Apple's Planned Obsolescence Thwarted Again!

[kionon]

Got ahold of a 2015 15" MacBook Pro with a smashed screen, a locked (but wipe-able) SSD but otherwise a good amount of replacement parts to keep my @jaysee supplied unit as fresh as possible.

I had only intended to replace the keycaps and give it a good clean inside and out when I discovered it was a good thing I had done so–because my battery had expanded. Again. I only did the official replacement a few years back, and I was very disappointed to find it had happened again. Unfortunately, the logic board of the donor unit was a different revision, and the battery had a differently placed connector. However, I removed the expanded battery out of an abundance of caution and ordered a new one which I found easy to install. I have chose not to unwrap the adhesive in case I need to do this again. I plan to drive this thing until it dies. It may get Ventura via OpenCore, but when it stops getting Monterey security updates, I’ll probably just clone my Linux set up.

I also ordered an external case for the (now wiped) SSD. So I now have a USB-C M.2 256GB travel drive and the WiFi card is going to a union mate who has a 2015 13" and is having difficulty locating one.

Suck it, Apple. We will not comply.

[snarl]

It cannot be just a coincidence that you did this and Tim Cook had to accept a massive drop in his pay for 2023:)

[kionon]

I’m a member/executive of the Apple union in Japan.

As to our connections to this event: No comment.

[richard]

I have installed Ventura via OpenCore Legacy Patcher on my 2015 13” MacBook Pro & it runs it really well. Worth doing I reckon.

[kionon]

Took some time to get the installation media working, but once I did… I basically do not even notice, since it kept all my settings and modifications, and that is genuinely the best type of update. Yay OpenCore team.

Also, this is legitimately getting out of control, as this isn’t even counting the Linux machines. > . >

[cosmichobo]

@kionon

Suck it, Apple. We will not comply.

I really hate the sense of toxic capitalism coming from Apple these days… The push to stop machines from being upgraded so as to extend their lives… and the push to replace your devices so frequently.

I know I’ve talked about it for literally years, but now we are so close to owning our own home, I’m really imagining where my old tech can be put to use. My G4 Cube with Soundsticks will be in the corner of the living room, serving as CD player and radio / mp3 player… I’m planning a full wall book shelf in my office, with specially built sections to fit my TAM and G4 Lamp. Not sure about the Lamp… but I’d love to use my TAMs sound system in my office… either stand-alone or somehow connected to my Mac mini’s sound output…

[kionon]

Yeah, I’ve got a 2011 MacBook Pro set up from mini-display port to HDMI as my DVD player. I’m trying to figure out what to do with all of the others.

Additionally, I finally got around to teaching myself how to use heat shrink insulation to repair broken cables. Tired of tossing them, tired of buying more. That’s the secret sauce of Apple’s profitability. Dongles and cables over and over and over.

[cosmichobo]

I have a bunch of heat shrink for my Sound Sticks repair job… that I got my wife to help me with cos I ran out of hands… but she got a bit keen and melted the inside layer of shrink wrap that was keeping the wires apart, causing a short. :} Gotta get better at that.

[richard]

I bought a heat gun from eBay for shrinking heat shrink. Works really well. I have never been able to get a small enough diameter of heat shrink on any of my cables to be effective.

[kionon]

I have found you have to be really, really specific about how close the source of heat is, how it moves, and where you begin and end. My first attempt, the phono cable, looks awful. My third attempt, the USB to Lightning cable in yellow, looks perfect. Trial and error. All three work perfectly, though one is prettier than the other two.