iFixit names new Macbook Pro the most difficult to repair Macbook yet

Brian Ambrozy 13 Jun, 2012 at 11:08pm ET Article published in

The pros at iFixit have finally gotten a hands-on teardown of the new Retina-display Macbook Pro that was announced at WWDC two days ago, and the news for do-it-yourselfers is grim: You ain’t doin’ it yourself.

Naming the Macbook Pro with Retina Display a “1” out of 10 on a scale of repairability, they cite things like proprietary screws, lots of internal glue, a completely fused display assembly, soldered RAM, and proprietary storage among other things as making it completely non-user serviceable.

Macbook Pros have, with each new generation, gotten increasingly more difficult to self-repair or upgrade. With this current generation, you’re basically stuck with taking it to a Genius if you want it fixed.

Not that that’s going to stop any of us who drool over the thought of 2880×1800 at 15.4″…

Comments

14 Jun 2012 ~ 12:07am Kwitko Surprise level: none
14 Jun 2012 ~ 12:07am shwaip While a lot of the things there are "whatever" to me, there are some pretty annoying issues, specifically the soldered ram and non-standard ssd.

Very few people want the ability to open up their laptop and redo the TIM/ clean things / etc, but the ability to upgrade your ram (ok, my choice is to purchase the 8gb I currently use and can never upgrade or pay a huge premium for 16gb that I assume i'll use in the future) is both a pretty common desire and a relatively tech-noob thing to do. I feel essentially the same about the HDD.
14 Jun 2012 ~ 12:43am UPSLynx Yeah, especially the RAM. That's one of the few things that casual users can and often do themselves. It's easy, and it makes a massive difference.

I, as well as many of my friends, have often opted for simply buying enough RAM at system build/purchase with the idea of doubling up and upgrading later down the line. To make users commit to a hardwired amount of RAM from the start and then tote that your system will go the distance is some real bullcrap.
14 Jun 2012 ~ 12:48am fatcat can you change the SD card on the Galaxy Nexus?

nothing new here, it's Apple
14 Jun 2012 ~ 12:57am shwaip
can you change the SD card on the Galaxy Nexus?

nothing new here, it's Apple
Except for everything that is new.
14 Jun 2012 ~ 1:00am fatcat
can you change the SD card on the Galaxy Nexus?

nothing new here, it's Apple
Except for everything that is new.
and sexy. 2880x1800 gives me wood, OSX be damned
14 Jun 2012 ~ 1:01am NullenVoyd I normally reel at the concept of not being able to fix/service things, but a trend has long been forming that I think we're seeing realized more and more. Service is expensive. If you can save a decent chunk on just making another device, it is SO much easier to say "did it look at you funny? ok, give it to us, we'll put it in the shredder, and pull all your data from the could onto a new one".

Personally, I can't even imagine that resolution on that small a screen. At what point is the human eye incapable of noticing an increase in resolution?
14 Jun 2012 ~ 1:10am PirateNinja That's all that the marketing term "retina display" means, your eye can't see the dots any more. High resolution plus high dpi makes things look pretty.

I'd rather get a high end thinkpad for $1000 less, but what do I know.
14 Jun 2012 ~ 1:38am fatcat I sit two feet from a 24" 1920x1200 resolution monitor and I can see the pixels.

I also have 20/17 vision so that might explain why
14 Jun 2012 ~ 2:01am Kwitko
20/17 vision
14 Jun 2012 ~ 2:24am shwaip
I normally reel at the concept of not being able to fix/service things, but a trend has long been forming that I think we're seeing realized more and more. Service is expensive. If you can save a decent chunk on just making another device, it is SO much easier to say "did it look at you funny? ok, give it to us, we'll put it in the shredder, and pull all your data from the could onto a new one".

Personally, I can't even imagine that resolution on that small a screen. At what point is the human eye incapable of noticing an increase in resolution?
I kinda agree. I have a 2560x1440 27" screen and it's probably the maximum pixel density I'd want. (either that or my 19x12 15.4") screen. I'm 100% sure that the new MBP display is very very pretty to look at, i'm just not the target customer.
14 Jun 2012 ~ 3:54am Thrax Like phones, the resolution increase is accompanied by an increase in UI DPI. You have more usable space, not a microscopic interface.
14 Jun 2012 ~ 6:05am Tim Nobody should ever buy a Macbook Pro, EVER. Forget the specs. Remember that Apple is being as greedy as they possibly can, first taking jobs from Americans by building it with cheap foriegn labor, which makes them more profit, then by making it as hard to work on as possible so you have to pay them for it, which makes them more profit. I won't fall for their tricks, and I won't pay them for the way they treat their customers like this. I won't buy one ever! Do not buy one, you must not support a company who treats their customers this way! It is not worth it!
14 Jun 2012 ~ 10:42am primesuspect By your logic Tim, you shouldn't buy any PC.
14 Jun 2012 ~ 12:16pm Kwitko
Nobody should ever buy a Macbook Pro, EVER. Forget the specs. Remember that Apple is being as greedy as they possibly can, first taking jobs from Americans by building it with cheap foriegn labor, which makes them more profit, then by making it as hard to work on as possible so you have to pay them for it, which makes them more profit. I won't fall for their tricks, and I won't pay them for the way they treat their customers like this. I won't buy one ever! Do not buy one, you must not support a company who treats their customers this way! It is not worth it!
Translation: I wish I could afford one.
14 Jun 2012 ~ 12:48pm Tim Negative. I have always had PCs and don't want any Apple product. Ever. If someone gave me a Mac or Macbook for free, I'd sell it.

The Apple engineers and product planners aren't happy with just charging a premium price for their stuff, they are sitting around plotting how to get more of your money by making their things so hard to work on. So they can get more of your money! And you bought it and now you have no choice! Your choices are 1. Pay Them, or 2. Pay Them.
14 Jun 2012 ~ 12:50pm MAGIC
Negative. I have always had PCs and don't want any Apple product. Ever. If someone gave me a Mac or Macbook for free, I'd sell it.

The Apple engineers and product planners aren't happy with just charging a premium price for their stuff, they are sitting around plotting how to get more of your money by making their things so hard to work on. So they can get more of your money! And you bought it and now you have no choice! Your choices are 1. Pay Them, or 2. Pay Them.
Hmmm, a for profit company trying to figure out ways to generate more profit. So crazy, it just might work.
16 Jun 2012 ~ 3:45am allenpan i think the wording is a bit wrong, it is not "difficult", you just need the right tools, such as BGA station

again, you alwasy need the right tools for the right job
16 Jun 2012 ~ 3:47am Thrax Yeah, everyone has a BGA station, so it's not difficult at all.
16 Jun 2012 ~ 7:26am shwaip Also, access to the replacement chips.

And a replacement screen/lid single piece.
3 Apr 2014 ~ 12:06am NiGHTS
Yeah thanks cool Brian!
3 Apr 2014 ~ 12:14am PirateNinja
Your originality and genuine thoughts really make this article good! Thanks Brian!
3 Apr 2014 ~ 1:00am BobbyDigi
You're Awesomely Rad @primesuspect‌ !
3 Apr 2014 ~ 3:02am primesuspect
The fuck
3 Apr 2014 ~ 3:27am Ryder
Spammer rezzed it, replies to the spammer.