[nosianu]

This is less about the user but about 3rd party "out of network" repair shops. The manufacturer's control over everything increases. It used to be that you could take your device to anywhere, now it's all about "in-network". It's a general trend.

Personally, I think the system was much more "capitalistic" and a lot less limiting when you just needed general tools and knowledge to repair stuff in an entire category (cars, electrical household machines, etc.). I'd really like to see where this is going to end up a hundred years from now. I don't think all the long-term implications of this trend are really clear at this point yet. A more complex society may have to live with less freedom for individuals and compensate elsewhere. Even if at least some of current complexity is purposefully made for the purpose to create artificial restrictions, there may also be benefits that I'm unable to see from my low vantage point. Maybe in the future it offers manufacturers options to create really useful value on top of such restrictions, I don't know yet.