Example: Converting an H61 desktop into a home NAS: the manual’s SATA layout and front-panel header pinout let a hobbyist add an external drive cage and modify the case for hot-swap bays without guesswork. The existence and quality of manuals like Pegatron’s become a proxy for manufacturer attitudes toward repairability. A thorough manual empowers end-users and technicians; a sparse one nudges them toward paid service. That dynamic feeds into debates on right-to-repair and how documentation, firmware access, and parts availability shape consumer freedom.
