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Teardowns of Late 2013 Retina MacBook Pros Reveal No Improvements in Accessibility

Maintainability not Accessibility

This is nothing to do with accessibility —*it's to do with the ability to do self-maintenace.
 
Accord3 said:
i am more pissed at the soldered in RAM rather than glued in battery.
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With the current generation, it's a matter of whether $200 is worth it to you. You cannot buy 16GB sodimms. The notebooks that do take 32GB of ram all accept 4x sodimm configurations. The soldered ram would irritate me far more if 32GB was actually possible. As it is, it's around $100 through Crucial, or $200 through Apple. $100 Apple tax and it's more difficult to find a base model refurbished with that one cto item. I don't think they actually list them that way.


gnasher729 said:
While I'm not a Microsoft fan, it is just as irrelevant as with the iPad or the MBP. 95% of people can't fix anything on a Classic MacBook Pro because they don't have the screw drivers that I bought for £1.99 at the local B&Q. 99% of people can't fix anything but the memory on an iMac, and 98% don't try (there's the one percent that messes things up :). And 99.9% can't fix a Retina MBP or iPad or Surface themselves. So only 4.9% of the customers are affected by this.
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I know it's a minority, but has anyone ever run a study on the real percentage of users who do this stuff? I would assume that some of them rely on a family member or friend when it comes to this stuff. On a side note, will install ram for beer:D.

Shaggymax said:
Buy a "futureproof" machine with specs that will last you and you should not have to crack open these proprietary machines. The computer appliance age is here.
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There is no such thing. You can buy one with the maximum amount of memory, which will help with longevity. It won't change the fact that batteries wear out, and replacement on these machines is expensive. Storage pricing often becomes exponential beyond basic sizes. People worrying about the clock speed of the cpu for future proofing are out of their minds, as the various options make too little difference in most cases to determine the potential life of the machine. Assuming you don't need bleeding edge specs today and have a comfortable buffer on ram, nothing else will make a significant difference without investing a huge amount. Even then there is no guarantee that you won't be unlucky in the hardware flaw lottery.

On the other side of this too many people suggest a 3 year old computer must be slow without identifying specific factors, such as hardware features needed to run highly specific software.
 
Fzang said:
So thousands of users can't have better, lighter and more efficient computers, because a select few insist on upgrading RAM and harddrives themselves?

This is why we can't have nice things.
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Nope. I don't see anyone saying the retina MBP line should be abolished. But I do see LOTS of retina fans, and apple fanboi's in utter glee over the removing of the cMBP. Perhaps you should ask them why they are soooooooo happy to see a significant % of apple fans getting the shaft.

I know that my desires for an ideal MBP are no longer met by Apple. And when I am in The market again, apple will have forced me to make a difficult decision. Luckily that won't be for a couple years as the 2012 cMBP will hopefully last many years.
 
I agree with most of the complaints here, but guys, let's be real... Apple is moving more and more to form over factor.

If this isn't your cup of tea, then it may be time to move on to a different manufacture. Yes, it would be nice if they still offered models that were user serviceable, but that's just not the case.

There are plenty of new options from other OEM's that look pretty nice aesthetically and are user serviceable as well. Just install Windows 7 if 8 isn't your thing.

For me, I'll stick it with Apple until it actually becomes a problem in practice and not theory alone.
 
This scares me a bit. I LOVE upgrading my own computer components and I just notice that Apple got rid of their 15" Macbook Pros (non-Retina). I'm sure Apple will phase out that 13" Macbook Pro (NR) next round and "Poof" the ability to upgrade your laptop in the convenience of your parents basement (garage or attic) will be over.

Oh well. I just hope my 2011 MBP lasts a few more years before I have to purchase one of these Retina models.
 
Count Blah said:
But I do see LOTS of retina fans, and apple fanboi's in utter glee over the removing of the cMBP. Perhaps you should ask them why they are soooooooo happy to see a significant % of apple fans getting the shaft.
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Any examples?

Not saying this isn't happening - but I haven't seen it.
 
dtemp said:
Just curious, what is a "cMBP"? Pre-unibody?

It's a shame that the MBP itself has moved so far away from Pro functionality. SD instead of CF slot, no ExpressCard slot anymore, no 17" model, no user-upgradable ram or SSD, no replaceable battery. The discontinuation of the Xserve and the 3-year gap between Mac Pro updates was really killer to me though.
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cMBP = classicMBP = unibody but pre-retina screen.
 
Osullivan1 said:
They try to as much as is fairly possible though.

For someone who doesn't know that much about tech, it would be difficult to get around their walls without 3rd party advice.
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Not really even that. If these people would RTFM they'd figure out in about 5 minutes (that's giving them the benefit of the doubt that they are indeed tech illiterate) that you can switch the control to "Anywhere" and use whatever you want.

Stop trying to make this something it's not. Why is everyone so damned alarmist about Apple "locking them in"?

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smithrh said:
Any examples?

Not saying this isn't happening - but I haven't seen it.
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I think he's talking about himself.
 
unplugme71 said:
[Apple thinks p]eople want thinner lighter and faster. Well here you go folks.
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Fixed that for you.

As a unibody MacBook owner who upgraded RAM and swapped the hard drive for an SDD (as it died after AppleCare lapsed), I couldn't be more disappointed about this development. Everyone knows that if you have to rely on Apple to upgrade or replace your hardware, you can better buy a new device instead. Most shameful of Apple.
 
jb-net said:
That was also my first thought. But the SSD board still has its own cache. So, I don't think that's the reason for the additional 512MB RAM chip on the backside of the logic board.
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Sorry I thought you were referring to the SSD board not the motherboard of the computer.
 
KALLT said:
As a unibody MacBook owner who upgraded RAM and swapped the hard drive for an SDD (as it died after AppleCare lapsed), I couldn't be more disappointed about this development.
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Umm, no, look closer...

In terms of the storage, this is not at all more difficult than your Unibody. On the 13" I count the 10 Torx / Pentalobe screws ( very common now ) and *one* flat head torx screw holding the SSD onto the MB with the data side plugged into a solid connector, not a flex, this is the easiest laptop drive replacement I have ever seen.

Once 3rd party SSD drives become available, this will be a super easy job, period.
 
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Beautiful machines, but there is a problem. It would be crazy to still own it after AppleCare expires because if something went wrong it would be outrageously expensive to fix no-doubt. Secondly, why would you want to (or anyone want to for that matter) buy a used one after AppleCare expires? How will this affect the resale market?
 
Medic311 said:
i'm an engineer (not electrical though), and when i look at pics like that above...it's really quite astounding the amount of brilliant hardware engineering that went into that laptop.

i look at my $375 Acer i've been using since 2011...and i laugh lol. but hey it works haha
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It is almost art. Then I remember art is nice to look at and appreciate but you don't want an artist designing your car or house. You need an engineer for that.

PS Nice avatar :)
 
kunai said:
It's not going to implode, but slowly, Apple will begin to treat Macs like iOS devices. Release new OS every year, release new hardware every year, block OS from older machines.
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So that's why they made Mavericks a free upgrade for someone still using a 2007 iMac?
 
This is the new normal. RAM is now a component on the motherboard which if fails, requires a motherboard replacement. Really hope you can rescue the 1TB SSD. We can only rely on depreciation and hopefully after 4 or 5 years, the cost of the motherboard will be reasonably cheap. I still use my 2006 MBP which still hums along just fine. Only replaced both fans and the battery. But I am thrilled the quality and technology of my 17" MBP has kept it very useful after nearly 7 years. No other computer I have had has come close. Components for it are now pretty cheap. I'm sure in that amount of time, techniques will come about to peel off the battery. Just try not to burn through 1,000 charge cycles in less than 5 years.
 
thekev said:
I know it's a minority, but has anyone ever run a study on the real percentage of users who do this stuff? I would assume that some of them rely on a family member or friend when it comes to this stuff. On a side note, will install ram for beer:D.

On the other side of this too many people suggest a 3 year old computer must be slow without identifying specific factors, such as hardware features needed to run highly specific software.
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I will install ram for cider or gluten-free beer:p

smithrh said:
Any examples?

Not saying this isn't happening - but I haven't seen it.
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There's a few that troll the cmbp threads from time to time. Declaring this and that to be dead and out of date. Just like those who troll the optical media/dvd/blueray/superdrive threads declaring the media to be dead/extinct/etc.
 
donato said:
why would you want to (or anyone want to for that matter) buy a used one after AppleCare expires? How will this affect the resale market?
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I would expect the market to go down by quite a bit. Buy a used iPad for $300 is different than buying a used MBP for $1500+ Hopefully the smug *glad the cMBP is dead" folks are the hardest hit.
 
pilgrim2812 said:
Really hope you can rescue the 1TB SSD.
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The SSD is the one component in these new MacBook Pro's that can be easily swapped in 10 minutes by a competent tech or inclined user. For example, on the 13" there are 10 torx/pentalobe screws holding the case down and a single flat head torn screw holding the very easy to get to SSD drive in place on the left and the connector on the right. You simply remove the screw opposite the connector and then just lift it out.

What I am seeing here is people bitch because they like to bitch. In terms of the SSD, if you can't see that this is indeed, a user serviceable part then you would not be doing it on other laptops either.

The new PCI-SSD drives on these laptops *are* user replaceable / upgradable folks!
 

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wkadamsjr said:
Actually, you still had to remove the other piece in order to access the RAM. 8 screws I believe. Still, much better for consumers who prefer to upgrade themselves rather than pay a ton to Apple.
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What was remarkable was that my first Mac, a 2008 Macbook Aluminum, actually had a section in the manual (manual?) that was dedicated to user upgrades. It touted how easy it was to replace the hard drive and battery, and gave instructions on doing both of those things, as well as how to remove the cover to upgrade the RAM.
 
Count Blah said:
I would expect the market to go down by quite a bit. Buy a used iPad for $300 is different than buying a used MBP for $1500+ Hopefully the smug *glad the cMBP is dead" folks are the hardest hit.
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I've always advised people to do their research before buying a used computer. Make sure all the keys work, as keyboard replacement is costly. Be aware of the replacement cost of the battery, and check for signs of swelling. Look at the condition of the display, as they do change with time. Compare private party pricing to what you would pay buying refurbished. I know the last time I was considering out of warranty repair a number of years ago, they did offer depot repair for $350. User experiences seem to vary though.

The main thing is that they cannot assume that nothing will break. That is simply illogical.

joepunk said:
I will install ram for cider or gluten-free beer:p
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Bleh I do have issues with wheat, but I've never been conclusively tested, and I don't drink beer often. Perhaps I should change that to will install ram for Scotch or gluten free beer (didn't know such a thing existed).
 
This is the price you all pay for throwing money at Apple demanding ever thinner computers. One day they will be totally sealed, you should also note the trackpad is somehow glued is as well now so will cost you more to have repaired. And not everyone wants to spend a further 280 pounds on the purchase price for a warranty which Apple has been fined for misleading consumers with.
Also interesting to see a top spec 15 inch MB Pro with upgraded CPU and memory is the same price as the start price of the new Mac Pro!
 
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