...and yet Apple still fixes security bugs in your OS even if your laptop is outside of warranty. I say as long as the device still connects to the internet without a clear error message etc. it should be supported. Realistically the average user has better things to do than check the support period of a random network drive they bought at some sale.
They would. But if there was a software vulnerability that would wipe out the hard drives of computers still realistically in use, much past that 3 year agreement expiry? i'd expect them to be on that.
Suppose there were a vulnerability in Mac OS X Tiger that wiped the hard drive of any G4 Powerbook connected to the internet. Would you expect Apple to be on that?
From conversations on this website about Apple's responsiveness/attitude to security researchers hunting bounties, I have gotten a contrary impression about Apple.
As a user interesting in security and following the field quite closely. I know about the limitations of their bug bounty program and some bad experiences some people have had with it. They still ship security updates to 8 years old devices and 3 years old OSes. Is that a problem?
WD sells the hardware, hard drive, and software as one sealed unit. The part that fails first will be the hard drive inside. The unit shouldn't be end-of-life until it actually should be expected to fail. (WD claims the units were end of life in 2016)
Yes, but there's a difference between the expected rate of mechanical failure, and the existence of a software bug.
The current fault erases everything on the drive. That can be equated fairly equally with mechanical failure. Let's imagine a different bug for instance, that allows anyone on the internet to read/write all the data on the drive. If one of these bugs emerged after 12 years, then there is a much stronger argument that the manufacturer should fix it, because it is a fundamental fault with the device.
Under the sale of goods act of 1979, the device must be suitable for the purpose for which it was sold, and there is no time limit on that, so any consumer with the device could demand that the person who sold it to them fix it. The device was unsuitable for the purpose for which it was sold from day one - it just took 12 years to find that out.
Typical business life of a computer is 5 years. Typical service/support agreement is 1-3 years.
Try getting Apple to address a failed hard drive that's 12 years old. They'd laugh in your face.