Modularity and accessories
This is proposed physical-product guidance, not approved Thorbis rules. src/data/product-guidelines.ts is the canonical owner of wording, reasons, status, and sources; product-guidelines-why.ts is a derived compatibility export. This Markdown is generated, not independently maintained.
Anything the owner swaps attaches one way, aligns itself, and matches the core finish. Wear parts come off with common tools, or with none. The system is priced on the product page.
Swaps align themselves.
pd-mag
Status: proposed.
A part the owner changes is tool-free and self-aligning: magnetic or keyed so it cannot go on crooked. CloudSwap tops and the head pillow snap on. The manual has a neodymium safety section: pinch, medical devices, children, and cards. Print that, do not assume it.
Why: A part the owner swaps has to seat itself; if it can go on crooked, it will.
Sources: Secretlab TITAN Evo features (opens in a new tab), CloudSwap Technogel armrest manual (opens in a new tab), Secretlab FAQ, assembly and magnets (opens in a new tab), TITAN Evo user manual (opens in a new tab)
Accessories share the finish and the attach.
pd-system
Status: proposed.
Mats, cable anchors, hooks, and armrest tops use the core materials and one attachment. MAGNUS accessories magnet to the same steel top. A part that needs its own look and its own fastener is a different product.
Why: A mat, a hook, and a clip that share the finish feel designed; a mismatched add-on feels bolted on.
Sources: PCMag, MAGNUS Pro review (opens in a new tab), Windows Central, MAGNUS Pro review (opens in a new tab), ProSettings, MAGNUS Pro review (opens in a new tab), Secretlab footrest with CloudSwap (opens in a new tab)
Wear parts come off.
pd-repair
Status: proposed.
Casters, cushions, armrest tops, feet, and batteries are replaceable with common tools or none, and the manual shows the steps. Apple's environment page calls out an iPhone battery that comes out with a few simple tools. A glued wear part is a replacement sale.
Why: A cushion, a wheel, or a battery they can replace is a longer product; a glued wear part is a new sale.
Sources: Apple Environment (opens in a new tab), CloudSwap Technogel armrest manual (opens in a new tab), ZDNET, TITAN Evo review (opens in a new tab), Secretlab FAQ, assembly and magnets (opens in a new tab)
Sell the system on the product page.
pd-system-sold-with
Status: proposed.
If the desk needs the mat, or the chair is meant to take a swappable top, show that accessory on the same page with a price. Reviewers keep noting that MAGNUS gets expensive once the ecosystem is added. Do not reveal that at checkout.
Why: A needed accessory whose price first appears at checkout feels like a hidden fee, and MAGNUS reviewers already count the full system cost against the desk.
Sources: Windows Central, MAGNUS Pro review (opens in a new tab), Tom's Guide, MAGNUS Pro review (opens in a new tab), VGC, MAGNUS Pro review (opens in a new tab), PCMag, MAGNUS Pro review (opens in a new tab)
One attach method per family.
pd-attach-one
Status: proposed.
Pick magnets, or a keyed clip, or a common screw, and use it for every swap in that family. Mixing magnets on the pillow with a proprietary bolt on the armrest means two manuals.
Why: Magnets for one part and a proprietary screw for the same kind of part means two manuals.
Sources: CloudSwap Technogel armrest manual (opens in a new tab), Secretlab footrest with CloudSwap (opens in a new tab), Secretlab TITAN Evo features (opens in a new tab)
For products with a pen or stylus, give it a home that charges it.
pd-pen-home
Status: proposed.
Microsoft's Slim Pen charge page says to place the pen with the button side facing out, that the LED lights while it charges and turns off when full, and that the host has to be powered because charging is wireless. The homes it lists are storage on the back of Surface Pro 12-inch, a bay under the Surface Laptop Studio keyboard, and the tray on the Surface Pro Flex Keyboard, the Surface Pro Keyboard with pen storage, and the Surface Pro Signature Keyboard. The 11th Edition fact sheet says those keyboards store and charge the pen, and that the pen is sold separately. For products with a pen or stylus, put a charging home on the product, show the charge state, and say when the pen is a separate purchase.
Why: A pen that lives in a drawer is empty the next time someone needs to write.
Sources: Microsoft Support, charge Surface Slim Pen (opens in a new tab), Surface Pro 11th Edition fact sheet, 2024 (opens in a new tab)
Publish the service path before calling a part replaceable.
pd-repair-guide
Status: proposed.
iFixit scored the 2017 Surface Laptop 0 out of 10 because opening it damaged the machine and the processor, memory, and storage were soldered to the board. iFixit scored Surface Laptop 7 and Surface Pro 11 8 out of 10 in their categories, citing manuals on launch day, screw symbols Microsoft calls Wayfinders, and a magnetic cover under the Pro kickstand for the drive. Microsoft Learn's SSD guide is written for qualified IT technicians and lists those generations among devices whose drives come out by the service guide, with shock and fire warnings. The 11th Edition fact sheet markets a removable solid-state drive and says repair uses visual icons and a service guide. Its footnote says a skilled technician follows that guide, that Microsoft tools may be sold separately, and that damage during repair sits outside the warranty unless the law says otherwise. The same limits are on the 19 May 2026 Surface for Business note, which also says repairs use commonly available tools and less glue. Publish the guide, the tool, who may open the product, and what the warranty does. Link to the model's guide and the compatible part for sale or qualified service available in each advertised region. If that path cannot be completed, state the limit instead of promising repair. A marketed removable drive is not a promise that any owner can swap it with no tool and no consequence.
Why: A part that comes out only by destroying the cover is not replaceable, so the guide, the tool, and who may open it belong in the spec.
Sources: iFixit, 2017 Surface Laptop teardown (opens in a new tab), iFixit, Surface Laptop 7 and Surface Pro 11 repair scores (opens in a new tab), Microsoft Learn, SSD removal on compatible Surface devices (opens in a new tab), Surface Pro 11th Edition fact sheet, 2024 (opens in a new tab), Microsoft Devices Blog, Surface for Business, 19 May 2026 (opens in a new tab), Teenage Engineering OP–1 field guide, qualified battery service (opens in a new tab), Nothing Phone (3) sustainability report, packaging and repair claims (opens in a new tab)