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Comment by tediousdemise | Hacker News Reader

This is a whole new type of gaslighting being employed by big corporations in the war against the right to repair.

The pervasive practice of designing hardware that is difficult to take apart or service needs to end, full stop.

You can’t have tiny surface mount components packed onto the PCBs in phones without trade offs in repaiability. No one[a] is going to buy a game console made of discrete logic and through hole passives when the PS5, X Box, and Switch do a much better job at giving consumers what they want with 0402 (or smaller) passives.

I applaud Valve for doing this video. They’re admitting that the device is too complex for the average user and that they shouldn’t mess with it, but they also are going to provide replacement parts and a teardown guide should you know what you’re doing. That’s a step in the right direction.

[a]: yes, I’m sure some would want this (especially if you asked on here), but I’d bet that the majority of non-tech people don’t care

You’re strawmanning my argument by picking components least likely to be repaired or replaced by the average user, completely dodging the usual suspects.

Non-removable batteries are almost always the first parts that go bad in handheld devices, and there are absolutely no excuses for using them other than greed and incompetence.

Not dodging, we are talking about the steam deck here, so it's 100% on point.

Your original argument is the one that's doging the fact that we are on a steam deck thread.

What do you mean by non-removable battery? The video shows how to unplug it. I'm sure it can be replaced by any normal repairman or hobbyist. Aftermarket batteries will also surely be available like they are for other popular devices.

If it is not intended to be removed (because the SteamDeck should remain closed) it is non (user-)removable in my opinion.

So your concern is that Valve recommends you don't do it yourself and is nothing to do with the product itself?

> non-removable battery

Considering how important it is to keep Lithium Ion batteries within a safe temp range for longevity and the risk of thermal runaway I'm not so sure we will ever see easily replaceable batteries again without a new chemistry.

Everyone seems to have fond memories of their AA's and NiCad's but ignores that replaceable Lithium tend to suck... all my old phones that had replaceable batteries like the Google Nexus had batteries that got way too hot and subsequently lost their ability to hold a full charge

Well, the video does mention that you should "stay tuned" for official vendors for replacement parts for the SSD and thumbsticks.

I think I disagree that this is gaslighting. It's kind of cheeky, in a way, but maybe I'm missing something. There's an inherent tension between "design something that is easy to repair" and "give me a form factor that I actually like for hours of hand held gaming".

You need to watch the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dxnr2FAADAs

I haven't seen anything so pro-consumer from a major electronics manufacturer in years. It's so refreshing being talked to like an adult with agency.

Not here. "Difficult to take apart" are the finicky plastic latches all around the seam between the 2 halves of the case. The ones that you can sort of open by sliding the credit card around the seam for half an hour. Or give up, pry them with a screwdriver, and scratch the whole thing in numerous places. I would give Valve credit here for the sole act of not putting them.

That said, I would call BS on SSD vs Wi-Fi interference and semi-BS on the ESD gloves and anchoring. Unless you are handling 100 devices per day while wearing your comfy sweater and sitting on a carpet, just make sure you touch any grounded object beforehand, and you will be fine in most of the cases.

RE: BS You said it yourself: "... most of the cases ...". For example, my apartment does not have a carpet and I wear cotton clothing most of the time. So my enviroment is less likely to produce static electricity. But what about others? Its all in the numbers: 1.000.000 units sold (just for stats sake) - 10.000 open it up, 100 have static issues due floor, clothing, etc - some units will fry and die. Totally avoidable, hence the remark in the video.

How is this anything but good for right to repair? The average user is unequipped to repair modern electronics. I wouldn't advise the average consumer to try and repair even the framework laptop. But that's not the point of right to repair. The point of right to repair is that manufacturers are required to release parts and schematics/instructions on how to repair their product. Advanced users or independent repair shops can then fix it.

If you want a handheld console with these specs that is fully modular it will be the size of a basketball.

I dont think there was a way to make a device this small and powerful without making it this tight and difficult to open. Your point is valid for laptops who try this or promote thin and light to have an excuse to do this.

Easy to repair, inexpensive, high quality

It’s choose two situation, no?

My personal preference is (1) and (3). Buy once, cry once. Not buy and discard in 3 years because the battery is non-removable-for-your-safety™.

Is it actually non-removable or non-user-removable? If anyone used to working with electronics can replace it that’s good enough for me.

Then get a pi-top instead of this. That takes a normal rasbperry pi 4 and puts it into a huge case and takes away part of the use case for the pi being so small

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