During the Second World War, Britain started a campaign to reduce clothing waste called Make Do and Mend. The government sent out training books and local groups ran classes to teach people how to make and repair their own clothes. In the face of rising parts costs, it’s time we all have the same attitude toward our machines.
The AI bubble’s demand for data center capacity has swallowed the entire pipeline of the technology industry. But there are only a few companies in the world that make the parts that make all those machines work. Only one company can make edge chips, and a few make RAMs and SSDs, none of which can satisfy the growing demand. According to the communications company Kearney, the global RAMpocalypse is likely to remain a problem until 2030.
We’ve known for a few years that this push would cost juice, and things are really starting to bite. Apple is raising device prices all over. Valve’s most popular alternative, the Steam Machine, is priced at $1,049 without a controller. (Valve said this figure was more than it wanted to charge for the hardware.) Microsoft added another $150 to the price of the 1TB Xbox Series X and up to $600 to the price of its latest Surface laptops (and not even good ones at that).
The inevitable response is to shrug our shoulders and bear the pain because this is a global issue. A series of global conflicts (many of which were unnecessary) sent food and energy prices into the stratosphere. But, given that we want our toys and we want them now, we have to face this latest scandal and cough.
So, what if we all just chose not to buy anything new for the next year or two unless absolutely necessary? What if we all embraced the Make Do and Mend approach, and did our best to help others do the same in the name of unity? After all, if we accept high prices, there is very little chance that they will come down again when the AI bubble bursts.
Especially since, in most machines, the failure of one part should not mean that your only option is to buy another. For years, the industry has worked to undermine our ability to keep our machines running longer to promote this attitude. Given that we’re not going back anytime soon, it’s up to us to take control of our devices.
Part of this is about losing the fear the industry has instilled in us about what we can and can’t do with our gear. I’m not going to lie: I felt like I lost my ability to work with electronics after switching to a Mac back in 2005. It wasn’t until I picked up the weather and sustainability beat here at Engadget that I realized how easy it is to fix. I’m a big fan of Fairphone devices, which can be taken apart and put back together in minutes, and I can tear apart a Framework laptop with my eyes closed. But from those first steps, I felt empowered to do more and more in my life. I replaced a broken backlight on my in-laws TV. I didn’t agree to mention that I fixed the lawnmower so I got a replacement part online for £9. If you don’t want to go that far, it’s probably as simple as supporting your own independent repair shop. Sharing your knowledge, and perhaps your tools, with friends and your community can help you, too, feel empowered.
There are, at least, useful people in the government who have made useful steps in this area. In 2024, Oregon became the first state to ban component pairing, which allows the use of third-party replacement hardware. The EU has been working hard to mandate repairs as part of a wider crackdown on e-waste, and devices sold after February 18, 2027, must have easily replaceable batteries.
Not to mention that if something is broken beyond repair, our first move should be to look for repair shops. I suspect companies that sell certified used hardware are ready and willing to take advantage of this situation, especially given the walls of iPhones you’re used to seeing at your local thrift store. If you can resist the temptation of the latest and greatest gear being shoved down your throat all the time, you may find yourself able to enjoy last year’s flagship at a decent discount.
Basically, the industry shouldn’t rely on us to accept and consume whatever is in front of us. This is doubly true for the companies that used their fortunes to recklessly invest in AI that created much of this problem in the first place. It’s time to start pushing back against this idea and, more importantly, reclaim the skills that the industry has invested in oblivion.
