Microsoft will make it easy for their hardware like Surface devices or Xbox consoles to be repaired by a third-party independent service, and perhaps even by consumers themselves. Normally, we can say that this decision is a good decision to make repairs for Microsoft devices more widely available and undoubtedly come down to more competitive prices. This decision was made at the request of As You Sow, the stakeholder advocacy foundation that aims to promote environmental responsibility.
As Grist reports, Microsoft has reached an agreement with As You Sow to make spare parts for its devices more available, as well as spare parts for tools and instruction manuals for repair jobs.
Microsoft promised to explore (with a third party) how to move forward with this goal and assess the environmental impact of enabling devices to be repaired more easily, as well as “identify new systems to increase repair access, including Surface devices and Xbox consoles.” The firm will act on these findings until the end of 2022.
As As You Sow points out, competing hardware manufacturers Dell and HP “complement their authorized repair services by providing independent repair shops with some instructions, parts, and tools,” thereby complying with US repair regulations. Microsoft, on the other hand, has a significantly negative reputation in this regard.
Therefore, considering this legislation, we can say that this decision is necessary and mandatory for Microsoft at a certain point. Of course, the fact that it is mandatory does not mean that this decision is not a good thing, and that it has promised to realize all this in less than a year is a very good step. It’s also worth noting that Microsoft has already improved the repairability of some of its newer Surface products, such as the Surface Pro X.
With Microsoft taking more steps towards this goal, it may be possible that competitors such as Apple will approach this way of thinking more.
However, it’s also worth noting that customers who make changes to Microsoft’s devices themselves will void their warranties. . .
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