@bdrtfm: Yeah, well, that's just Apple being dicks. They obviously make significantly more money selling new products than repairing old ones. For my part, I've replaced batteries in smartphones that are not intended to be repaired by consumers, although in a lot of situations, the phones are built in such a way to make them impossible to disassemble without destroying critical components, like gluing the motherboard to the back of the screen. That's the sort of thing I find infuriating, because there's no reason for it other than to screw anybody who tries to repair it.
@bdrtfm: Okay, but what does any of that have to do with environmentalism?
I agree with you, however, that it is always better to fix something yourself if you happen to have the knowledge, skills, and tools to do so. I recently repaired my water heater for $25 in parts and an hour of my time. My local plumber quoted me $150 just to come look at it! Unfortunately, I'm hopeless when it comes to car repairs, so I keep the local mechanics employed.
What the hell does repairing something yourself versus sending it out for professional service have to do with the environment? Sheesh, apparently liberals can turn anything into an environmental crusade.
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