
Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) are not required to follow certain standards like the rest of the computer industry that sell computer parts. They can, and do make for-profit changes to the equipment they design, negatively impacting the sale and use of computing products. These kinds of changes, that are made to hardware and preloaded software, such as the Windows operating system, run counter to open design/development standards. These OEM’s make these changes in an attempt to monopolize a market, or gather data from its customers without informed consent. To read more about this topic, see my articles on “DeceptiveTechnology”
If you plan on upgrading to, or purchasing a new desktop computer, I recommend, and will build, a custom-made computer that meets your specific needs, instead of recommending a pre-built OEM Computer that you purchase from a computer store. For laptops, I recommend a Framework Laptop. Framework builds laptops around sustainability. Their design choices reflect open standards. As the current throw-away computer industry continues to makes these cost-saving but anti-customer changes, Computers and Laptops, built around open standards levels the playing field for everyone, but they also have different price points (Usually a few hundred dollars more) and slightly longer ordering and shipment windows.
I strongly believe that moving away from supporting these big players will improve customer choice and in the long run create a healthy market place that isn’t dominated by companies that abuse their monopolistic position. If you are a distributor of desktops and laptops, consider adopting changes that supports the right to repair.
This will affect some of my services to you. I can still handle most repair issues with OEM computers, but I will no longer be performing hardware upgrades to any OEM Models.
When purchasing one of my recommended computers or laptops, depending on your needs, plan on spending $1000 or more.
I apologize if this inconveniences you in any way.
Features, or actions, that are encumbering the setup and experiencing of consumer-grade computers and laptops
(Please note that these features can be helpful for business environments, but they are not necessary and are a cause for concern in consumer environments)
- Secure Boot Certification Authorities (A setting used to prevent operating system alternatives from being installed)
- Preventing or creating friction in disabling Secure Boot
- Enabling/Disabling USB ports
- Preventing, or creating friction in detection of aftermarket parts
- Any physical system design characteristic which prevents, or creates friction in repairing, replacing or upgrading components (using glue to mount components, hiding mounting screws or making casing more difficult to disassemble).
- Using market dominance to pressure repair shops, or third party component manufacturers to abide by anti-competitive practices by making it more difficult to find and obtain parts.
List of corporations that are involved in harmful actions against the computer industry:
Microsoft
- Designs the Windows operating system to obfuscate customer choice when choosing to install 3rd party applications
- Integrates services and applications into the operating system obfuscate customer choice of 3rd party applications
- Collects data about customers habits without consent.
Apple
- Designs hardware around closed standards obfuscating, or making 3rd party repair of hardware more difficult
- Attempts to regulate access to parts obfuscating, or making 3rd party repair of hardware more difficult
- Attempts to lock apple software developers into platform ecosystems that only benefits Apple
Dell
- Designs desktop and laptop hardware around closed design principles, obfuscating, or making 3rd party repair of hardware more difficult
- Tricking consumers into service contracts when purchasing computers from the Dell store online
- Pre-loads adware products that are a threat to the secure and reliable functioning of the computer or laptop
HP
- Designs desktop and laptop hardware around closed design principles, obfuscating, or making 3rd party repair of hardware more difficult
- Designs printer hardware and software around closed design principles, obfuscating, or making it difficult to obtain 3rd party manufacturing of ink
- Tricking consumers into installing adware when installing software/driver packages to operating printers
- Pre-loads adware products that are a threat to the secure and reliable functioning of the computer or laptop
Sony
- Designs desktop and laptop hardware around closed design principles, obfuscating, or making 3rd party repair of hardware more difficult
- Pre-loads adware products that are a threat to the secure and reliable functioning of the computer or laptop
Toshiba
- Designs desktop and laptop hardware around closed design principles, obfuscating, or making 3rd party repair of hardware more difficult
- Pre-loads adware products that are a threat to the secure and reliable functioning of the computer or laptop