Tech News site Motherboard reportadly got hold of an internal document that Apple distributed to it’s Authorised Servce Provider. This report spoke about the new T2 Security chip that is present on the 2018 Macbook Pro, and the iMac Pro. More specifically, it spoke about how it needs Apple’s proprietary ‘Apple Service Toolkit 2 (AST 2) System Configuration Suite’ to function.
In English Please
If you want to fix your 2018 Macbook Pro, you might no longer be able to take it to a third party repair shop. You will have to go directly to an Apple Authorized Service Provider.
Let’s say you have the new 2018 Macbook Pro, it was damaged in some way, and you take it to a third party repair shop. The repair shop changes some of the faulty parts, and gives it back to you. Normally, this would be the end of the story, and you live happily ever after. Except now you have a very expensive paperweight because they probably don’t have access to this software.
That’s right, if the AST2 is not run after a repair, the Macbook will lock you out of the system. This will include any changes to display assembly, logic board, keyboard, touchpad, internal housing or TouchID. In other words, practically any change to the laptop.
Repair advocates iFixit confirmed that the system is not active yet, but it exists, and can come into effect at any time.
Do you think Apple is right to do this? Let us know in the comments below.
