fixability

see-also: original blog article that mentioned fixability for the first time

• Non-fixable: i.e. not fixable. When it breaks, it's done.
• Manufacturer-fixable: a machine is manufacturer-fixable when most of its fixing requires special parts made by the manufacturer and/or specially-trained technicians. You can technically "fix" this but most people would send it to their manufacturer and ask for a replacement. Most modern Apple products live in this category.
• Replace-fixable: a machine is replace-fixable when it's relatively easy for an average amateur to fix it by replacing non-working parts with working parts. This means the possible fixing relies on the existence of working parts. Almost all digital electronic computers belong in this category.
• Tweak-fixable: a machine is tweak-fixable when it's relatively easy for an average amateur to perform certain operations directly on the non-working parts to make it work again. Purely mechanical machines often belong in this category.
• Make-fixable: a machine is make-fixable when it's relatively easy for an average amateur to make a new, working part for replacement. A lot of non-machine daily objects are in this category, e.g. the handle of a hammer.

And obviously, any machine is at most as fixable as its parts.

NOTE: these levels are roughly listed in the order of least fixable to most fixable, but there are cases where a theoretically "more" fixable thing does not belong to a "less" fixable level. (See this example.)

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2024.7.28 - 2024.7.28

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