Quoted from rubberducks:But it's entirely at their discretion.
Also, that they haven't begun shipping revised boards in newly shipped machines is extraordinary. Zip ties / glue are now standard 'factory' spec?
As the above poster's experience tends to hint at, application of them or their efficacy is far from fool proof either, so there will still be ruined boards.
Exactly how cheap are the boards for them to choose to do this instead of a minor respin with more durable mounting / components? Or if they really wanted to push the boat out, some fuses. Almost certainly cheap enough to be a minute fraction of the (high) cost they charge for replacements.
Also, from what I've heard, the going price for a Spike 2 MPU board in Europe is €1200 ($1400). Retailers here must provide replacements due to consumer protection law. But Stern are adamant that warranty / guarantee replacements are non-transferrable, even in EU (where that's illegal). So if you sell your Spike/2 machine to someone, and parts fail, the reseller / distributor is then between a rock and a hard place, because they're obligated to provide replacements, but would then have to pay Stern an obscene price for a replacement.
In 3-5 years time when MPU boards and node boards begin failing en masse, what are people going to do? If your MPU and, say, half your node boards drop out on a Spike2 Pro, it's essentially going to be a write off and not worth replacing. It'd be cheaper to part it out and buy a new machine.
Right to repair laws are needed in the USA and it sounds like stern is doing what the car manufacturers do Buy parts from the dealer at high mark up.
Also try warranty / guarantee ownership BS.
What does JJP do for that at least the main boards are X86-64 pc's with no pin2k level lock in but they still have an driver board and usb dongle
If they are doing stuff that is illegal under EU laws then that may stop when US laws change.