MacBook Air Disassembled

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Kinda cool to see someone buy a new MacBook Air and tear it apar….I mean, disassemble it. Get this, you have to remove almost 20 screws just to get the battery out. Yikes!

As you'd expect with a computer so devoted to aesthetics, getting to the "user-installable" parts is going to be a bit more challenging than usual. If you weren't counting, that's 19 screws to remove the battery. Replacing the battery is straightforward, but not something you'll be doing when your battery dies mid-flight.
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id never buy one in my life.......

sure its "ultraportable", but I could buy an extremely high powered desktop or laptop for the same price
 
Bbbubbuubuuuttt the battery!

Why is everyone obsessed with the battery? Isn't it supposed to have a 5 hour battery life or something like that. Not like you'll be swapping out for your charged battery often. And it's Apple's fault and cost to replace the battery if you were to need a new one.
 
What's with Apple's inability to make devices with "user replaceable" batteries? It's not that hard. I don't see the average MacBook user having enough technical gestapo to open up his or her MacBook (with a screwdriver) and replacing the battery themselves. Furthermore, I'm pretty sure it invalidates the warranty as Apple specifically mentions that you must send it to them to have it replaced. Laptop batteries are consumables. After a year or so of use, they only hold a fraction of their original charge.

Let's hope Apple decides to stay away from the printer division. I can see it now: You must send us your printer and pay $129.00 when you need to replace the ink cartridges...
 
[LYL]Homer;1032003211 said:
Bbbubbuubuuuttt the battery!

Why is everyone obsessed with the battery? Isn't it supposed to have a 5 hour battery life or something like that. Not like you'll be swapping out for your charged battery often. And it's Apple's fault and cost to replace the battery if you were to need a new one.
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Because it's become pretty standard for everyone to change batteries on the go with their ultraportables. Apple has claimed that this is a no comprises design. Not being able to do something that you can do with every other lappy is a compromise.

My main concern is not the battery, though. It's the total lack of ports. Why have an ultraportable if you need to carry around a bunch of hubs and adapters to hook your stuff up to it? I mean, one usb port? And it's hard to get to? Give me a break!
 
Is it me, or does it look like they used Crisco or some other vegetable shortening as the thermal grease between the CPU and the heat spreader?
 
OregonLAN said:
What's with Apple's inability to make devices with "user replaceable" batteries? It's not that hard. I don't see the average MacBook user having enough technical gestapo to open up his or her MacBook (with a screwdriver) and replacing the battery themselves. Furthermore, I'm pretty sure it invalidates the warranty as Apple specifically mentions that you must send it to them to have it replaced. Laptop batteries are consumables. After a year or so of use, they only hold a fraction of their original charge.

Let's hope Apple decides to stay away from the printer division. I can see it now: You must send us your printer and pay $129.00 when you need to replace the ink cartridges...
Click to expand...

Exactly. 5 hours.

That's assuming no processor usage and a brand new battery. Doing anything slight strenuous, and 6 months down the road, that'll be 3 hours.

Guess what? The POINT of an ultra-portable isn't so you can sit near a power plug. I don't want to have to hunt down a power plug on a train/bus, or buy a car charger, etc. Apple and their shitty product can kiss my ass.
 
as a computer product that thing just sucks. lacks pretty much just about everything that I would use or find to come in handy. whoopie doo its so thin but wtf are you gonna do on it?

however im sure all the rich and cool trendy appleheads just love this stupid thing.
 
[LYL]Homer;1032003211 said:
Bbbubbuubuuuttt the battery!

Why is everyone obsessed with the battery? Isn't it supposed to have a 5 hour battery life or something like that. Not like you'll be swapping out for your charged battery often. And it's Apple's fault and cost to replace the battery if you were to need a new one.
Click to expand...

Err, quoted the wrong person.

Nemesis999 said:
Exactly. 5 hours.

That's assuming no processor usage and a brand new battery. Doing anything slight strenuous, and 6 months down the road, that'll be 3 hours.

Guess what? The POINT of an ultra-portable isn't so you can sit near a power plug. I don't want to have to hunt down a power plug on a train/bus, or buy a car charger, etc. Apple and their shitty product can kiss my ass.
Click to expand...
 
I love my macbook, but would never even think of buying one of those Macbook Airs
 
88 screws and the whole thing weighs 3 pounds, seems like half the weight of the thing is just from the screws!
 
Cool, I can change the battery on a flight as long as I have a screwdriver and the patience to remove 19 screws!

:rolleyes:

Honestly though I love the size and look of this thing but no replaceable battery, regardless of how "ultra portable" its supposed to be, is a serious deal killer.
 
The battery issue sucks, for those who disagree, they probably never had a laptop or traveled with one.


Anyways, this is great engineering, they are really simplifying their processes.
 
with everything so tightly packed in there it is ultra portable, aslo ultra BREAKABLE

those Air owners will have those things in shops more than a ford tarus.
 
Arvig said:
Is it me, or does it look like they used Crisco or some other vegetable shortening as the thermal grease between the CPU and the heat spreader?
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its you. that is not crisco thats iGoo. its formulated directly from steve jobs ball sweat. the apple sheeple swear by it and its reported that it can cure deafness in lab mice.
 
With the amount of paste they use it might as well be crisco. It would probably do just as well. They did the same thing with the mac books. they were over heating till people opened them up, removed about 3/4 of the paste and put them back together. They don't understand that they only need a little dap not a huge pile.
 
[LYL]Homer;1032003211 said:
Bbbubbuubuuuttt the battery!

Why is everyone obsessed with the battery? Isn't it supposed to have a 5 hour battery life or something like that. Not like you'll be swapping out for your charged battery often. And it's Apple's fault and cost to replace the battery if you were to need a new one.
Click to expand...

Right. And a top company official, on a 8 hour flight to Europe, would sit and twiddle their thumbs for 3 hours?
 
2 lbs of weight less for $700. No thanks. I think most people who just want it all, read replacable battery and dvdr will just go with the pro if they are smart. Not to mention this thing is slower because of the scaled down cpu.

Macbook pro FTW :D

I use no Apple Products and no, I am not a Microsoft Fanboy.
 
OregonLAN said:
What's with Apple's inability to make devices with "user replaceable" batteries? It's not that hard. I don't see the average MacBook user having enough technical gestapo to open up his or her MacBook (with a screwdriver) and replacing the battery themselves. Furthermore, I'm pretty sure it invalidates the warranty as Apple specifically mentions that you must send it to them to have it replaced. Laptop batteries are consumables. After a year or so of use, they only hold a fraction of their original charge.

Let's hope Apple decides to stay away from the printer division. I can see it now: You must send us your printer and pay $129.00 when you need to replace the ink cartridges...
Click to expand...

It's called a major scam that Apple has going on with all their products. They want you to pay them to replace the batteries so they can make more money. You know how many appleheads will be taking their Airhead laptop to the apple store to get them to replace the batteries on their apple stuff? A LOT. That means more money for them.
 
At least the battery isn't soldered on. Either way the market for this thing is so narrow as there is no way the Air can be your only machine.

Spend significantly less and get a Macbook with better specs and the same size screen, spend a little bit more and you get a Macbook Pro with uber specs and a larger screen. I personally never got the ultraslim/ultraportable machines from any PC manufacturer. I travel for work all the time and for me it doesn't make sense to spend that much more to make an already small and light device even smaller.
 
That said, I just read the article and while I would never buy one of those things, that is a very impressive piece of engineering.
 
inotocracy said:
Cool, I can change the battery on a flight as long as I have a screwdriver and the patience to remove 19 screws!
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That's IF you can even get the screwdriver on the plane in the first place. A poor design having to go through all that to replace a friggin' battery.

... :cool:
 
Arcygenical said:
Right. And a top company official, on a 8 hour flight to Europe, would sit and twiddle their thumbs for 3 hours?
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No, because he would have a power socket for the laptop built into his seat...

Pretty much any international and domestic business and first class seating has laptop power these days. It is one of the ways I was able to maintain sanity traveling 33 hours from South Africa to Los Angeles. All they need now is for Wifi internet to be on all those flights, then it would be awesome.
 
Nemesis999 said:
Guess what? The POINT of an ultra-portable isn't so you can sit near a power plug. I don't want to have to hunt down a power plug on a train/bus, or buy a car charger, etc. Apple and their shitty product can kiss my ass.
Click to expand...

Yep, and another POINT of ultra portable is that you won't always be near Wi-Fi, which is why Apple also screwed up by not including and actually discouraging EVDO/3G.
 
Yeah, I wouldn't buy one - my almost 2 YO MacBook Pro is still more powerful and, all things considered, just as portable. Sure, the battery won't last as long, but I can buy extras and easily swap it out. On top of that, I like having a true, discrete video card (rather than the Intel GMA-based chipset on the Air and regular MacBook).

However, I think that a lot of you are missing the point. I've been guilty of it in the past, too, when looking at Apple's design decisions that have later become "standards":

1. Inclusion of a 3.5" diskette drive. Macs had them first, while IBM-compats were still standardized on 5.25" disks. Conversely, Apple was also the first 'mainstream' company to remove diskette drives from their computers as a standard configuration.

2. Macs were the first 'mainstream' computer to use USB.

3. Macs were the first 'mainstream' computer to use a mouse.

4. First 'mainstream' with firewire.

5. First 'mainstream' with a GUI.

6. First laptop with a touchpad (Powerbook 500)

I'm sure there are others...but the point is that Apple designs things for *tomorrow*, not today. While *you* might not care for the stuff that is coming out of Cupertino, but you have to appreciate that a lot of trends have started from one company.
 
HOCP4ME said:
Yep, and another POINT of ultra portable is that you won't always be near Wi-Fi, which is why Apple also screwed up by not including and actually discouraging EVDO/3G.
Click to expand...

Cell phone internet access built in would really have been something. That is IMO one of the the best things about the iPhone. I now browse the internet constantly while I'm out and never have to worry about gaining access.

That said, Wifi is pretty much everywhere as far as businesses, schools, hotels, and airports go. I never have issues getting online when I'm away for work. I never use my ethernet adapter even though I still keep a cord in my laptop case. Hell, they even have free citywide Wifi pretty close to me in Santa Monica. I can't frigging wait until WiMax is everywhere, no more trouble with access or anything, and someday we will take it all for granted.
 
Crow T. Robot said:
Yeah, I wouldn't buy one - my almost 2 YO MacBook Pro is still more powerful and, all things considered, just as portable. Sure, the battery won't last as long, but I can buy extras and easily swap it out. On top of that, I like having a true, discrete video card (rather than the Intel GMA-based chipset on the Air and regular MacBook).

However, I think that a lot of you are missing the point. I've been guilty of it in the past, too, when looking at Apple's design decisions that have later become "standards":

1. Inclusion of a 3.5" diskette drive. Macs had them first, while IBM-compats were still standardized on 5.25" disks. Conversely, Apple was also the first 'mainstream' company to remove diskette drives from their computers as a standard configuration.

2. Macs were the first 'mainstream' computer to use USB.

3. Macs were the first 'mainstream' computer to use a mouse.

4. First 'mainstream' with firewire.

5. First 'mainstream' with a GUI.

6. First laptop with a touchpad (Powerbook 500)

I'm sure there are others...but the point is that Apple designs things for *tomorrow*, not today. While *you* might not care for the stuff that is coming out of Cupertino, but you have to appreciate that a lot of trends have started from one company.
Click to expand...

Crow - That's why I'm chalking up the Air in the "ahead of it's time" catagory for now. Form factors like that from ANY manufacturer do not make sense to me now, even though the Air is likely better than what Sony and Lenovo offer. That said, it will make more sense when they can get more power into them. Until then the Macbook Pro and Macbook make far more sense to me.
 
Serpico said:
No, because he would have a power socket for the laptop built into his seat...
Click to expand...

Good point. I had forgotten about that.

But then, lower company employees, also on the same flight (who probably do more than the top official :eek:) sitting in Economy class, would be shafted.
 
Crow T. Robot said:
Yeah, I wouldn't buy one - my almost 2 YO MacBook Pro is still more powerful and, all things considered, just as portable. Sure, the battery won't last as long, but I can buy extras and easily swap it out. On top of that, I like having a true, discrete video card (rather than the Intel GMA-based chipset on the Air and regular MacBook).

However, I think that a lot of you are missing the point. I've been guilty of it in the past, too, when looking at Apple's design decisions that have later become "standards":

1. Inclusion of a 3.5" diskette drive. Macs had them first, while IBM-compats were still standardized on 5.25" disks. Conversely, Apple was also the first 'mainstream' company to remove diskette drives from their computers as a standard configuration.

2. Macs were the first 'mainstream' computer to use USB.

3. Macs were the first 'mainstream' computer to use a mouse.

4. First 'mainstream' with firewire.

5. First 'mainstream' with a GUI.

6. First laptop with a touchpad (Powerbook 500)

I'm sure there are others...but the point is that Apple designs things for *tomorrow*, not today. While *you* might not care for the stuff that is coming out of Cupertino, but you have to appreciate that a lot of trends have started from one company.
Click to expand...

Might be true.

But if disallowing a battery swap, and removing ports become the new standard... Well, I'm going to start building my own laptops.
 
Arcygenical said:
Might be true.

But if disallowing a battery swap, and removing ports become the new standard... Well, I'm going to start building my own laptops.
Click to expand...

There's nothing wrong w/ that - do what suits you. Honestly, I don't think Apple seriously expects the Air to account for a large percentage of their sales... but it IS a great marketing coup. Look how many people/sites/publications are giving Apple free press for it. That's the true genius for the Air - the return on Apple's investment is assured even if the Air only sells a small fraction of that of their other lines. You know the old adage: There is no such thing as bad publicity.

Same thing happened with the Mac mini. It isn't a powerhouse computer, but neither is it a slouch. However, the true benefit to Apple wasn't in the sales figures for the mini; rather, look at all the free press that they got from it. Suddenly, just about every manufacturer was trying to copy it for no other reason than Apple was getting so much hoopla. Face it, the mini is nothing more than a cut-and-stacked headless, keyboard-less, and mouse-less MacBook...that's not a great technological leap...but the press was invaluable.

I have a Sony Vaio VGN-TZ190N that is smaller (in most dimensions) than the Air, and it has a SSD (though it is a paltry 32GB)...but really, how much press do you hear about it? It has all of the same features as the Air, PLUS it has an optical drive and WWAN. But Sony no longer carries the same cachet as Apple and is thus less likely to be lusted over...though, in all honesty, I love everything about my Vaio other than Vista (worst stinkin' OS I have ever used) and the spongy keyboard.
 
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