I must disagree. For example, the Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act entitles you to use aftermarket parts in your product without invalidating your warranty, as long as the aftermarket parts don’t cause damage. I agree with the spirit of this law, and I believe software should be considered a “part” in this context.
In most situations, even that is giving too much power to the manufacturer. It’s fair for them to flash the original software as part of any diagnostic or service process, but not fair to refuse to repair or replace a product that actually has a hardware defect just because the owner put different software on it.
So can installing a faulty third-party cooling fan, but in the USA, the law requires the warranty provider to prove the fault was caused by improper maintenance or defects in third-party components.
Locked bootloader for warranty coverage: totally fine
Refusal for owner to unlock and void warranty: not fine.
I must disagree. For example, the Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act entitles you to use aftermarket parts in your product without invalidating your warranty, as long as the aftermarket parts don’t cause damage. I agree with the spirit of this law, and I believe software should be considered a “part” in this context.
In most situations, even that is giving too much power to the manufacturer. It’s fair for them to flash the original software as part of any diagnostic or service process, but not fair to refuse to repair or replace a product that actually has a hardware defect just because the owner put different software on it.
only fair if it does not come with any data loss. so basically not actually fair
Software can easily harm the actual device, so locking it to prevent that from happening in a warranty situation doesn’t seem super off-base to me.
So can installing a faulty third-party cooling fan, but in the USA, the law requires the warranty provider to prove the fault was caused by improper maintenance or defects in third-party components.