【新译Y宇宙】No.10 iMac, iPhone, iRepair

Apple’s purpose has always been to empower the users of its wares. “People are inherently creative. They will use tools in ways the toolmakers never thought possible,” once opined Steve Jobs. So it was always odd that the firm went to great lengths to stop customers fixing its products. Repair manuals were kept secret; genuine replacement parts were hard to come by.

苹果公司一直致力于为其产品的用户赋能。"人们天生就有创造力，他们会以工具制造者从未想过的方式使用工具，"正如史蒂夫·乔布斯曾指出。因此，该公司不遗余力地阻止客户修理其产品，这一点总是很奇怪。维修手册是保密的；真正的替换零件很难买到。

No longer. In a series of moves that surprised many, Applepromised a software fix to make the  new iPhone model more repairable, and on November 17th announced that it will allow individuals to mend their devices and provide manuals, tools and parts.

但现在不同了。在一系列令许多人惊讶的举动中，苹果公司上月承诺进行软件修复，使新的iPhone机型更容易维修，并在11月17日宣布，它将允许个人修补他们的设备，并提供手册、工具和零件。

Yet the likely impact of the “Self Service Repair” programme is unclear. A new online store will open from early next year. Owners who return used parts for recycling will get credit toward a purchase. Independent repair shops can join in, without signing onerous agreements with Apple. And, crucially, repairs by individuals will no longer void the warranty (damage done while tinkering is not covered).

然而，"自助维修 "计划的可能影响尚不清楚。一个新的网上商店将从明年年初开始营业。退回旧零件进行回收的车主将获得购买积分。独立维修店可以加入，而不需要与苹果公司签署繁琐的协议。最重要的是，个人维修将不再使保修失效（修补时造成的损坏不在保修之列）。

If Apple went further, its repair programme could become a model for the smartphone and, perhaps, the wider electronics industry. Even its current form will push rival device­makers to follow suit.

如果苹果公司走得更远，其维修计划可以成为智能手机的典范，甚至是更广泛的电子行业的典范，即使它目前的形式也会推动作为竞争对手的设备制造商效仿。