Key Highlights:
- iFixit.com now offers Microsoft support tools for Surface devices.
- The Microsoft Surface repair tools aren’t designed for do-it-yourselfers, but they should enable independent repair firms to scale their repair capacity.
- According to iFixit, Microsoft will also increase access to repair tools for new gadgets over the coming year.
Right to Repair by Microsoft
Microsoft is making it easier for independent repairers to repair select Surface devices by making three tools accessible straight from tech fix specialists iFixit.
iFixit.com now offers Microsoft support tools for Surface devices. Currently, iFixit manufactures and sells three Microsoft-designed repair tools that enable “precise debunking and rebounding” of components held in place with glue.
Notably, adhesives are one of iFixit’s biggest complaints about the design of current laptops, as components cannot be removed with a standard screwdriver. A modular design is an optimum condition. According to iFixit, adhesives are one of the most difficult elements of fixing Surface computers since the glue must be properly loosened without injuring other components.
Adhesives have an impact on iFixit’s laptop repairability scores. For example, HP’s 2019 EliteBook 830 x360 G6 received a score of 9 out of 10 since the SSD, RAM, and battery are all accessible and detachable, and all screws are standard Phillips and Torx. In comparison, the 2019 Surface Laptop 3 15″ received just a 5 for repairability since the battery is bonded down. Because of the glued-in battery, the Surface initially received a 0 rating. The 2019 MacBook Pros received ratings of 1 and 2 for identical reasons, including unique screws.
Not for DIY
The Microsoft Surface repair tools aren’t designed for do-it-yourselfers, but they should enable independent repair firms to scale their repair capacity.
“These new tools are meant to avoid damage and will enable technicians to complete a high number of repairs in boosting precision and matching factory-level adhesion,” according to iFixit.
The Surface Display Bonding Frame, Surface Battery Cover, and Surface Display Debonding Tool are the three items.
“Microsoft’s move to make tools available to independent technicians is a step in the right direction,” iFixit adds.
It goes on to say that Microsoft has a “far way to go on their repairability path,” but it establishes a market test. In the future, iFixit intends to expand access to non-network members.
More access to repair tools in 2022
According to iFixit, Microsoft will also increase access to repair tools for new gadgets over the coming year.
“Microsoft has made a significant step toward making repair available to their consumers, and their timing is ideal as Right to Repair gathers traction across the United States,” said iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens. “Having OEM equipment on hand will allow repair specialists to assist their clients in keeping their gadgets alive for longer.”
Following shareholder agitation over the problem based on environmental grounds, Apple announced the Self Service Repair program, which includes repair instructions and components, in November.
For years, iFixit has advocated for the Right to Repair. In July, it chastised Apple, Samsung, and Microsoft for creating devices that make it difficult for people to fix them.
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