Microsoft Continues About Face On ‘Right To Repair,’ Makes Its Hardware Easier To Fix (original) (raw)

from the getting-on-the-right-side-of-history dept

Microsoft has long been one of several companies that attempted to monopolize repair in a bid for profit, particularly when it has come to the company’s game consoles. But in recent years the company appears to have realized that with state and federal lawmakers and regulators cracking down on this behavior, it might be smart to stop swimming upstream when it comes to “right to repair.”

Last May, for example, Microsoft began urging lawmakers to support the Washington State Fair Repair Act, which would ensure that consumers and indie repair shops have the parts, tools, and documentation to repair their own gear. The bill didn’t pass — in part thanks to Democratic Washington State Senator Lisa Wellman, a former Apple executive (Apple’s a notorious, bull-headed bully on this subject).

Still, Microsoft’s support was reflective of what seems to be a legitimate shift in tactics at Microsoft, in large part so the company can meet its goal of being carbon negative by 2030.

Elsewhere, Microsoft has been doing a better job ensuring that consumers have access to both service manuals and essential parts needed to independently repair the company’s hardware, ranging from its Surface tablets and laptops to Xbox game controllers.

The Microsoft Store now offers replacement controller boards, buttons, covers, sticks, and more for those looking to fix their own hardware. The company has also started doing a better job providing users with video tutorials on how to best safely repair their own hardware. You can get many of the same parts also from iFixit now (with a lifetime warranty as compared to Microsoft’s one-year warranty).

The about face comes as a growing number of states begin seriously pursuing right to repair legislation with an eye on consumer rights, environmental waste, counterproductive DRM, and high repair costs. Given the massive, bipartisan public support for such reform, hopefully Microsoft has genuinely realized it simply makes way more sense to be on the right side of history.

Filed Under: consumers, hardware, legislation, right to repair
Companies: microsoft