It's been a busy week of Apple teardowns for iFixit, with the firm announcing today that it has completed its work on the non-Retina version of the Mid-2012 MacBook Pro.
Given that the non-Retina version has retained the same form factor for a number of years, there are few changes to the internal layout of the components, but a fresh look inside now that the redesigned Retina MacBook Pro has been released offers some interesting comparisons of how Apple is working to reduce the size and weight of its machines.
In particular, iFixit focuses on the hard drive and RAM differences between the two machines, noting that the proprietary solid-state drive used in the Retina MacBook Pro measures only 3.16 mm thick compared to 9.45 mm for the traditional hard drive in the non-Retina version. On the RAM side, Apple has soldered the chips directly to the logic board in the Retina MacBook Pro, while the non-Retina version still retains removable RAM modules in a stacked configuration measuring 9.15 mm thick.
Logic board of non-Retina Mid-2012 MacBook Pro with CPU (orange), NVIDIA graphics (red), and platform controller hub (yellow)
While the Retina MacBook Pro received iFixit's lowest repairability score ever for a notebook at just 1 out of 10, the non-Retina version receives a score of 7 for its use of mostly-standard screws and its easily-accessible battery, optical drive, hard drive, and RAM. But as evidenced by the popularity of the MacBook Air and the strong reception to the Retina MacBook Pro, repairability and upgradability appear to be taking a back seat to size and weight savings in the minds of consumers as Apple pushes the envelope with highly-customized components fabricated to meet the company's design goals.
The most important factor for me is screen size. The bigger the screen, the better. Next is RAM, followed closely by HD space. Battery life comes next, followed by a good keyboard. If my 17 inch MBP were to mass twice as much, I would not care. Laptops are light; I don't understand why anyone would have a hard time carrying one around.
If they were to shave off a few pounds on the MP, without harming performance or upgradeability, I would not be that upset. Not that I take my MP out to work in the field.
What, you don't want to be one of these people? :D:cool:
I'd say the reason behind that is because outside of memory the only other upgradeable component is the hard drive ;)
I disagree. I work in IT, as well as teach IT related courses. The vast majority of users don't even know they can upgrade their machines. A laptop is limited of course, but even the concept of putting a stick of RAM in a machine makes most users glaze over. Folks buy machines to use them, when they don't work anymore or are too slow they buy new ones, simple as that.
I'll take thinner, lighter, and longer battery life over upgrade options any day. I'll just buy the specs I want up front even if its costs a bit more and don't yet require it.
Apple also needs to know that replacing the board is going to be expensive so consumers aren't going to like it if they can't get it replaced cost effectively after the AppleCare expires. I seriously would spend a little more to get an extended 4 or 5 yr coverage rather than spend 800-1500 to replace internals.
But as evidenced by the popularity of the MacBook Air and the strong reception to the Retina MacBook Pro, repairability and upgradability appear to be taking a back seat to size and weight savings in the minds of consumers as Apple pushes the envelope with highly-customized components fabricated to meet the company's design goals.
Exactly. People buy machines, use them for a practical life cycle, without that much concern about repair logistics outside of the warranty, especially with Applecare giving you 3 years of not having to worry.
It’s not like 2-3 year old notebooks from any source are all that repairable. I’ve got old notebooks from a number of manufactures with bad motherboards, keyboards, trackpads, displays, none of which have a replacement source.
Tuesday September 7, 2021 9:03 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today announced that it will be holding a special event on Tuesday, September 14 at 10:00 a.m. The event will take place at the Steve Jobs Theater on the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California.
As with WWDC and last year's fall events, this new event will be held digitally with no members of the media invited to attend in person. Apple will likely provide pre-taped segments for...
The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro arrived in October 2020 in a range of color options, with entirely new hues available on both devices, as well as some popular classics. The 12 and 12 Pro have different color choices, so if you have your heart set on a particular shade, you might not be able to get your preferred model in that color.
iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12
The iPhone 12 mini and iPhone...
We've seen a lot of teasers about the Beats Studio Buds over the past month since they first showed up in Apple's beta software updates, and today they're finally official. The Beats Studio Buds are available to order today in red, white, and black ahead of a June 24 ship date, and they're priced at $149.99.
The Studio Buds are the first Beats-branded earbuds to truly compete with AirPods...
Wednesday February 3, 2021 3:09 pm PST by Juli Clover
YouTube is planning to stop supporting its YouTube app on the third-generation Apple TV models, where YouTube has long been available as a channel option.
A 9to5Mac reader received a message about the upcoming app discontinuation, which is set to take place in March.Starting early March, the YouTube app will no longer be available on Apple TV (3rd generation). You can still watch YouTube on...
Wednesday September 25, 2019 12:02 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple has teamed up with Maroon 5 to add the group's new song "Memories" to the Memories feature in the Photos app, allowing it to be used for photo slide show creations, reports Billboard.
"Memories" will be available as a soundtrack option for a limited time and it is available to iPhone and iPad users running the latest iOS 13 and iPadOS software.
Memories in the Photos app are created ...
Thursday February 4, 2021 1:58 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Serif today announced across-the-board updates for its popular suite of Affinity creative apps, including Affinity Photo, Affinity Designer, and the Apple award-winning Affinity Publisher for Mac, all of which were among the first professional creative suites to be optimized for Apple's new M1 chip.
"After another year which saw record numbers of people switching to Affinity, it's exciting to...
To commemorate the tenth anniversary of the iPhone, Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller sat down with tech journalist Steven Levy for a wide-ranging interview about the smartphone's past, present, and future.
The report first reflects upon the iPhone's lack of support for third-party apps in its first year. The argument inside Apple was split between whether the iPhone should be a closed...
The finish line is in sight! Apple's annual iPhone event is likely just a week or so away and all eyes will be on the company as it unveils the next version of its most popular product line. With any luck, we'll also see the next-generation Apple Watch and perhaps even some new AirPods.
Other news this week saw Apple making some more changes to its App Store policies in response to a...
August is rapidly drawing to close, which means Apple's annual iPhone launch event is right around the corner. iPhone 13 and Apple Watch Series 7 rumors are continuing to circulate, and we're also hearing about Mac updates likely coming a bit later.
Apple is also finishing up work on its upcoming software updates like iOS 15, with some late-addition features starting to go live in beta while ...
The iPhone 13 is widely expected to come with Wi-Fi 6E capabilities, and while it may seem rather nuanced to the average consumer, with only improved speeds and being "up to date" in the realm of Wi-Fi technology, it's actually a fairly significant improvement, laying the groundwork for much of what we know the future holds.
To truly understand Wi-Fi 6E, MacRumors sat down for an exclusive...
Top Rated Comments
They're going to do what they're going to do.
I disagree. I work in IT, as well as teach IT related courses. The vast majority of users don't even know they can upgrade their machines. A laptop is limited of course, but even the concept of putting a stick of RAM in a machine makes most users glaze over. Folks buy machines to use them, when they don't work anymore or are too slow they buy new ones, simple as that.
Apple also needs to know that replacing the board is going to be expensive so consumers aren't going to like it if they can't get it replaced cost effectively after the AppleCare expires. I seriously would spend a little more to get an extended 4 or 5 yr coverage rather than spend 800-1500 to replace internals.
It’s not like 2-3 year old notebooks from any source are all that repairable. I’ve got old notebooks from a number of manufactures with bad motherboards, keyboards, trackpads, displays, none of which have a replacement source.
I'd say the reason behind that is because outside of memory the only other upgradeable component is the hard drive ;)