This article originally ran with Wired.
This week, Apple delivered the highly anticipated MacBook Pro with Retina Display—and the tech world is buzzing. I took one apart yesterday because I run iFixit, a team responsible for high-resolution teardowns of new products and DIY repair guides. We disassemble and analyze new electronic gizmos so you don’t have to—kind of like an internet version of Consumer Reports.
The Retina MacBook is the least repairable laptop we’ve ever taken apart: unlike the previous model, the display is fused to the glass—meaning replacing the LCD requires buying an expensive display assembly. The RAM is now soldered to the logic board—making future memory upgrades impossible. And the battery is glued to the case—requiring customers to mail their laptop to Apple every so often for a $200 replacement. The design may well be comprised of “highly recyclable aluminum and glass”—but my friends in the electronics recycling industry tell me they have no way of recycling aluminum that has glass glued to it like Apple did with both this machine and the recent iPad. The design pattern has serious consequences not only for consumers and the environment, but also for the tech industry as a whole.
Four years ago, Apple performed a market experiment. They released the super thin, but non-upgradeable, MacBook Air in addition to their two existing, easily upgradeable notebooks: the MacBook and the MacBook Pro. Apple’s laptops had evolved over two decades of experience into impressively robust, rugged, and long-lasting computers. Apple learned a lot from the failings of the past: the exploding batteries of the PowerBook 5300, the flaky hinges of the PowerBook G4 Titanium, the difficult-to-access hard drive in the iBook. Apple’s portable lineup was a triumph—for consumers and for Apple itself. IT professionals the world over love working on the MacBook. I’ve disassembled a few of them myself, and I can attest that they are almost as easy to repair as they are to use.
The 2008 Air went in a new direction entirely: it sacrificed performance and upgradeability in exchange for a thinner design. Its RAM is soldered to the logic board (as in the Retina MacBook Pro), so upgrading it means replacing the entire expensive logic board. And like all laptops, the Air has a built-in consumable. The MacBook Air’s battery was rated to last just 300 charges when it was introduced. But unlike laptops before it, replacing the Air’s battery required specialized tools and removing some nineteen screws.
When Apple dropped the MacBook Air to $999 in 2010 to match the price point of the MacBook, they gave users a clear choice: the thin, light, and un-upgradeable MacBook Air or the heavier, longer lasting, more rugged, and more powerful MacBook. Same price, two very different products. At the time, I wasn’t very happy with the non-upgradeable RAM on the MacBook Air, but I respected that Apple had given their users a choice. It was up to us: did we want a machine that would be stuck with 2 GB of RAM forever? Would we support laptops that required replacement every year or two as applications required more memory and batteries atrophied?
Consumers overwhelmingly voted yes, and the Air grew to take 40% of Apple’s notebook sales by the end of 2010.
The success of the non-upgradeable Air empowered Apple to release the even-less-serviceable iPad two years later: the battery was glued into the case. And again, we voted with our wallets and purchased the device despite its built-in death clock. In the next iteration of the iPad, the glass was fused to the frame.
Once again, with another product announcement, Apple has presented the market with a choice. They have two professional laptops: one that is serviceable and upgradeable, and one that is not. They’re not exactly equivalent products—one is less expensive and supports expandable storage, and the other has a cutting-edge display, fixed storage capacity, and a premium pricetag—but they don’t have the same name just to cause confusion. Rather, Apple is asking users to define the future of the MacBook Pro.
Apple isn’t fundamentally against upgradeability and accessibility. The current Mac Mini has compelling finger slots that practically beg people to open it. When Steve Jobs released the “open-minded” Power Mac G3 with a door that opened from the side, the audience oohed and aahed. Apple products have historically retained their value quite well, in part due to third-party repair manuals, but also due to a number of very modular, very upgradeable designs.
Even the MacBook Pro was originally touted as an accessible, repairable machine—at Macworld in 2009, Steve Jobs said, “Our pro customers want accessibility: […] to add memory, to add cards, to add drives.” That’s part of what I love about my MacBook Pro. I’ve upgraded my RAM, and I even replaced my optical drive with an 80 GB SSD.
On the other hand, Apple has consistently introduced thinner, lighter products. They learn from experience. They react to their customers. They’re very adept at presenting us with what we want. And they give us options from time to time and allow product sales to determine their future designs.
We have consistently voted for hardware that’s thinner rather than upgradeable. But we have to draw a line in the sand somewhere. Our purchasing decisions are telling Apple that we’re happy to buy computers and watch them die on schedule. When we choose a short-lived laptop over a more robust model that’s a quarter of an inch thicker, what does that say about our values?
Every time we buy a locked down product containing a non-replaceable battery with a finite cycle count, we’re voicing our opinion on how long our things should last. But is it an informed decision? When you buy something, how often do you really step back and ask how long it should last? If we want long-lasting products that retain their value, we have to support products that do so.
Today, we choose. If we choose the retina display over the existing MacBook Pro, the next generation of Mac laptops will likely be less repairable still. When that happens, we won’t be able to blame Apple. We’ll have to blame ourselves. They gave us the choice.
Very good article! :)
Dead link to “2008 Air” (to go with a dead on article!)
You’re totally right. They do give us a choice. It’s genius if you think about it. We’re building our own prison. Apple has always been “simple” and things “just work,” so if we are choosing this destiny then most certainly we’ll end up with Apple discontinuing the Mac Pro and giving up Retina MacBook-like models for generations to come. There was no reason for them to put out an entirely new MacBook except to let us make a decision on which one we liked.
The problem here is that people are buying into a brand. Ironically it’s not “Apple” it’s the “Retina” brand. Apple has made their own branding out of “Retina devices.” They get a lot of “ooo’s and ahhh’s” and Apple loves that. We open our wallets and conform the companies future, they very one we are creating by making these choices.
I don’t think the new Retina MacBook is bad. It’s quite an amazing piece of technology, but indeed it lacks room to upgrade. But then again, I’m writing this post on a late-2011 MacBook Pro with 16GB of RAM. This computer is maxed out because I wanted it to be. I cannot upgrade this computer anymore (except the hard drive), but aside from that it’s completely maxed out.
So where’s the line at? I bought a computer with 4GB and upgraded it to 16GB, but now I’m maxed out. I cannot change the processor, nor the GPU. I could upgrade the storage if I’d like. But I believe it was pointed out that the new MacBook had upgradable storage via a screw and a clip.
Either way the point I’m making here is that we’ve always had the ability to choose what we wanted. This is no different, but in this case we’re telling Apple what we want. Think of this as a survey. Personally though I think there’s a market for both though. I think I’ve gone off into a tangent now, and have lost my thoughts.
Buy the computer you can live with, not the one you’ll deal with. If you’re going to buy the new Retina MacBook at least shell out the $4,000 for the top model that will certainly get you through for a while. If not I think you’ll have buyers remorse, if you have any intention of doing serious business with it. It wasn’t meant for “web browsing” people. Get a MacBook Air if you fancy Facebook over Final Cut. Not that Air’s aren’t powerful, but they were built with simplicity in mind. Ironically so was the Retina MacBook, but with performance in mind. Weird huh?
Great article, thanks.
Fantastic article, interesting ad almost philosophic…
Shouldn’t this article end with “Written on my Retina MacBook Pro”
So yeah, the battery being glued in is kind of WTF but the drive being proprietary won’t last for long. The MacBook Airs have had drives on http://www.macsales.com for a while. Yeah, they’re pricey.
But Apple has a way of turning propriety things (iPod dock connector, magsafe, etc) into standards just because everyone has one. I imagine that as time moved on, we’ll see drive upgrades for these and the new MacBook Airs.
Its just a transitional period… and I think its worth it for products that really advance their industry. And this MacBook with that CPU, GPU and thinness paired with (my god) that Screen will definitely advance this whole industry.
Great article, like you said, sales speak for themselves. And with that being said, the majority of people DO NOT CARE about upgrade ability. Normal consumers aren’t tech savvy, nerds are. And consumers do as they are titled, consume. After 3 years (the time which AppleCare covers the machines), the normal person wants a machine. Consumers don’t like upgrading a machine to out-perform their previous specs, or compete with new models- they just say “I want the new one!” When people are dumb enough to do something irresponsible and destroy a machine (which Apples warranties dont cover), they’re also dumb and irresponsible enough to buy a brand new machine.
I think as tech followers we care about these finer details, and I commend you on an extremely insightful article that can really wake people up to the sales structure…. But at the end of th day, we are a minority. And we always will be. As technology advances into the hands of toddlers and grandmas, the doors of fridges, and my garage door opener, people will continuously want the latest and greatest after ONE YEAR, be able to afford it every TWO YEARS, and not care about whats inside it, what to do when it breaks, or anything else besides “is it pretty, will it do what I want, and how much?”
It’s a crazy high-tech world we live in, and fantastic computers like this one are just the dawn of a much more scary, oblivious consumer driven one.
Actually, it’s not a choice for me. If I’m ready to spend $1800, I’ll go ahead and spend a thousand more to buy the best one out there, because otherwise the 1800 will be a waste for me. But then, I don’t get the options to upgrade the same at all, and I’m stuck with a non-user replaceable battery. I don’t have a problem with the ‘non-upgrade-able’ part, because I think the hardware provided is more than enough to keep me ahead of many others for at least 3 years. By then, Apple would have launched another master product that will tempt me to buy that. So, the only problem that remains is battery, because in any case I will need the MBP to work so that I could sell it to afterwards to buy the latest one.
Even not for the battery, without having the RAM and the SDD designed to non-upgradeable, your CPU and GPU performance still already setup your notebook to be a product can be only used efficiently as the applications update and require a better and better performance everyday.
The upgradeable product from Apple which you mentioned, were the desktop models. Remember, Macbook Air or Pro with Retina Display, are both designed for people who need a portable machine. An ultra portable computer like Macbook Air with a Pro performance and the BEST display ever, I see no reason to not welcome it.
For your ideology of choosing a notebook, I simply will suggest you to go for the Alienwares.
I have mixed feelings about the Retina MacBook. I don’t like the fact that the RAM and Storage are not upgradable, and more importantly, easily removable. Hell, absolutely not removable at all. It’s starting to resemble the Blueprint of the iPad, which in my opinion, is a secondary computing device. I know Apple’s direction is going “post PC era” with their products, but its interesting how customization and upgradability factors are taking a back seat. I guess this is the inevitable with future electronic devices, braodly speaking.
On the other had Apple as manage to engineer a very powerful Macbook. Putting the very attractive thinness of the chassis aside, its got some heavy duty guts inside. it comes standard with a very fast i7 CPU and GPU from nVidia with Kepler Technology, and it’s maxed out with 16GB of RAM, which is overkill. 8 GB RAM is standard, which id more than enough. The only down side is the limited Storage at 256GB, which is enough for application. I’m assuming they are attempting to put iCloud, and other cloud based storage services at the forefront for user’s files, and media storage needs. That may suck for Verizon customers with shared/teired dataplans ..
But going back to my point… The Retina MacBook Pro is a sexy beast of a laptop, and I just hope they bring back the 17inch with a retina display, and perhaps some extra stuff to make more professional vs consumer oriented, if you know what I mean. I can imagine they could relase a 17inch Retina MacBook Pro by next year with the bigger chasis allowing for exra battery, extra ports, and more upgradability., using the same apporach they did when they relased the first set of unibodies. Remeber the 13 and 15inch unibodies were first, before the beutiful 17incher. I hop history repeates itself, and there should be no reason for Apple not to consider this move.
I digress…
If I were to but a new Macbook Pro today, I would get the Retina Macbook vs. the existing ones, because it’s max out to 16GB of RAM and that is important. I really dont care if that RAM is not upgradable, because 16GB of ram is plenty for now. What sucks is when and if the integrated RAM gets damaged… Then I guess it’s curses for Apple. but RAM is pretty reliable these days, and very seldomly do people ever need to replace RAM due to malfunction.
More than anything, I hope they make the internal stoage more accessable, removable, and upgradable. Personally I have no problems with them going the proprietary route with internal storage interface, but at least make it easy for us to swap, and upgrade it. Tyr to make the interface an open standard, or not. But make so that users can choose how much Storage they need… I mean, I’m perfectly fine with SSD drives.. That All I ask for from Apple. I hope they are listening. I don’t want to abandon them for something stupid like screwing up choice of internal Storage for users on their “primary” devices. iPad internal storage is fine. But, don’t this to my primary computer, where I like to keep all my porn, um I mean my files and stuff.. well, pretty much my whole life.. and also I’d like to do this with having to use iCloud or some other cloud service, I sorta value my privacy, and autonomy for storing my most beloved files. Again I hope Apple and especially other companies are listening.
Well it’s bed time, and I’m really talking all over the place right now. Bottom line… if you want the new Macbook Pro with Retina, get it. You wont regret it…
Thank you and goodnight.. LOL
Come on. Are you guys retarded or what?
Are you going to piss and moan you can’t replace the flash storage in your mobile phone? How many people replace the batteries in their phones? How many people when they DO replace their batteries, don’t know where to dispose of them and end up tossing them in their household garbage? Wouldn’t replacing batteries at an authorized location HELP improve battery recycling and hence the environmental impact?
This is less environmentally friendly? How? Because you’re pissed you couldn’t take it apart properly on your own? I sense someone with an agenda behind this article.
The new MacBook is excellent. Amazing piece of engineering. Let’s be real here too – how many of these SSD’s, GPU’s and CPU’s are going to be dying? And could you have replaced the CPU, GPU in other laptops anyhow? The SSD and wireless cards you can pull, the screen you can replace all in one shot without having some Apple genius pry out a screen from the lid etc. etc. It’s not that big of an issue here you whiners.
Always tradeoffs for products. Maybe next time they will make it a bit easier, and find a better way to secure the batteries? Sure, they could very well clue in and make it easier on themselves as well. No big deal overall.
Great article but to me they haven’t actually given us a clear choice, rather they are forcing us to choose the one they want us to choose. It would have been a fair choice between macbook pro and the ‘next generation macbook pro’ if both had retina display, hdmi and some other design changes.
Currently its like that; I want to buy normal ‘repairable’ macbook pro but I want retina and hdmi more so what should I do apart from sacrificing ‘easy to fix & upgrade option’ and go for the one with retina?
apple is the worst company when it comes to OPENESS…. they are the enemy of freedome with their itunes and DRM crap.
and apole users are normaly idiots who don´t care about the environment.
they are the SUV drivers of the IT world.
This lack of flexibility from Apple is a big reason why I opt to go with PCs instead. Even my netbook has better upgrade options than this, and I can replace the battery even while the system is running.
The soldered RAM I can live with. 16Gb would be plenty. The SSD I can live with. I can imagine within time someone will release an upgrade. However the glued in battery I do not understand at all. All batteries die at some point. My current macbook pro is on it’s 2nd, my mother’s is on it’s 2nd and I know plenty of people with non mac laptop’s that can only operate their laptop if it is plugged into the mains. They do not last forever.
I do not understand why people keep saying “Do you change the battery on your ipod?”. No i guess i don’t (I did once actually, my first ipod classic), but my iPod is not my primary device. I did not spend £3000 grand on my iPod. I do not use my iPod for 90% of my computing.
Changing the battery on almost any laptop has been super easy up until this Macbook pro was launched. It needs to remain easy to change as it the most likely to fail after 3 years.
I do not buy a computer every 3 year years. My last Macbook pro I bought 6 years ago, and up graded it 3 years ago and last year. If I am going to be spending >£2000 on a peice of equipment I want to do everything in my power to hold onto it for as long as possible and keep it relevent. Apple have now taken that option away.
If they fix the battery problem then I think it would at least be a half decent compromise.
I was hoping to get this mac book pro but I think I am going to wait until next year to see if the internal design improves and to see if a 17 inch model is released.
The article ignores the fact that hardware performance (RAM, CPU, HD) is comfortably outstripping software requirements. For the last few years hardware has not only kept pace with software (allowing more powerful programs to be run at the same speed as their predecessors) but has vaulted into the distance.
I have no problem accepting my laptop cannot be upgraded, or my battery may only last X years, if I expect to replace it at that time anyway with a model showing improvements in other areas, such as a retuna display.
I agree with the sentiment that the nonreplaceable battery is the deal-killer. I rushed to buy the new iPad on introduction day because of the retina screen and the greater battery to handle 4G – even though I was purchasing a wi-fi only version. Even with AAPL being the largest single stock in my portfolio, I’m not going to upgrade to the new MacBook Pro. With my iPad, a Zaggfolio keyboard. iPhone hotspot, LogMeIn Ignition and Dropbox – and constantly improving apps – I can do more and more on the road, without needing a laptop, upgradeable or not. My 2010-era MacBook Pro spends most of its time at home now, plugged into my PC-life’s expensive Dell monitor. If and when I decide to upgrade, it’s likely to run off mains, not battery. For me, the new iPad is more than symbolic of a post-PC era – it’s the path to a post-laptop era, too.
of course a article of somebody who lives by taking apple products apart has to make everything bad. i don’t know why i should feel the need to upgrade 16GB of RAM in the near future ?!
blah blah. i bought an original ipad the week it came out and it’s battery is doing great.
if i buy a 2300$ laptop then 200 bucks to get a brand new battery is nothing
people are voting for this kind of device because it’s _better_. no one cares about upgrading memory and whatever but nerds with not enough work to do (i know this because I used to be one).
use the macbook pro retina to do something awesome. you’ll buy a new one in a couple years, maybe. or maybe you’ll replace the battery… so? you did something awesome
Essentially all this article is about is how the design and manufacturing of the new MBP is bad for iFixit’s business. Apple cares about the environment. They want the old products back for recycling.
A glued in battery on a machine that costs at least $2200 and more like $3500 with 16 gigs of ram and the big SDD! WTF?
Sony, Canon, and Panasonic would be laughed out of the video camera business if they chose to sell $3000 camcorders with not only built-in but then glued in place batteries.
Look if Apple had some super battery tech that could last for say 6 years of discharge and recharge every other day, then fine. But Apple doesn’t have this tech, and will lose sales because of this battery flaw.
Maybe the next MacBook Pro will have an AMOLED screen, thereby allowing the machine to be even thinner, perhaps then Apple will rethink the battery choice.
This whole built-in battery thing of MacBook Pros is a mistake; it means that no one can do serious work out in the field away from AC power.
The battery will die, just like it did in my October 2008 15″ MBP. Because it’s a professional machine (that is, I earn a living with it), I bought Apple Pro Care to cover me for three years.
This meant that I’ve had my battery replaced twice in that time, all covered by the warranty. The biggest impact to me was that I dropped my laptop off at the store (5 miles away), and picked it up a couple of days later.
And I expect the same thing to happen with my newly-ordered Retina MBP. After 12-18 months, I’d imagine the battery will fall to below a particular rating, and I’ll go get it replaced under my cover.
It’s a professional machine used every day, and I expect that. The same reason I don’t expect it to be used for more than 3-4 years, which is my typical upgrade cycle with a primary workstation.
Having said that, and rather ironically, I’m rather annoyed that my 2008 MBP died a couple of weeks ago (3.5 years use). The only way to fix it was with a new logic board £400. With the plausible Retina MBP around the corner, and being due an upgrade, I declined.
That’s just the price we pay for having well-sized machines, I guess. Integrated, non-upgradeable components.
No choice for me, Apple!
My MBP late 2007 works fine and i intend to use my stuff as long as possible/upgradable…
If possible, i would choose the “old” Unibody with a new Retina Display… that would be a real choice…
You may be correct. But that ignores that Apple laptops are just better and are more than adequate for most users. Also Apple’s support which is important to many users is far superior to the support offered by PC manufacturers, which in many cases is nonexistent or where it exists is useless.
The whole “controversy” is ludicrous. This is the way all alptops are going in order to have slim designs packed with technology. ifixit only cares because they make their living from servicing laptops among other things and this hits them in the pocketbook. Apple has proven that sealed batteries etc are reliable and they provide service second to none. How much can you really service a laptop anyway? Add ram, disk, a different battery. You generally do that once.
I too, would choose the standard 13″ macbook pro with a retina display, as long as I can – after purchase – upgrade the RAM and SSD myself, without swapping the machine.
(writing this on a 13″ macbookj pro with upgraded RAM and 1TB SSD – hard to downgrade after that)
This is funny. Who said anything about throwing my old laptop away. I actually gave it away to a friend (2008 Unibody). I highly doubt any Mac user just tosses their computer. I’ve looked at the pictures and movies on iFix it and I have yet to see a Mac anywhere among the heaps of trash.
Upgrade the computer when you buy it new and you’ll never need to upgrade it again. IF you purchase a PC (sorry if you do) and you max it out when you buy it then guess what, it’s no longer upgradable. The only difference is that Apple’s products are actually quality and will last longer without user tinkering.
If my batter dies guess what? I’ll take it in and have it replaced. Even without AppleCare I’ll still take it in where the REAL technicians will go and recycle the battery because you better believe that MOST users who replace a battery by themselves simply throw it in the trash and not recycle.
This might be a better anlogy than the BMW one:
http://penny-arcade.com/comic/2012/06/13
Fanbois will eventually get run over by the Macbook Pros design limitations and lack of upgradeablity.
Non-Fanbois will make the correct decision and get the hell out of the way.
I truly appreciate your insightful article. After reading it, I changed my mind about selling my MBpro and buying a new MBair. I’ll keep the MBpro, and buy an Android tablet — and look to iFixit to help me decide which one. And, BTW, thanks so much for all your help fixing and upgrading MBpros and G4s in the past. Best regards, Suj
I don’t think that I’m okay with a machine that I can’t upgrade. I’m used to building my own, and replacing parts when they wear out or I want to upgrade.
For my phones I’m okay with replacing them every couple of years, but I’d the ability to fix my machine when I want and on my schedule.
“When we choose a short-lived laptop over a more robust model that’s a quarter of an inch thicker, what does that say about our values?”
Nothing about it has to be “short lived” just because it’s not upgradable. I used an old MacBook for five years, well past it’s “prime”, before upgrading to a MacBook Pro out of a need for more power. You know how many times I upgraded my Macbook during those five years? Never.
I suspect, for *my* computing needs, portability trumps upgradablilty because I lug the thing around *a lot* and computing power wise, I think I’d get 5 years out of a Retina Display MacBook, too.
So don’t assume your values are the same as everyone elses. In general, I agree with you that upgradable is better–but statements like that come of as smug and condescending as many of Apple’s.
I won’t buy it! I had my last Macbook (the white one) for a long time. I upgraded that one myself. My latest is the Macbook Pro 13″ 2.3 Gz and I upgraded the ram from 4 to 8 gigs myself. If Apple keeps going on this path I will go back to PC! They are formulating their own demise. Steve Jobs would hate the new interior design. This is just an attempt to close the loop of an already closed and locked down system.
Thank you for a timely, well reasoned article. I’ve debated between a MacBook Pro, an iPad or a Windows 7 Notebook and this clearly eliminates the iPad from consideration! Since I keep systems for 5 years or more by making repairs plus upgrading RAM and hard drives a sealed, disposable device is unthinkable.
What notebooks are the most maintainable and which ones are light bulbs that you can only replace?
The US car companies did this strategy starting many years ago. Get you to NEED and buy a new car every 2-3 years. It was called PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE. Where did it get them? Giving virtually the entire industry to overseas manufacturers who cared about quality and near bankruptcy. Apple makes specialized products with a cult following. Apple products are VERY VERY PRICEY compared to competitive ones all over the market made by many manufacturers. Apple’s recent triumph is hitting the mainstream with products even grandma buys – iphone, ipad, etc. They have to stop talking “we care” and then allowing sweat shop conditions to exist in China factories and saying “we love the environment” and then gluing batteries to aluminum and putting in strange screws so you cannot open anything up nor recycle. What a joke it all is when you really think about it. I am glad ifixit can at least be honest about all this.
I really love apple and will never change, but non-upgradable machine is something that I don’t want. I would like to change my RAM and my Hard Drive or SSD and I would love to change the battery. I think if Steve Jobs was there he would never allow this
Yesterday I made one of the ugliest sins for any fanboi , installed a windows 7 on a macbook pro 2011 :
sadly and to my surprise it started faster than lion 10.7.4 and WIn7 speed felt very good .
So I suspect that unless they improve speed on Mountain Lion , and fix the unreplaceable Ram issue, apple wil stop being a computer company in the next couple of years.. or months?
Very strange they are going in the contrary direction of ASUS or Samsung
Well, right now, we have no other choice if we want a retina display. I would buy a MacBook Pro with 1″ thickness (instead of .71″) or so if it was better repairable and had a retina display. But I have no choice. This is my first MacBook by the way (I ordered one).
I almost never post on articles but this one is just brilliant. Just someone with your insight and experience dissembling Macs could give us an insight like this. My views have changed thanks to your article, thanks.
My only comment: Apple should know better. As Steve said once, he didn’t ask costumers what they wanted, Apple should know better.
I understand where you are coming from. Yes, the new MacBook is nearly impossible to upgrade. Although, if your willing to pay for it, you can get a pretty powerful laptop. If you were to order one of the new ones today I wouldn’t doubt it lasting you a good 6 years without slowing down. Plus the software updates, such as the new MountainLion, will continue to come out for a cheap price as the years progress, and will most likely run fine. Also if you are looking to get more HD space just get an external…and again, for now they give you a choice. So if people want a choice than apple should continue to listen to there customers and give them the option for years to come. (I ordered a Retina MacBook)
This is truly sad. I’m going to buy the retina and I own a few businesses that repair macs. I like the performance that it offers and I’m going to use it to do a lot of cad work. I’m sucked in to always having the new apple products like a lot of other people are and I hate to contribute to something thats going to kill my business. But in the end, they know what people are going to buy. Why they still can include upgradable memory or smaller hard drives like the air has is beyond me. They’re both thin and need to be replaceable items. I also feel the battery could have easily been removable as well. Seems like all it would take would be a thin layer of adhesive around the outside rather than glueing the entire thing down. I think this is all part in hopes that apple can breakdown repair companies like mine and bask in always being able to make money repairing them theirselves. Truly a selfish move. I employ about 20 people and I know there at thousands in the nation like us. More than just loosing my business I would hate to see thousands of people out of jobs because apple decides to keep everything for themselves.
Users don’t upgrade laptops in the field. Geeks do, but they are a fraction of the market. People buy a piece of equipment and use it until it dies. These design compromises are user-centric, not geek centric.
People will figure out how to recycle these things, I have faith in that.
Stop whining and buy the machine like you will anyway.
The biggest problem is that they’re confounding the retina display with the thinner package. If they shipped the retina display with the regular Macbook Pro, I doubt they’d see any excess of sales whatsoever for the thinner model. But after they sell scads of them, they’ll claim “see, consumers *chose* the thinner, appliance-minded design — we’re going to continue our march toward planned obsolescence in all our computing appliances”, when really consumers just wanted the sweet display.
I think your analysis misses some crucial points. The bottom line is that the industry has not been leading in terms of a form factor for SSDs that would allow for thinner designs. So Apple has taken the plunge. If you want to see more replaceable drives, then a push should be made for a standard instead of blaming Apple for leading. The only real argument would be for the battery, as again with the RAM, if they simply can’t fit slots for RAM in without direct solder, then that’s a testament to what can be done at this time, and fit in a given laptop volume. And as for the battery, if Apple has a good solution for a replacement after several years, then that’s not all that much different than DIY, and most people will pick that option.
This is the reality of where things are headed. Smaller form factors, glue, and recycling centers at EOL. Don’t blame Apple because they aren’t just handing you business. Their business is to make great products. And sometimes those compromises will take the industry in a different direction.
“This lack of flexibility from Apple is a big reason why I opt to go with PCs instead. Even my netbook has better upgrade options than this, and I can replace the battery even while the system is running.”
And in turn you get an inferior product in many other ways. Modularity and serviceability are not the more important features to most. To each his own.
You’re right. We have a choice. The very first computer I ever owned I built myself from scratch in 1992. Over the years I have always upgraded my computers. In the last 5 years I don’t feel the need to upgrade my computers. Unless you use intense graphic software most of the processing happens in the cloud. My 2008 computer works just fine. It doesn’t even labor. All the things I need to do it does. The upgrade race is over. Even storage is going to fade as an upgrade option as we stream more of our content. When it’s time to replace the battery I will. If it was sealed and I had to give Apple $200 to get another 4 years out of it? It’s worth it.
The issue is Apple should be pushed to make computers that last longer. Consumer repairability is iFixit’s issue not the publics and definitely not Apple’s. I’ve not have a Mac last less than 7 years but I realize that is not normal. Seal the case if you want to but give me 5 years of use.
BTW, I’ve notice the tone at iFixit is getting a bit preachy. I don’t know if I really want that much preachiness out of a vendor that sells tools and tech advice. You should consider that as well. But perhaps controversy is you goal as that will drive traffic.
My iPhone 4s screen cracked. I Googled all over the place and discovered basically what this article is telling us: our machines are smaller, lighter and thus less easily accessed.
I vote “yes” to this trend. I like it but want to be responsible for the resulting consequences.
So I decided the responsible thing for me to do is to gain back control. I fixed the cracked iPhone screen using iFixIt tools and a reasonably priced replace screen. I also used a Donegan DA-5 OptiVisor Headband Magnifier, 2.5x Magnification from Amazon.
Why? Well, from now on, to replace a battery in my MBA, I won’t go to a dealer, I’ll do it myself.
Indeed, our main responsibility (that word again) is to be sure the parts and directions are universally available. And for the parts we cannot replace (MBA/MBP memory soldered in), we have to be aware of the choices that will last as long as we want the machine.
The phone got fixed, and now has a transparent rear panel as well, so as to show others what’s in the phone. It is a tough fix but with all the youtube videos and iFixIt guides, I could do it. And I’m 70 years old so you can too!
I have loved Apple’s laptops for years, and slowly over those years I got rid of all my Dell, Asus, and Sager machines in favor of Macbook and Macbook Pro machines, and up to now, I have been very happy. We also buy the new IPhone and IPad for each family member each year because we like the new devices and it supports Apple. When they built the new Macbook Pro, they lost me as a laptop consumer until they fix the issues outlined in this article plus one more, return of the 17″ unit. I cannot believe Apple would get rid of the 17″ machine, make it so you have to pay more than twice as much for RAM that cannot be changed, and only have a single option for SSD which are Toshiba junk drives, as well as no more ethernet port, come on Apple. My 2011 17″ Macbook Pro has been my favorite machine since I got it. I have dual SATA III SSD drives, 16GB RAM, and the fastest processor available when I bought it. It runs great and I have had no issues with it. That being said, I would have bought new Macbook Pros for me and the family this year, and honestly I was looking forward to upgrading all the machines, but not with this version of the unit. I am sure it is well designed and works great for a little while, but the lack of 17″ option, and non-upgradeability has put me off of the Apple line of computers until they come out with a version more like the 2011 version, but faster.
It’s funny you never mention software. Macs tend to have a finite lifetime there, too: a 2008 Macbook, for example, only run from 10.5.4 to 10.7.N.
Every Mac ever built has a minimum and maximum Mac OS version that it can run, and it’s usually fairly close to what the hardware can reasonably handle. I’m guessing that’s no coincidence.
The various transitions they’ve made (PPC, OS X, Intel, 64-bit) — 3 in about a decade! — have only made this worse. If you’ve got a Mac from 2006 or before, chances are it’s not good for much at all. (The most modern web browser it supports is probably Firefox 3.6: even open-source doesn’t help you that much here.)
So I really don’t see what’s new about this. It’s not like people are running 10-year-old Mac laptops that they’ve upgraded the RAM and disks and batteries on, because the software that an old Mac supports is the same as it always did.
Another way to look at it: the extra connectors and jacks and covers to make it fully expandable take a lot of material to make. If only 5% of people ever use the expansion capabilities, but they take 5% more material, then it’s not an environmental loss. And I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s even lower than 5% of people.
Interesting read. But really Kyle, what are you expecting? Its a super thin laptop. If they used a conventional hard disk (or SSD) it might not fit into the thin enclosure, and also might not be the best way to use space. Remember in most laptops, every millimeter or space is precious. As for ram, to have upgradable ram, they have to add plastic, increase the thickness of the logic board (those plastic sockets that hold the ram in space do add thickness) and therefore making the laptop thinner. As for the battery, adding screw boxes for the battery might compromise the integrity of the top case. As an Apple technician, they do have strict requirements and guide lines. And what did you expect, what exactly is actually repairable these days? iPods, iPhones, iPads, computer are losing their repairability. Sure some parts can be replaced in modules or assemblies, but the idea in the modern world is to make thin and light products. Like when Apple did away with the removable battery in 2009. It allowed a larger battery by getting rid of the mechanisms.
The Motorola RAZR isn’t too serviceable. Nor is my TV (well I know how to solder, so for me it is) but do you want them to socket the resistors, capacitors, diodes? I think you should look at reality, and set your expectations correctly. I still like iFixit, but doing all this to get attention is lame. Its kinda a well duh and well obviously what did you expect thing.
People use it til it dies, well apple made this thing junk after about 1 year on battery side. 200$ repair bill every year. Throw on top of the matter ram has been known to go bad which with this thing is probably a 2-300$ fix. same with if screen cracks, etc.
I bought my first Macbook 5 years ago,I still have it.
I have upgraded the Ram and the HD over the years to keep the beast humming.
Now no upgrading/repairing it myself,well,that only means one thing.
I will not be upgrading to the Retina display Pro.
You see I live 650km from my nearest Apple store in Cambodia.
So is the 15″ MBP w/o Retina Display just as nonupgradeable?
You are right – this (along with other reasons listed on my blog) is why I bought the MacBook Pro and NOT the MacBook Pro with Retina Display. I voted with my dollars, and hope other people do the same. I’ve always thought the idea of the MacBook Air was stupid, and now it’s getting worse.
I hate that there are features on the MBP+RD that aren’t on the MBP – IE the HDMI port, having USB ports on both sides, the dual Thunderbolt ports, and the quieter seeming fans. If Apple gave us a true choice (meaning, all the specs were exactly the same – just one is thinner and less user friendly and the other is thicker but upgradable) then I think it would be easier for people to make the right choice.
Rich – no, the MBP w/o RD is just as user upgradable as it was before. The case is the same as the last generation model.
Pleasantly surprised to see a more civilized discussion here than in the previous one. I never understood why some people feel such a need to convince others about their personal preferences anyway. Moving on.
I’ve been a PC user all my life. I love them – they’ve educated and entertained me for so long, and I’m grateful for that.
About 7 years ago I got started with the web, specifically web design. I’ve been earning my living in the field with the help of my trustful desktop and laptop ever since.
And then it happened.
The more I saw professionals using Macs, seeing them all focused entirely on their work, having no distractions and being so productive, the more I wanted to know more. So I’ve been studying this *expensive* alternative for more than a year.
I need to stop wasting my time with problems that shouldn’t exist to begin with. I want to focus on my work, not to read 1234 articles on how to fix something that hasn’t to do with web design.
So Apple launched the Retina Macs, and I finally took a decision. I’ll definitely pay premium for something that will help me perform better in my field (and I’ll be honest – it’s a big, no, huge financial effort for me right now).
I don’t care I won’t be able to upgrade. I’ll max out at 16GB now, I’ll be covered by 2y warranty in the EU and, before I’ll REALLY need a hardware upgrade, at the rate the industry is moving, my whole machine will be obsolete anyway. I’ll donate it like I did with 2 previous desktop PCs.
BOTTOM LINE of a lengthy post: don’t waste your time trying to convince others of your personal preferences. Find out what you need, to empower you to help others. What suits YOU best. And use that. To do good.
Why fix it, if it isn’t broken really?
Sincerely,
A PC and soon-to-be Mac user.
P.S.: I’ll still be using a PC in parallel. And I’ll be gaming on my XBOX. Because that’s what suits me best.
Cosmin, you’re absolutely being reasonable. That’s a totally valid judgement for you to make.
The question I ask is what happens to the computer after you donate it? We (understandably) tend to focus on products first owner. But what about the second and third and fourth? Eventually, the laptop is going to need a new battery. And it’s probably going to break. Hopefully, someone will fix it. But the difficulty and expense of the repair will have an impact on their willingness to do so. The cost of repair—both in time and in money—impacts how long it will last.
61% of Apple’s environmental impact is manufacturing. The best way to mitigate that impact is to make things last as long as possible. I’m not expecting you to hang onto your computer for 10 years! But I sure hope someone else will be able to use it for that long.
Great article. And great comments. You mentioned the important environmental impact. I won’t rant much, except for two things. One is, when I went to “recycle” (through Apple’s online program) a ~2-year-old MBP, I was offered a pittance: not much motivation there. Two is, I think Apple’s design pattern won’t be a problem until (and unless?) the chickens come home to roost. Unless folks gut-feel the impact of poor habits, best practices may not come to fruition.
I’m totally disagree with Kyle and some other folks that follow Kyle’s views positively.
Here are some specific issues that all of us should be aware of if we follow the trend of technology advancements, reinventions, contemporary implementations and experiments.
I disagree that Apple’s way of limiting upgradability on iOS devices, its Air and the current MacBook Pro lineup is preventing us from the freedom of empowering our devices to the extreme level possible or to the extent potential of…
Before analyzing Apple’s way of offering cutting edge technologies, in-depth approach of the most refined engineering and outmost collaboration of its hardware and software on a single productive device, such a surface oriented article, blog issue or writing is if not inappropriate, it’s premature.
There are fundamentally 3 basic categories of consumers that purchase Apple products. First, the high-end professionals. They are the people who exactly know what they are purchasing over what configurations offered or speculated in future refreshes. Professionals are also divided precisely in a few groups. Those who workflow on Giant Displays having extreme computing devices and must access oversized display outputs for details and intensified demands. They never depend on All-in-one machine and they can’t be. And those who are rush-on around the clocks and with portables and know exactly when and where to switch workloads, intended devices and equipments. For such categories, Apple has provided with most versatile, intensive and aggressive products that are powerhouse for intensified workflows as much as possible contemporarily and Apple keeps building, rebuilding, reinventing and refreshing ahead for sure.
Second category of consumers is an individual and an institutional phenomenon that requires to operate a computer or that needs computers on day to day basis to official or semi professional works such as banking, accounting, billing, medical records, other kinds of offices, agencies, organizations or managements oriented entire fields that demand computers or computing devices and technologies for efficiency at work. Millions of individuals also fall in this category. And Apple very well studies, experiences, listens and develops its computers and devices implementing latest technologies and architectures by simplifying its products just the way people love to retain them. This doesn’t mean that Apple is restricting or forcing limitations upon upgradable capacities of its product lineup. Name one computing device in the world that doesn’t have its upgradability limitations. If a product has maxed out option capacity to upgrade its Memory up to 32GB, you are foolishly arguing to upgrade it to 64GB level. Wait and watch, in few years, you will see consumer computers reaching or even exceeding that capacity as the technology develops, gets implemented or radically takes turns: the latest example of Thunderbolt technology. Apple is a means to reinvent, implement, experiment, learn, assemble the refined products and offer the best of the devices the simplest way possible with the outmost productivity anticipated.
The third category of consumers is the group of hobbits, fans, seasonal migrants from PC to Mac, dreamers and students. Apple well aware of what line of Apple devices are required to this category.
Contradictorily, provided choices of upgradable SSDs, HDs, RAMs, CPUs, GPUs or even the cooling systems won’t necessarily boost up to the extreme speeds, the speed which has been already offered in another product lineup. Moreover, the output of every chip, resistance, power conductors, circuit board capabilities, heat-sink management, fans infrastructure, thermostats, sensors, frequency transmitters, transistors, signal management units, output controllers, input controllers and so many diverse areas that a single computing device comprises has certain limitations on its own and time takes for ongoing development, implementation and well organized infrastructure adaptation and consistent output.
Moreover, if you are more concerned to extend or upgrade internal storage, technology has provided cloud computing that you can transform a least spacious computer into a gigantic space via cloud medias such as local cloud devices, universal cloud computing or pet cloud services. For example, your contemporary Retina Display MacBook Pro lineup has 512GB SSD which can be extended to LaCie 2Big Thunderbolt 6TB Drive without connecting it physically. The technology assists you, serves you and does the best you intended possible. If you have questions about Memory upgradability to this referred model offered built-in 8GB Memory is such a huge leap that you will never need to exceed its capabilities using todays available and usable Applications referring to a portable device like this. Besides, you won’t be again debating in respect to upgrading its 2.7GHz i7 processors equipped with 8MB of L3 Cache. Once shouldn’t underestimate the highest level of sustainable architecture Apple has offered today. Never treat yourself down referring to Apple offered product lineup. You must know your capabilities and the product usabilities before emptying your wallet. Choose the product that will serve you the best. There are computers you can buy just below $500 and the products you are spending worth your whole month salary must have justifiable usabilities. If I’m a layman computer user that has fun surfing the web, conferencing with friends and families, read and write notes, send and receive emails, keep family photos and basic video footage for memory, carry on over backpack or briefcase or messenger bag, open instantly, type and close lid to pack back, I won’t go for MacBook Pro Retina Display. If I’m a professional photographer and would render images on the go, polish snaps and edit on the subways transits, finalize pixel perfect takes into print ready images while on the coffee-table or during lunch break, rush to lab and the work should get ready by then, I would definitely invest on Retina Display MacBook Pro. The offered optional Memory, the SSD space, the CPU capabilities and whatsoever would never intervene my creativity I would expect and achieve using the introduced display model which is already and perfectly built for me like rush professionals.
My preliminary aspect is to recognize what workflow a computer I’m choosing is supposed to render with. I can’t expect a MacBook Air to edit 30 days steady footage from a Sony PMW-F3 Super 35mm XDCAM EX Camcorder. There are limitations. There are certain uses and requirements from general individuals to institutions and professionals to students. There are certain categories and certain focused groups. Products are limited but still well distributed. Hence, in my opinion, there is no Apple intentions involved that Apple is deploying its customers in digging their own graves. If someone believes such unethical and impractical versions, the tech world has nothing to do with. I just wanted to put a totally different opinion rather than a sentimental article above. I’m not quite sure if my opinion is granted here to get published without manipulations, but I have secured this opinion publishing it on my own blog at some other corners Vs the article above. Let’s see how fair this thread can go.
This issue is basically about recyclability, the reality of affordable, modern mass production is non repairability, who complains about the inability to replace individual transistors, capacitors, etc in an integrated circuit? The challenge is to develop a cheap recycling system to eliminate the waste problem.
I hope eventually Apple and Intel start designing modular, replaceable components for their Airs and Ultrabooks.
Difficult as it may be, it’s still just another engineering problem to be solved, should their customers provide the motivation.
We want both – thin and modular/replaceable, not one or the other.
From what Ive seen in the new retina macbook pro teardown is that apple has made grand and logical design strides and the hardware has grown into the macbook pro form. The asymmetry of the optical drive now gone has really aligned and balanced the layout of internal components, take up the full width of the venting, having the heat sinks on the actual underside of the logic board seem to be the common sense that was missing from previous models.
Everything looks so good in its place and at the end its disappointing to find out that someone glued down the puzzle pieces.
And what is the fallibility of major components like the soldered flash, cpu/gpu, screen etc.?
To add, apple really has this closed ecosystem working out for them. I personally dont know what happens to recycled componentry whether its a super sci fi recycling process where every element is melted and then oozes out into the future machines of tomorrow or if its bartered and tossed down into some techno scrap heap, BUT it seems as tho manufacturing moments like the screen being glued to the aluminum chassis have somehow been considered for the time when they do return back to apple to be reappropriated.
The New MacBook Pro: Unfixable and not a good because a technican can fix it and non-upgradeable laptop.the MacBook Pro was originally touted as an accessible, repairable machine.for a technican fix .
Great article, thnx. Not just complaint, but given the causes and way to face it.
Well, a lot of folks say it will be ok for 3 years. I think
a) technology goes faster than 3 years, I certainly have to upgrade for my kind of work, were I need maximum actual state of art. If you don’t use it for social networking, but also not for highest performance you will be ok, but if you work in really high demanding stuff, like digital film, or live image generation, what was actual 2 years ago won’t be enough. And I don’t want to be forced to buy every year a new one.
b) and i can’t. Ok, there is a lot of people with enough money to, but for a BIG part of this world, a computer has to last, and if possible, more than 3 years. So, making it upgradable is a way to give more possibilities to people who aren’t an economic elite (I mean in non economic elite countries). Non doing it is a way of “not sharing the wealth”.
c) Finally, it is also simple for me: I want to have liberty to decide for my own. In everything. I want to have the liberty of installing software I want, putting the kind of pieces I like, and adapt anything to my needs. And even if it’s just for principle.
Comparing yourself to Consumer Reports made me laugh. Geek and Repairguy Reports maybe.
PD, some details more, to the comments. Puru: There certainly are professionals who need as far as portability can go. As DIT you have to download and render as fast as possible raw digital film material and ON THE ROAD. I work live video, and on stages, so it isn’t as simple as taking a desktop machine. I need to upgrade, and not because being a geek, Aaron, it’s my work. Of course I care little about harddisk, but I notice every RAM I can get – that some don’t isn’t enough reason to assume only geeks do. I would have also the possibility of upgrading video card, but well, I can go as far the manufacturer lets me. So, I like to have as much liberty as possible, and every limitation is a restrain to my demands. Anyway, puru, we are all free to disagree, but I don’t agree that you devaluate the authors opinion calling the article sentimental (if I got you right, if not, sorry).
It could be worse. Apple could behave like Logitech and put a weak part that is guaranteed to break at the first stress test. But I suppose Logitech gets away with it because their products are expected not to last.
And yet I am more bothered by the impossibility of adding an nVidia chip to the 13″ Macbook Pro than by the lack of a repairable 15″ retina Macbook Pro.
Some claim that average consumers don’t care about upgrade ability, which may be true, but average consumers are also highly unlikely to spend $2799 on a MacBook Pro when they can get a $1899 Alienware M18X for gaming or a $950 Dell Latitude E6420 for the office.
Think about it- who actually needs a MBP? The clear answer is creative professionals who rely on MBP’s and other upgradable Macs like the Mac Pro to earn a living. Apple was never competing with the cheaper PC laptops widely used for business and gaming, so if Apple wants to maintain MacBook Pro prices at a premium, they will need to maintain their creative professional customer base. And Steve Jobs himself recognized “Our pro customers want accessibility: […] to add memory, to add cards, to add drives.”
I’ve been using Macs for twenty years for professional multimedia work, and currently have five Macs in my studio. I would never have invested so much money in any of my Macs if they weren’t upgradable or repairable.
Since Apple introduced the non-user replaceable battery in the MacBook line, I’ve been surprised that there haven’t been more discussions like this.
For multiple reasons, I held off buying a new laptop until 4 months ago. Among the reasons was my love of previous MBPs versus many reasons for wanting a user-replaceable battery. I ended up in a situation where I needed to buy I new laptop.
I found it interesting that when I was at the Apple Store, asking only questions about the MBP, that the salesperson kept pushing the Air. It was only when I told her that I do video editing as part of my job that she stopped the hard push for the Air. Because of the nature of my situation I needed an upgrade rather rapidly and ultimately went with the latest MBP. It will be my last.
Beyond the battery issue, Lion caused me no end of grief, including not being able to connect to my company’s network. I ultimately had to hack it back down to Snow Leopard. Apple’s thinking is the same for both the hardware and software. And yes, consumers are driving this.
The irony for me, is the Apple duality that I initially fell in love with. There was the immediate, “it just works” layer that was simple, user-friendly, intuitive, and yes, really nice eye-candy. But there was also the power layer underneath, for those times when a user wants more access or control. This philosophy is one of the reasons that the first 3 MBPs I used were able to met all of my needs and most of my wants.
In the last few years, Apple has increasingly focused too much on the immediate layer at the unavoidable cost of the power layer.
For those that don’t understand why someone would worry about upgrading (e.g., “buy it maxed out in the first place” sentiments), I bought my previous MBP when money was really, really tight – I could barely afford the baseline MBP. But over its life, I did make upgrades here and there as finances allowed.
I’ll be sad when this machine no longer meets my needs. Alas, Apple has gone too far down a path that is at odds with my needs and principles. I doubt they will be changing paths before this machine ceases to meet my needs. So, I am already starting to pay ardent attention to alternatives.
An equally big issue is, do customers realize that they’re inadvertently casting a vote for the type of hardware they want to buy in the future when they purchase an Apple product? I doubt that 95% of customers really understand the ramifications of their purchase.
Jep, I agree also with the posts that there is a kind of operating system downgrading – thats what is actually worse than the hardware stuff.
I personally don’t like the philosophy of Apple of bringing iOS to OS. To be true, I even use my iPod touch and will use an iPad as interface for interactive Media and other “edge stuff”, not just mailing, surfing, and so. It that supposed to be “misuse”?
Certainly there have been many contributions of iOs, but I would like to read in the advertisement of apple: a faster system, more stable, better graphics for hard work – than “now your lap will look like your palm, yuhuu!”, for Apple puts as the new features of the next System “Mountain Lion” the integration of twitter and messages. What I see is that I bought a working machine and now it is getting a social networking machine, and am finding out that for Apple I am in first line a chatter. Well, in the place I am living the social networking happens live.
The point is where is their attention, what do they think the users need, or use. I also have the feeling that they are focusing more in the intermediate layer. Of course that is the biggest group on consumer reports, for they certainly increased a lot since Mac got “cool” and “elegant”. But pro users bought mac before they introduced design to hardware. So, which is the choice, go for statistics of increased normal users or stick to the power users? I would say, as company I have to stick to the biggest group, but also that I got that group partially due to the image of high-end machine, that fore I wouldn’t forget it got this recognition by the power users.
… Let’s get real :)
What other things in your life do you upgrade ?!
Cars, TV sets, wrist watches, game consoles kitchen ware, smartphones …
We do not upgrade most of the things we just choose what we need and use it. You want to go offroad you get a jeep, you want city driving you get an IQ. Computers are like any other thing and we should not separate them.
The new MacBook Pro will give you at least five years of usage with all the latest technologies. The displays, drives, connectivity and processors won’t get much faster than what you get inside it now.
There is not a single reason for any upgrade options to exist on this machine … All you have to do is to choose the right one for your needs unpack it and use it.
Real: for film and photo cameras, I bought bigger batteries and memory cards, I “upgraded” my cell phone memory card and bought better headphones- I even “upgraded” wheels on bicycles and a lot of other stuff: do you really think all our consume goods should remain untouched?
This thread is about upgrade AND piece replacement. That fore, it is also about maintenance, which is a item with cars and any machine, or do you really throw everything away as soon a single screw gets loose?
And, don’t we upgrade if we buy an external monitor, disc burner and hard disk? We evolve, our goods too.
I feel like the situation could be mitigated a bit if Apple took the same service approach to its Macs as it does with its iPhones.
The most expensive iPhone off contract is $849. The replacement cost for it, whether you are in or out of warranty, and regardless of whether you drop it in a toilet or step on it, is $199. That’s 23% of the original cost.
Apple only replaces Macs unless they have exhibited manufacturer’s defects repeatedly and have been repaired repeatedly for those issues. And the Mac must be under warranty and it can have no accidental damage. Repair to a Mac with any type of uncovered damage can become nearly as expensive as a brand new computer, versus an entire replacement for the iPhone costing less than a quarter of its original price.
So, there’s definitely an issue with Apple making its Macs more limited in how they can be repaired like iPhones but not applying the same service standards to Macs as it does iPhones.
However, beyond the service issue, I would still like to see future Mac notebooks become more modular rather than less. It’s extremely inconvenient to not be able to order a replacement battery online and swap it out yourself. In the old days, Apple even promoted how you could hot swap batteries, and you could even do it with their consumer line notebooks. You could take two batteries on an airplane and be set. And Apple advertised their notebooks as being used by Pros who would need to have spare batteries because the notebooks were supposedly being used by researchers on mountain tops or whatnot.
Also @Phil Ricketts who said he had his MacBook Pro battery replaced 3 times for free under Apple’s ProCare program, I don’t dispute that happened, but it’s rare that it would happen. Also ProCare, when it existed (it doesn’t anymore) does not give you warranty coverage or extend your warranty. It was a program to give you quicker access to the Genius Bar and some other services like tune-ups and set up help. You may be thinking of AppleCare or maybe you had both. Generally Apple is pretty stingy with battery replacements and only replaces notebook batteries if they have what they call manufacturer’s defects. In my experience neither AppleCare nor the warranty generally cover battery replacements because Apple typical will claim that a battery has been consumed when it dies.
I think very few people are aware of the issues you describe regarding the new macbooks. For this reason which model people buy is hardly a representation of people’s wishes regarding these issues. the “market” isn’t a perfect arbiter. Unfortunately, changes in the operating system are also locking people into more an more dependency on Apple through the App Store and the dumbing down of functionality that moves toward IOS represent. Unless people are fully educted on these issues, and I don’t see how this is possible, no message is being sent to Apple. Is there anything we can do to stem these changes in direction? I think The entire computer/phone/ipad industry is heading towards black box, idiot oriented consumer products. The world itself is starting to look like this. It will be inevitable as long as Apple along with other multi-nationals seek complete control of their markets.
–Kenoli
This is not the new ” mac book pro “, it’s the new
(macbook air pro).
refit allows one to install GNU linux on macbook pro. patched OS X make it possible to run lion on amd generic hardware faster than any mac pro
Hey folks this machine is definitely not targeted at any of us. The target customer of this machine are those who don’t care about upgrading their machine but more about the image of that.
I am using a modded MBP and I will never buy this “Pro”, no matter it will be priced like most refurbished machines in the near future. I want to have a machine that is built for me in mind not built for Apple.
Who is “voting for thinner” with this product line? Nobody was bitching that the MBP was “too thick.”
It’s Apple that never learns here. They continue going back to the same, tired well of thinness as an excuse to delete features and cripple their products.
If nothing else, any space savings should have gone toward extra battery capacity, not a pointless trimming of height. But the soldered-in RAM, no ability to customize the amount of RAM when ordering, proprietary drive, glued-in battery… absolutely inexcusable.
Apple is going off the rails with this bullshit, which will infuriate the developers from which Apple skims 30%. And now we hear that Apple is purposefully fragmenting its own ecosystem with model-specific software that can’t be excused by processor differences.
Talk about blowing it.
You’re right, I also like my macbook because I could replace RAM, replace the optical drive by an ssd, also changed the battery, even thermal paste… But to me, adding ram is not a real upgrade, it’s just a patch. Real update for me is when you change CPU and or GPU, and for laptops it consists mainly in buying a new computer, so the deathclock is already in every laptop, (which is less true for desktops).
Spoken like a true fatalist and apologist.
It’s not Apple’s fault. It’s ours! Just because we want one?
What nonsense.
Guys. If you’ve every had a mac f*ck up just out of warranty, you will know how much cheaper it was to buy the part and fix it your self rather than sending it in. Also ifixit has been a great help for me to fix my MBP issues over the years. I will not be getting a RD MBP as its not great for people who record audio and need to be mobile due to the limited expandability options. I’m getting the legacy shape 2.6GHz and hope they don’t discontinue expandable laptops. There must be heaps of pissed off AV guys out there also!
Interesting point of view, for me though i have no interest in fixing my Mac, i used to, i used to open the side up slot in new PCI cards and hard drives.
But then i realised i was spending longer fixing software and hardware issues than i was working (web apps etc) so i switched to a Mac (maxed it out) and bought Apple care. It went wrong Apple fixed it, job done!
To recycle: at the end of the Apple care warranty, i buy a new computer and i sell the old one on ebay or to local people after a Mac, or donate it to charity. To me re-use is the ultimate recycling. If it is broken, i sell it to a company in the UK who strip it down and sell the parts again for re-use, there is always someone who can make use of parts no matter how hard it is to strip down. Just not me, i want to use my computer, not fix it.
I believe people don’t think(mostly) like this while buying Apple products. They buy because they love Apple products.
Stephen Graham and Nigel Thrift also stressed that product repair and maintenance could be a political issue, because the corresponding processes can be achieved in more or less attentive and more or less effective ways . Together, these levers (uses, longevity, repair and maintenance of products) may eventually contribute to an ethics of non-wasting. See Stephen Graham, Nigel Thrift, « Out of Order. Understanding Repair and Maintenance », Theory, Culture & Society, vol. 24, n° 3, 2007, pp. 1-25.
Please add IOReg and DSDT/SSDT :)
Most modern consumers are largely ignorant and pretty short sighted. They simply want the sexy device and that blinds them, There’ll be a backlash.
I guess I’m trying to figure out if this is bad for me (consumers) or bad for ifixit. Are we past the point of needing to upgrade computers the way we were in the past. In other words, if the upgradability of the computer you already have was so good, you wouldn’t even be looking at machine so well manufactured. Don’t get me wrong, philosophically, I’m a tinkerer, and I like the idea of being able to repair things myself. But I kind of feel like the upgradability of machines like this are now outside the box so to speak. Already we’re seeing external graphics accelerators and the like built in to the monitor itself. Why not allow Final Cut Pro to be a piece of hardware that attaches to your camera when you’re recording and then your computer when you’re editing. This allows it to have all the additional power it needs built into the thing itself, plus the proper inputs (firewire, xlr, etc.). I say let it be, and let it do what it does well. Upgrading not means plug and play instead of unscrew this, look up this, remove this, don’t touch that, etc. If anything, upgradability is becoming MORE consumer friendly. But, yeah, lack of needing instructions might be bad for ifixit.
Time to get rid of shity production created only for extract many from people !!!
I WAS thinking about getting the new Retina MacBook Pro until I read here about the battery issue. I was also tossing up between the Pro and the Air, and the Retina screen was the thing that made my decision to go Retina MacBook pro again, until I read this article and comments. The only think that held me off buying it straight away was the Australian Tax laws will allow a >$6000 write off on anything purchased after July 2012. So I was forced to wait.
Now I have this information in regards to the Aiir and MacBooks (Retina’s) inhability to replace the batteries, well I might skip getting an apple laptop for a while. Hopefully they will see the sight, feedback etc.. though not sure if enough people will make loud noises in regards to this. I’ll be posting on Facebook the details to warn my friends, clients etc.. I suggest others do the same. Facebook is powerful if enough people act together we could get apple to redesign for the people.
If only Apples OSX would run on 3rd party machines, we could pick and choose our technology. (I know there are some emulators, I mean running properly)
A couple of thoughts: in terms of hardware, it is not a matter of “if” it is only a matter of “when” hardware will fail. Yes, as indicated above, some have experienced extended longevity; good for them. Unfortunately that is not the case for the majority of users. Excrement happens and computer hardware (and software) is notorious for that fact.
Secondly, this is such a first world problem it makes me want to throw up. When Apple’s policies of “glued to the chassis” benefits all users, first, second and, most importantly, third world users then I’ll be suitably impressed. Otherwise, we are talking shiny baubles with very little redeeming qualities.
Cheers!
Kyle, I love your site, but sorry, I have to disagree.
My thoughts here: http://nickchaves.com/post/hackers-gonna-hate
I am so disapointed, i was so excited watching wwdc, i wanted so much that mbp, thx god i decided to wait for a test instead of buying it the day they annonced it ! Thx ifixit ! I ll keep my ( heavy) alienware instead of buying that glue crap ( damn retina i ll miss you but i can wait : )
I loved the article and the teardown and enjoyed reading the comments under this post. Overall, I must say I agree that it is sad that Apple is becoming less user-maintainable and more proprietary with every release, but like the author pointed out: the consumers are deciding. Apple literally has the MBP side by side wit the MBP with Retina display. I’m worried that Apple will discontinue offering more affordable (and repairable) laptops in exchange for the retina models. I have had three Mac laptops in my life and have loved the superior technology, longevity, and sustained value. Most importantly, though, is the software which I find far superior to Windows or Linux. But I’m not rich and do not have the money to buy a new machine every 3 years. I tend to buy a mid-range model then purchase upgrade parts (the RAM and hard drive) on Newegg.com as they are far less expensive than buying the parts from Apple and replacing the memory & hard drive are (were) fairly simple tasks. It seems to me that move to make the computers not upgradeable could be attributed to many factors:
1. Apple sees their own hardware are superior to that found anywhere else and does not want their products to be contaminated by non-Apple approved equipment.
2. Apple does not believe that self-repair & upgradability is really an issue in the mind of most consumers (which they are probably right).
3. Apple would rather consumers give them all the money to make their machine top of the line rather than buy parts from third parties.
4. Apple would prefer consumers make a larger initial investment and so they are offering non-upgradable machines in order to pressure consumers into buying the more expensive equipment (as one person said, why would I spend $1800 to buy a computer that is not top of the line?). This I believe is true to most manufacturers, to include Dell, although not always to this extreme. Oftentimes a computer will be offered in tiers (i.e. 13″, 15″, & 17″). Each model will is offered with multiple options, but if one wants the best processor (which cannot be upgraded later), he/she has to purchase the most expensive of the three (17″), even if the consumer does not care about the memory upgrades, larger screen, and larger hard drive.
Sadly, Apple is probably making a good decision and will continue on in their proprietary kingdom, much to my dismay.
You should note that the newer MacBook Air models (and presumably the new Retina MBP) get 1000 cycles on battery recharge as opposed to 300. If you completely drain and recharge your battery each day you can use the device for almost three years without changing the battery. If you are like most folks you will likely get 5 years out of that battery. I can’t say I have had a thinkpad go 5 years without replacing at least the battery in such a timespan.
It’s actually 1000 cycles before you go down to 80% of battery health. If the RMBP can hold up for 5 years and Apple optimize software to run on this baseline, than I’m fine with that. If revisions of this product enable more user flexibility for parts and repairs? I’ll be all for it as well.
I wouldn’t feel so doom and gloom about a first generation product. If Apple was really going to strip away at their product lines, there would be no choice for 15 Pro. With the success of the Air, they would have cut the 13 Pro as well. They haven’t done any of these things for good reason.
So Chad W. Smith, you said
“Rich – no, the MBP w/o RD is just as user upgradable as it was before. The case is the same as the last generation model.”
So if I get the 13″, it can be upgraded to 16Gb RAM? I have heard that is cannot be done. Same soldering job. I know you have a 15″, sans retina. Care to comment?
While I would agree with a rational discussion, the language used in this article is exaggerated and borderline manipulative.
Sending laptop for batteries replacement “every so often”? I’ve never, ever, replaced any laptop battery more than once. Why would this one be any different?
Also $200 is not unreasonable for a laptop battery this big (95Wh), inc service and 90 day warranty. Your company sells the previous Pro’s 77.5Wh battery for $120 as parts only.
Finally who are these “friends in recycling industry”? Can you actually show that Apple isn’t able to recycle their own computers? I find that very hard to believe and unnamed “friends” saying something doesn’t make it true.
Please in the future stick to reasonable, provable, arguments otherwise I’m left wondering about the true motivation behind your statements.
Why can’t Apple just take the guess work out and carry faithfuls like us along by making things clear. After Apple lost the consumer market to windows in the eighties and early nineties, the production community stayed faithful and kept the company from going under, now that they have not only reclaimed the heart of consumers, they rule the mobile smart market; they now think it’s time to dump the production community that made them what they are today. They first diluted the cherished Final Cut Pro and made it into a consumer app by making many like us to switch to Adobe Production Suite. The production community is only responsible for about 3% of apple sales but its not because the production community has shrunk as we remain faithful but because the consumer follower-ship has grown, men! we have been slapped in the face. It time to make a switch, who’s with me!
I can deal with all the lockdowns except the battery.
I’ve had 6 mac laptops and 5 have needed a battery at some point. I understand that Apple will swap out on warranties but what about after that?
Not to mention the biggest frustration, leaving your mac at an ‘approved repairer’ for them to fix at their leisure whilst you can’t work for days.
I’ve held off replacing my 2010 MBP for this but i’m not buying that retina display and i’m not buying the proper MBP knowing that it might have retina display in the not too distant future.
Far more likely to add an SSD to my ‘old’ machine and pretend it’s thinner and lighter.
@Sozo
Have you missed the FCP updates, up to 10.0.4? Most of the pro features that weren’t available in the first version of v10 are back already.
Many in the production community are happy with the new version, I find I work faster with the new interface. Suggest you give it another go.
@Simon
The new battery tech is more sturdy than in the past, it now handles 1000 charge cycles which should be enough for about 5 years. If/when it breaks Apple will replace it for $200 which is well in line with the cost of other (official) laptop batteries.
Batteries simply degrade over time – only in incredibly rare occasions will they fail completely, so it’s simply a case of scheduling any battery replacement to when it’s convenient. In the past my Apple service provider has offered to order a new battery in advance and let me keep the computer until the very day they could do the work.
Interesting way of putting it – when Apple do finally lock everything down on their machines, we are all going to blame Apple for it – although you are right, it’s the Apple-using community opting for the non-recyclable models that are the problem.
I just hope that someone from Apple reads this and they keep building the fixable Apples for the technically minded. I’d hate to be forced back to PCs for general work.
Excellent article. I’ve changed my mind about the new MBP now, I think I’ll stay with my current macs. Even though I have the iMac, MBP13 and MBA11, I still prefer my 15″ 2008 model MBP. A real pleasure to type on, still runs like a charm, and with the help of iFixit I’ve upgraded it a couple of times with more
RAM and an SSD as well as replacing the battery. I’d be happier if Apple would shelve their unibody’s and go back to the previous design – looks great and very dependable – rather than introduce non-tinkerable macbooks.
I’m writing this on a Late 2011 MBP 17″. It’s got 16GB of RAM and 2 x 500GB SSD’s, but it’s clearly less flexible than my 2010 MBP 17″: It can’t boot windows from an external drive and the SSD in the Optibay can not be used to boot windows either. By buying two of them, I think I have clearly voted for 17″ MBP’s, but it seems Apple is discontinuing them. As apple is becoming a true mass market company, I guess this is the direction they are going in, but it is sad!
Apple these days is such a huge target that they get blamed for everything that happens to their devices, be it their fault or not.
A good example was the smoking iPhone on Australian flight that turned out to be a shoddy *third party* battery repair job. The original media stories -which suggested the problem was with the phone -made news worldwide, but not the final report which pinpointed the actual fault to a loose screw left after botched repair.
With a battery this big, and so potentially dangerous, it’s not wonder Apple doesn’t want third parties messing around with it. They’d be the first ones on the firing line if something happened.
Unless this attitude changes -not likely since media are suckers for Apple drama stories – they don’t really have a choice.
Sorry, but this sounds like a lot of whining from the CEO of a company that makes a living off of selling parts and tools for people to service their Macs and iOS devices. I’m with Gruber and DF on this; Strike up the violins and cry me a river.
Unlike most computer companies, Apple has the ability to push the technology envelope forward (whether you agree with the philosophy or not).
Remember when the original Bondi Blue iMac with it’s USB only design came out? (when USB was around but running a distant second to PS/2 and ADB was the primary connector on Macs)
Would there be “Ultrabooks” today without the MacBook Air? Or would we all be forced to choose from the UltraCrappy Netbooks that flooded the market for a year? (If you don’t think they’re crappy, you obviously have different values than Apple — which is OK)
Without the iPhone, would there have been Droid-whatevers or Galaxy-somesuch (seriously, who can keep track of all those models?)
Complain all you want about the new Retina MacBook Pro’s inability to be upgraded. Vote with your wallet. Just remember how hypocritical you are the next time you go ahead and buy an iPhone or iPad.
You guys have to take note, Apple Computers is gone, what we have now is simply Apple. Apple used to cater to the power production niche or community but now its just for the masses. They only cater to the consumers and what really do consumers do, you got it, CONSUME whatever you dish out as far its fresh, they will gobble it up, no questions asked. Most consumers don’t care about how or why it works as far as its works. Folks here are saying that Apple is given us non-upgradables because of green recycling , that’s a pile of crap. Apple makes them permanent because most folks just buy basic configurations and upgrade them on the cheap through 3rd party chip makers, this they know now they have come up with a way to get it all, and make even more, you tell me why should anyone here pay almost $4000 dollars for a configuration you could have easily paid $2500 in all for. Initially I was griping over Apple dropping the 17inch as I love my 17inch and yes size does matter; but now I see that its just half of the drama. If they had released a 17inch with retina display coupled with these configs, I am sure we would have been looking at a $6000+ price tag, for what? See! having read this insightful article coupled with all I have seen, I will just snatch me a late 2011 17 MBP, to repalce my 2010 MBP, do what Tobias Carlen did and upgrade to 16g of ram and two SSD’s and with a quad core, I think I should be good for the next three years or even four; then maybe by then Apple would have come back to their senses and bring our upgradable’s back or some company may see an opportunity here and take on Apple for the soul of the nerds in the midst; yeah! don’t tell me the OS will be the problem, believe me with the way apple is going with making IOS the new OSX, new things are about to emerge, believe me Apple has pissed off one fanboi up in here. In short I am no more a fan, you guys can keep it.
Hello everybody !
In my opinion, I Think Apple take a good decision to make their products lighter and thinner than before.
First, I think portability is a crucial deal today.
So I prefer buy a more expensive laptop with a really good configuration than upgrade everything in my computer 2 years later.
So, I prefer a lighter and thinner laptop with non-upgradable components.
But it’s just a personal choice.
The words anti-social behaviour comes to mind.
To produce a product that is not upgradable is bad for the environment to make it deliberately non-recyclable is a criminal act.
Unfortunately those that buy Apple products these days are just the sort of people who don’t think, and put media hype, looks and glamour before practicality and the planet.
We either need recyclable laws similar to the requirements placed on the auto-industry etc., or maybe a 100% tax on deliberately non-environmentally friendly products – maybe that wil drive home the irresponsibility of Apple.
For what its worth, was going to buy one for a new development project – till I read the reviews – back to the mini!
Very good article indeed. It describes in detail the concept of “creeping normality” which Apple applies to its products being progressively more locked-down, making planned obsolescence easier to implement. Luckily, I have no need for their toys.
Kyle excellent article !
thats why my old mac pro 1.1 still works fine for
me for my professional work.
updated to 2.1 , SSD, intel 5355 ; 8 core,
graphics evga gtx 580
64 bit boot support with working mountain lion
and win 7; 64 bit
After over 20 years of mac use and experience
I know
“new” isn’t automatically better
The glued battery and the death of the 17inch macbook pro model seems to be the end of my marriage with Apple OSX products in the future.
But I’ve got the impression in the last 2 years that Apple cares less and less about their OSX platform compared to their IOS products.
If they argue that only 3% bought a 17inch MBP they should first question their price/config than the product itself. I care less about the fastest CPU anyway because the heat/noise is the most annoying factor with a laptop.
Display space doesn’t really cost that much. If they had used fair prices/configs for their 17inch line the situation would have looked differently. But that’s what the whole premium marketing philosophy gives us instead of just pricing by configuration.
the only “trend-setting” part of the new Mac Book Pro is the retina display. GPU is a 650M (LOL), you’d think with such a nice display screen in retina, Apple would try to get at least a 675M or 7970M in there. Mac fanatics just need to admit it, Apple can wrap a piece of cow poop in nice white box with their logo and you guys would claim it’s the best thing ever and buys it. The top of the line setup will cost you $4000+ with Applecare. Nice disposable laptop for that price eh?
stone age technology. if they go for onboard ram they should have changed it to GDDR5 type at least
@funkybudda
The danger of these articles it they attract the clueless trolls like you.
The Nvidia 675M you mention can only drive displays up to 2560×1600, obviously not enough for the retina display which is 2880×1800. The AMD 7970M does even less at 2560×1600.
The NVIDIA 650M used is the one that actually meets the requirements, supporting up to 3840 x 2160.
Go educate yourself before talking out of your posterior again: http://www.geforce.com/hardware/notebook-gpus/geforce-gtx-675m/specifications
For people Looks are more important than substance and Apple knows this.
They are selling people exactly what people wants “Looks”Just look into real life !
How many times guys chose a girl over her intellect or vice versa ?
Human are animals driven by our most basic instincts. Society, values and the rest are just a second layer
Oh no, more nonsense.
@sergey: No Intel CPU or AMD supports GDDR5… and obviously the CPU needs to support it if it’s going to use it as it’s RAM. So that’s not an option.
However soldering the RAM does allow Apple to up the parameters a bit, even for DDR3. Would be interesting to know if that was the case.
I think it’s interesting to note that not a single commenter has considered the scenario of a company with multiple (maybe a hundred or more) Mac laptops, serviced by an IT department that would want to be able to replace batteries and such rather than having to take the machine out of the hands of a person working on deadline, getting them set up on a new machine, wipe the old machine to avoid the security risk of the data getting out while it’s in service, then set them up on the old machine when it comes back.
Such companies do exist, though most companies doing real business choose PC’s because they’re intended for business use while Macs are toys.
I had to laugh at commenters who were ok with having their work machine gone for a couple of days. What are you doing, living in a land with no deadlines where you can carelessly pass your data to persons unknown or spend a day or more making sure everything is wiped on its way out and gets back in the right place on the way in?
Clearly, Apple has ceded the serious business market to Windows, and the fact that none of the commenters even _noticed_ means that they were right to do so.
Hey Amy, maybe no one considered that scenario
because companies with hundreds of Macs will:
1) Know that batteries last at least 3 years (if you do a full discharge+charge every day!) but in practice much more. Most businesses get new machines at that time.
2) Have a thunderbolt cable and use target mode whole disk migration from old Mac to replacement Mac at maximum SSD speed – try doing that on a PC laptop…
3) Use FileVault 2’s Instant Wipe feature for any sensitive data computers they’re sending to be serviced.
Hi all,
Apple wants to turn from quality to benefit, I can understand, but that’s the reason all the shitty electronic material are sent to people (not certain companies).
More the time run, less the quality stay.
Esthetic and money are now prior to quality.
We are in shitty period.
Looking forward to your comments re the new Microsoft Surface machines, Kyle.
To the guy who claims a 1TB SSD in his 13″ MacBook. Seriously, you paid $2500 for a 1TB SSD for your 13″ MacBook?
Because that’s what a 1TB SSD cost today.
This article explains how all apple user’s will eventually end up as Human Cent-i-pads just like on southpark.
nice information, but pretty fucking horrible conclusion. don’t blame the users for choosing this when apple is baiting everyone into choosing the nonupgradable laptop because it has the new shiny feature(s) (retina display).
@Amy
Companies like mine that centrally support large numbers of computers (Mac and PCs) actually have a 4-5 year refresh cycle. This means that each laptop, desktop and server is replaced within this time frame — even if in perfect working condition. And if you’re disgusted by the “waste”, this policy is actually pretty normal in large IT departments for large companies (doesn’t make it “right”, just stating how it is)
@Brian M
Apple publishes the Environmental Report for the new MacBook Pro. Saying that Apple is creating a machines that is “deliberately non-recyclable” is more than a bit of hyperbole.
http://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/environment/
Real world scenario… Let’s say you have the new retina MackBook, and you’ve been using it for your projects… You could be writing a book, writing code, preparing presentations, mockups, spreadsheets with account data,..etc.. All of a sudden, your Computer fails to boot up due to some hardware component malfunction… All your work… All your precious data, is now stuck inside, and the since the flash memory isn’t removable, you actuall have to wait days or weeks after sending your computer to apple for repairs … If you had a removable SSD, you could recover on another machine while you broken computer is out…
You can almost apply this scenario with a bad battery…
The question is, why would anyone trade off the ability to physically remove the storage, containing crucial files needed for work, with an integrated flash, which at the point is not a standard interface designed for swapping?
Why would apple make this design decission on a powerful laptop meat for exceptional performance in doing serious work? Why not have an SSD interface? SATA interface to be exact…
At least if Apple design their own interface for flash storage, they could have made it a standard interface, that is intended to me easily accessible for swapping accross their line of computers…
“and it’s maxed out with 16GB of RAM, which is overkill”
Speak for yourself. I replaced my 2010 mini with a newer iMac so I could go to 32gb rather than being limited to 8. People do use apps that require lots of RAM (Dragon Dictation, in my case).
For me the RAM issue is the most worrying when considering the new MBPs. Apple historically tends to ignore the existence of RAM chips larger than what was available when a computer is released: till the end of time, the official maximum RAM of my iMac will be 16gb, because it predates the availability of 8gb chips. This permanently-affixed RAM seems to be an extension of the same attitude.
“Real world scenario… Let’s say you have the new retina MackBook, and you’ve been using it for your projects… You could be writing a book, writing code, preparing presentations, mockups, spreadsheets with account data,..etc.. All of a sudden, your Computer fails to boot up due to some hardware component malfunction… All your work… All your precious data, is now stuck inside, and the since the flash memory isn’t removable, you actuall have to wait days or weeks after sending your computer to apple for repairs … If you had a removable SSD, you could recover on another machine while you broken computer is out…”
Why does the word “backup” not appear in that scenario?
I can’t upgrade 16gb of RAM?????? F off, Apple. I’ll stick with $200 netbooks that malfunction in 2 months REQUIRING upgrades.
i’m incorporating a new company called orange computerZ.. will have a huge OPEN banner… will sell laptops I build with 3rd class components but at least the user can upgrade with DIY guides purchased at ifixit…. anyone interested in a share purchase program??
Cavenewt: Mac OS X (runs non-mobile Apple devices) ships with Time Machine that backs up seamlessly to my (Apple) Time Capsule router+harddrive every hour. In the “end of the world” scenario you describe, I’d drive to the first store, buy another laptop, restore on it the EXACT laptop that is “in the shop” and go from there. You can do this on a PC, right?
Anyways, this is a religious war, so I wrote this for the benefit of the people who may be wondering of why is it so good to live within the “walled garden” ;-) I’m not going to follow this any longer BTW.
This definitely concerns me, as someone who can’t afford to buy a new laptop every time something goes wrong with mine (or at all in fact). I’ve had the same macbook for six years, and in that time I’ve replaced the HD twice, the DVD drive twice, the case once and I’ve also upgraded the RAM. All of these things failed after my AppleCare had expired. Take away the ability to replace any of these and I’m left with what’s essentially a very expensive coaster. Or the option to pay $100+ overpriced parts at an Apple certified store every time I want something replaced. I’m about to put a new HD in, something that my local store wanted to charged $200 for. The cost of me doing it myself: $50.
It may be time for me to move away from Apple components if this is the way things are heading. A bigger concern for me though is if other manufacturers see how much people want Apple products and start heading in the same direction, sacrificing expandability for size.
Upgrading, Repairing, Recycling — I should be so lucky to own it long enough to entertain those ideas.
By neglecting to include a Kensington lock on the Retina unit, Apple has graciously done all the moral heavy lifting for the first owner.
See, it’s these little thoughtful touches that make Mac ownership a joyful experience. Albeit with a $2,200 entrance fee, membership does have its carefree privileges.
Jobs never let the consumer tell him what to make (who could have imagined the first iMac?). Apple should be respecting their own visionary reputation in presenting to the consumer what s/he never before imagined possible. That’s the magic of Apple’s history. I was really excited about the Retina MBP but now I think things are going in the completely wrong direction!
Apple computers are supposed to have beautiful design on the outside AND the inside. Glued-in, non-replaceable, throw-away parts that cannot be recycled is NOT good design. Come on, Jony!
This is probably a stupid question but wouldn’t it be possible to just desolder the ram and install new ones like that? its only solder.
Thanks!
So NICE screen, but:
No DVD drive;
No Ethernet;
No swappable battery;
No kensington lock;
No VGA port;
So not really useful for a traveling professional.
Get to meeting room, can’t plug into projector, can’t plug into the network and then have the thing pinched from your desk anyway. Plus if your battery goes flat in the car you can’t swap in another, you’ve got to carry an inverter around with you. Then it’ gets swiped because you couldn’t lock it. So, Nice.
I have not yet read through all of the comments (and be assured that I will), however, your informative article has certainly given me pause…as I was very much planning to purchase Apple’s latest Macbook Pro with Retina Display.
I have used your Ifixit site many times to repair my laptops in the past…Thank you for that. Thank you for such a wonderful and helpful site for all do-it-yourselfers out there! (Amateur and Professional)
Here is my dilemma…I currently own a Late-2011 Macbook Pro…it was purchased close enough to the new release Macbook Pro that Apple is willing to let me return it and exchange it for the newly released model. So now, after reading your article, I find myself wondering…do I keep the Macbook Pro that I have? Exchange the computer I have for the NON-Retina display Macbook Pro (without a SSD Harddrive)? Or…Get the Retina display Macbook Pro (with a 512GB SSD hard drive)?
My main thought in getting the newer model was for the newer design with the recently released Ivy Bridge processor and the newer video card.
Is there a distinct difference in the fixability of the Late-2011 Macbook Pro in comparison to newly released Macbook Pro that does NOT have the Retina Display?
Thoughts? Advice?
Thank You! (in advance)
The new retina MB is joke at the retail price. As a pro user I definitely want to upgrade down the line.
As a graphic designer & digital photo retoucher, I buy a new mac every 4 years because thats what it takes to recover the investment in a MB Pro. I doubt the new retina MB will last me 4 years.
And usually you start getting issues with the MAC just as the repair & service guarantee expires. I have yet to see how much will be the cost for repairs on the new MB Pro retina.
It’s simple: Apple needs to dial it back a notch. The bonded display I don’t like but can live with since its LED-based rather than CCFL-based. But the glued-in battery is a step too far. If it was driven by a “design goal”, then the goal is wrong from a repairability, recycleability, and moral perspective. (See iFixit Repair Manifesto and simillar Maker Manifesto elsewhere.)
I’ve long noted that Apple (and maybe all) laptops have two critical components: the logic board and the display panel. Everything else is far more inexpensive to replace. Now we have LB, display, and maybe battery. Wrong direction, Apple. Dial it back. -Marty the Stockholder
Thank you for this brilliant article, both on the technical and the moral aspect of the product.
Dogs, cats, hamsters, fish, parrots – who do you prefer? Or perhaps what that bottomless animals – snakes, crocodiles, lizards, monkeys?
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For me, the deal breaker is the non user-replaceable battery. I’m typing this on a late 2008 unibody macbook. Been very happy with the device and the OS so far except for one thing: the batteries. I’m on number 3 now since feb. 2009 and this one is starting to go. My first battery failed after 220 cycles, have to add that I use it hard (laptop is on about 15 hours/day and in my location the temperature is very high (>35 centigrade , despite AC). Obviously this doesn’t help battery life. What doesn’t help either is that my reseller here takes the firm view that batteries are consumables and hence, not covered by any warranty or (had I taken it) Apple Care. Costs me about 130 USD/pop to change the battery. So be it. But all that changes if a) I have to pay a super premium price for the hardware and b) given the investment and the fact that you can’t fix anything yourself, you’d better pay up for apple care despite the fact that c) if the battery fails they’ll dump you in a ditch and you’ll have to send in the device + pay for a battery + the installation cost. This is becoming a bit too much. I love the build quality of the MBP’s, I adore the OS but perhaps it’s time to explore the realm of sleek, high performance linux laptops. If I can find one that doesn’t look like a plastic box and that takes 16 Gb of RAM and a 500 Gb SSD, that is.
Ok so everyone buys into the whole “regular people don’t upgrade their laptops”. This is true, and that’s fine: but don’t try to sell this off as a PRO model for power users and/or professional users.
I make a living with my PRO model macbook. Yes, I’ve upgraded the ram on every apple laptop I’ve owned since 1998, sometimes upgrading the same machine more than once. Remember “no one will ever need more than 640k of memory”? 8GB may seem like a lot today, just like 512MB seemed like a lot in my G4 (later upgraded to 2GB), and like 64MB seemed like a lot in my G3 (later upgraded to 768MB), much the same 2MB of ram sounded like a huge amount in my LCII (later upgraded to 10MB).
Same goes for hard drives/storage.
Battery glued in…seriously? I’ll save you the rant.
Give pro and power users a CHOICE to have a modular, expandable, upgradable, well-connected, versatile, fully functional laptop again.
This is why i will be purchasing a used (under warranty) 17″ i7 macbook pro and throwing in 16gbs or ram ($80 on newegg for crucial) and a 256gb ssd ($190 on newegg). Sure it wont have a retina display but it will have full hd resolution and the ability to do self repairs. For a pro user who does a ton of traveling… when something breaks you cant afford to be down 3 – 5 days while apple repairs your machine. Often times im not even in a location that long so where should i get it shipped? Adds complications to things.
Great comments. You helped me make my decision. No RD for me. The battery issue lost my purchase.
And I don’t know about you, but this whole “depend on Apple for support” stinks. Sorta like the Monsanto of the tech world when they give farmers seeds that last for one year only. This would be my first Apple purchase. Buying a laptop without being able to change the batteries is a nonstarter for me. I’ll look at some mb 13inch and see how that works for me.
MacBook Pro sucks. Spent $2400 in October 2010 for all the bells and whistles after owning Apple products since 1983. In between bought a dirt cheap desk top e-machine for our 3 year old and guess which one is still running at lightening speed, easily upgraded and free OS upgrades from Windows? Mac is killing themselves with greed and I hope they implode. WORST machine ever. I have three other laptops (Lenovo tablet, even the pitiful little Acer we bought for our daughter to take on trips and an Dell Inspiron) none of which has created the headaches the Macbook does. You’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t upgrade the MacBook. As a designer I need the editing and graphics capacity and as a writer I need multisite webpage design ability. Let’s say a client wants to be able to do some page tweaking and doesn’t own a Mac. Multiple sites won’t work on the Mac, the great ones do and yet they can;t be used on the Windows computers. Have bought 4 $85 chargers all with the same faulty wire which Apple refuses to replace. Even went into a Manhattan store last week with all 4 and they refused to replace them though I had receipts showing two are about 6 months old and one is 9. Tried to call and sent the copy of PDF document showing litigation settlement with deadline for replacement extension to July 31, 2013 and STILL they refuse to even replace a single one of them. Of course, I cannot work w/out the charger so there I am buying another. 4 hours of crappy service via phone later, still not an offer of anything. Sent the call transcript to CA Atty General’s office. Can’t upgrade Safari which now is slow as heck. It is blocking Chrome and FF and I keep changing Firevault exceptions to allow and it defaults back every time.
IF I were to upgrade (which I cannot) I’d have to pay for upgrades on a machine I’ve already spent about $4500 that has lasted a grand total of a year and a half +- a few months…APPLE can suck wind. No way in heck I’ll ever buy another IPOD (we have 4 in the house and of course can only use 1 w/ each computer, it deleted a lifetime of burned CD’s and recorded vinyl and having spent a fortune for Elements when we upgraded Iphoto it wiped that out and all our albums (have back up but…) now given up Photoshop for Gimp for development purposes and told it will be deleted if we download any upgrades, yet a lifetime of scanned photos are in Iphoto lest we get rolling on the deathspinwheel. Sad part is that our 4 year old is now 9, we upgraded her machine, it automatically updated to super speed and free Windows updates, and if we have to add security to feel as safe as we do on the Mac, I’d rather use it than this piece of crap. Blow me rotten APPLEs.
A huge fear of my own put on pen and paper. I myself have been dreading this topic ever since I began torealize that my macbook black (2008) wasn’t going to last forever so like everyone else I started backing things up like mad, but when my laptop ran out ofroom I realized I needed to get a new hd (500gb) only to discover that my macbook needed a newer OS to do a complete transfer of information from my older hd. Anxiety override! What off the new os doesn’t supporth my current programs! What to do?
Well… I think this is just anther way to make sales on Apple’s part. Think about it they want $200+ to “upgrade” the ram when you order off their site. I am more than happy with my “Mint” condition macbook pro 3.1 and would love to have the extra speed the i7 has to offer…. But. I am not sure if it will last as long as my old girl has. I have had no issues what so every but the original battery. Which by the way isnt glued in or hidden under the bottom plate. I just dont get why they are locking everything down. idevices are locked down to itunes and you can not in any way expand the memory. Now its the computer line getting the shaft. I held Apple high for a long time and now this may be then end for me. by the time my pro taps out (in another 5 years … yes I said another 5 years) I hope and pray they have upgradable/ repairable computers …. if not well Ubuntu has been my guilty pleasure for years … lol !!
Some of these responses are so typical. Most consumers are too stupid to see when their freedoms and choices are being taken away. They hide it under care for the environment or some other crap. The bottom line is Apple wants to get top dollar for that battery replacement and if it is proprietary and glued in, there is no chance a competitor can release a third party product that is better and compatible. That would be copy right infringement. And look how much Apple charges, on the non-retina display unit, adding a 512 GB SSD raises the price way over the price of the maxed out Retina model. Apple is trying to across the board stiffle creativity. And they don’t care about the environment like some morons think either. They care about eliminating competition and they have an idea for a world where everyone upgrades on their release schedules, and why not the battery sucks now and cost 10% of the price of the machine or more to replace anyway. Keep drinking Apple’s koolaid. After all they think any device that is small and plays MP3’s is a copy right infringement and sues over it. Apple used to be great, not any more. And I thank the Ifixit guy for trying to open everyone’s eyes and point out serious flaws. But everyone else is to programmed by Apple to see it for what it is. Apple is trying to kill his business by making it impossible for anyone but Apple to work on their products, how can that be seen as good for consumers? I own a 2011 MBP and I liked it when I bought it. I took the DVD-RW out, no use and put an SSD in, a industry standard one, at industry standard prices. IS this more than most are capable of, yes probably. But everyone is better off for the flexibility to do such. Apple is thinking with your wallet in mind, I guarentee they could make these products just as slim with industry standard parts. But why the idiots that buy them don’t care. And speaking of the specs being good enough for years. It is a $3249 machine in the US properly configured and it comes with a crappy Nvidia 650, that is middle weight card at best in a top dollar notebook. And why is Apple trying to push everyone in to a post PC world anyway, so they can release proprietary non upgradable crap that requires you to store your files on their cloud service where if you ever piss them off they have complete control to limit your access to the software and programs you already bought? It is time to buy Windows machine and ditch Apple totally.
know about that apple and their updation, software, os etc….
Just in case everybody is forgetting: ultra-books. All the manfacturers are heading in the same direction. I have carried laptops through the airport many times, and have come to value light weight and slim packaging over user servicability. I’m not sure about ultra books yet, but the idea certainly has merit for a large class of customer. Also, most (and it is a very large percentage) laptop owners do treat the machines as disposable after a few years or at least never bother to repair them. How many people do you know that will use a laptop as a desktop machine simply because the battery has died and they have no desire to spend even $50 for a new battery?
So, if the new Macbook Pro with the retina display as a bad idea, Apple won’t sell many and they will backtrack. If they sell a lot of them, then whether we like it or not, it was a brilliant idea.
Yes, I like the idea that I could repair my own computer if needed. But I am in a very small minority of the people I know. I would be surprised if a company as large as Apple designed products with me in mind.
The goal of any company is to make money (nothing else). I doubt any of the posters here who own their own business do so without expecting some sort of financial reward in the end. Face it, you wouldn’t make much money (if any at all) if you only sold something once a decade to your customer base.
I have a late 2011 Macbook Pro that I like alot. I compared it to the cost of a metal cased Windows laptop with similar specs, and they ended up about the same price (hp elitebook 8560w). The elitebook is heavier, thicker and has a smaller display. Yes it has a boat load of ports, I only use one of the USB ports and the sdcard slot.
I was also getting tired of Microsoft wanting about $200 to upgrade from one version of the OS to another (XP Pro to Windows 7 Pro). And let’s not forget about the Windows Vista fiasco and the refusal of most of corporate accounts to upgrade from XP.
Yes, thanks so much for posting. I don’t think thinner is always better. I have a mac book pro and love it. I think Apple is giving a choice but also selling people a brand as well. I want control over how much power my computer can develop. This is one of the things i’ve loved about Apple. If they start making computers that are not upgradable just for the sake of thinness, I will be going back to PC/Windows with out a doubt. I wont even hesitate because I love the Mac environment but not so much to the point that i wont go back to windows if they start this whole death clock brand. If app does this, they can kiss my !@#.
Thank you so much for this article! I don’t anything about the “under the hood” part of computers, and this really helped make the choice between the Retina and the reg. Pro!
This article explains a lot! I think you are spot on with what you are saying, that we, as the consumers, ultimately decide, to an extent, what Apple does in the future. Most people I know say “OH MY!! I HAVE to get the new Retina MacBook Pro!!” and after I read this article I thought, “wait… do people even know what they HAVE to give up for the new MacBook Pro? Or do they not even care?” And that made me think as well “If people decide to buy an Apple Product just because it has the Retina, then that means in a few years Apple is going to make some products that we are going to hate, but fit right into what we like today.” So I think Apple should really make sure that people know what they are getting, and what they are sacrificing. Good article!
I think Apple’s policy is to try and force owners to buy all new machines rather than repair damaged ones.
Realistically, who the hell upgrades their RAM? By the time you need to, the whole computer/laptop/device is probably already obsolete and you might as well just get another device and sell the old one.
If you were an extremely busy person that knows jack all about how a computer works (eg. a normal person) you’d simply wouldn’t have time to muck around with the internal components of a computer. You just want the damn thing to do what you need it to do, efficiently, effectively, simple and without confusion or distractions, then get the hell out of there and get on with the rest of your life. Technology should be a tool to help enhance or speed up certain things in your life like communication, document editing, work, etc… but it should NOT be your whole entire damn life! So many great things out there in the real world…
It aint rare this approach, apple has signaled its tendency to mediocracy since it went from SCSI to IDE and so on and not giving us a price break that comes with the use of lesser acceptable technologies.
It aint surprising the use of glue instead or screws; glue is cheaper. It has nothing to do with technology is the Obsolessence principle at it best. Push it to the limit until it breaks and we have to abandon a crappy technology for a newer cheaper even crappier technology.
Apple is not giving us a choice the moment a good well made apple technology it comes out castrated call it the G4 as an example. To this date G4s ended up less time in the shop than the G5 or any newer macs since then.
Face it apple’s approach to sales is introducing appealing products that will sell faster for being lighter but not better. Do remember that 90% of the population buys its computers based in looks not performance. Do remember when apple made high end ugly computers for a cheaper price compared to those times today is a better choice to buy only the MacPro, forget about minis and portables they are bounded to die out with its new HD thermal sensor tendencies is either that or hackinstoshs all around. Just check most of the MacPro towers specs; they can run Win7 but not lyon and probably will ve able to run Win8 with all those pain in the ass flash plugins that keep first and second generation intel machines from accesing youtube videos
OK with me! As an vintage collect and occasionally user my needs are met by the original equipment when worthwhile to start. Starting with Sinclar, TRS 80, Tektronics 4051, Apple II, ‘Not an IBM’ kit build, too many IBMs and clones, few IBM clone laptops, Power Mac G3 & G4, Mac flat screen, Imac 20 & 27″, several iPods and IPad 1. As many others I spent many too many hours upgrading the IBM clones – great industry for manufactures – originally in US and then anywhere a regional boat can anchor. Looking forward to the next offerings and solid operating systems.
Gang,
Look I have the Retina, it’s a great machine. I had it hacked up as soon as it came out. Look ram is getting faster to the point that removable sims will probably not be an option. So what else is there to replace? drive is replaceable, batteries are? what you want to modify the CPU… come on get a life. Buy something different.
Gordon Rankin
Audio Hardware Engineer
Excellent article
I think you are wrong. Most users have no idea of the limitations imposed when buying the shiny new models. Not until EOL do they realize they got ripped off.
Apple is… well… Apple. They dont really care about the consumer, just how much money they can fleece from you.
Nice shiny PC hardware with a pretty Apple that lights up and a different OS. Suckers bet, and always has been.
Very interesting reading for a person who still is using a 12 year old G4 Titanium 15″ PowerBook 400MHz running OSX 10.4.11 brilliantly. I have had my memory upgraded from 128mb to 640mb and the 10gig hard drive increased to 75gig. I have replaced the battery once and just found out there is still suppliers in the US selling them for $49US. If you are old school like me, I say get an older Mac and upgrade it. Although I could do with a bit more processor speed sometimes, I get by with CS2, Microsoft Office X 2004, and I still run Classic 9.2.2 either through OSX or rebooting for all those old wonderful third party apps. that you could download from anywhere with worrying about virus’s. Keeping up with technology is not easy. Just when you start learning more about your computer it becomes outdated. But that’s the way it is. I am learning more and more from your posts. So thank you all for your contributions helping me understand where Mac’s and consumers are possibly heading. For now, I think I’ll stick with what I know.
As many others I spent many too many hours upgrading the IBM clones
They gave us a choice but they offer different versions. People who need the 16gb of RAM can take it; they can choose to buy it in the machine.
I, myself, went for the base model macbook pro with retina display. It’s the most expensive thing I ever bought. And it performs well, very well. And the screen is really good (I bought it for performance but for the screen also). It really makes reading books and mangas more enjoyable on the computer.
I hesitated between that and a 2000$ PC. Took the macbook cause of the screen and since it’s different from what I’m used to. New user of OSX.
Nice article btw
|College Student, 3D Animation|
{I hate MacBook because you can’t double tap click on the mousepad, unlike PCs. Is there a way to fix this?|How do I reset my Macbooks password without the start up disc. I have a Black Macbook with leporead. I have typed rm /var/db.AppleSetupDone and it doesn’t work. Please help me!|I really want a regular white MacBook. But apple doesn’t make them anymore, and my next choice is a 13″ MacBook Pro. I was wondering if there is any major difference between a regular MacBook and a MacBook Pro.|I am selling my unibody macbook pro but was wondering how I go about setting it back to factory settings so that all my data is erased and the new user gets it as they would if it was new? I have 3 discs; OS 5 installation disc, applications disc and OS Snow Leopard disc. Could someone explain what I have to do. Thanks.|I have the samsung t220hd connected to my white macbook. I want to be able to work on my macbook while watching a video on the samsung moniter. What do I need to do to make the samsung’s image in full screen while I work on my laptop?|I would like to play games that are on my macbook pro on the tv since it’s bigger and it’s in high definition. Also, doing daily tasks like microsoft office would be cool to do it from my mac. I want the same material from the macbook screen to show up on my lg hd tv. Thanks! macbook pro http://goo.gl/xEWh7