iFixit Launches Repair Guides for Retina MacBook Pro

[MacRumors]

iFixit today announced the release of 15 new repair guides for the Retina MacBook Pro, giving users instructions on how to perform their own repair and replacement procedures for a number of components. But as iFixit notes, Apple's design direction emphasizing space and weight savings has made it difficult, if not simply infeasible, for several components to be replaced on an individual basis.

For example, there is almost no way to replace the trackpad without first removing the battery. While it's possible to remove the battery, chances are high that it will be punctured in the process (the score? Batteries: 2, iFixit: 0). Puncturing Lithium-polymer batteries releases noxious fumes and can cause fires. Likewise, removing the LCD glass from the aluminum frame will almost certainly break the glass. So components residing under the LCD -- such as the FaceTime camera -- will have to be replaced with the entire assembly.

Replacement parts are also not yet available in many cases given Apple's use of proprietary components, but iFixit is working on sourcing those parts and users will be able to turn to Apple for free warranty repairs in many cases for the first year, or even longer with AppleCare.

iFixit notes that third-party battery replacement companies will have a difficult time given that the Retina MacBook Pro's battery is glued to the aluminum top case, estimating that such companies will have to charge in the neighborhood of $500 to swap out the entire top case assembly and battery. In comparison, Apple charges $199 for the service, up from the $129 fee it charges on non-Retina versions of the 15-inch MacBook Pro.

Article Link: iFixit Launches Repair Guides for Retina MacBook Pro

 

[inlinevolvo]

These guys are great. Good to know some things are possible, depending on how brave you feel.

 

[shartypants]

Wow, that's a lot of battery.

 

[Codyak]

Wow, that's a lot of battery.

It certainly lasts forever. I've got 21% left and it's saying 1:58 remaining. My Asus M51SN lasted about 2.5 hours at best fully charged.

 

[M-O]

Wow, that's a lot of battery.

Would you like some MacBook with that battery?

----------

does Apple actually replace the battery for $199? or do they just give you a full replacement & swap the flash module?

 

[vampyr]

I find it ironic that Apple publicizes about how 'green' their operations are and how much money and effort they put into protecting the environment.. yet they have no process in place to keep their non-upgradable products from trash in the next landfill.

 

[nuladog]

The process has been in place for years

I find it ironic that Apple publicizes about how 'green' their operations are and how much money and effort they put into protecting the environment.. yet they have no process in place to keep their non-upgradable products from trash in the next landfill.

http://www.apple.com/recycling/

Non upgradable does not mean non recyclable!

 

[M-O]

I find it ironic that Apple publicizes about how 'green' their operations are and how much money and effort they put into protecting the environment.. yet they have no process in place to keep their non-upgradable products from trash in the next landfill.

it's an OUTRAGE!!!

http://www.apple.com/recycling/

 

[nuckinfutz]

http://www.apple.com/recycling/

Non upgradable does not mean non recyclable!

Well done rebuttal. People do at least "some" research before they assume that processes haven't already been in place.

 

[Peter Stegemann]

It's nice you can give back Apple products instead of dumping them on the next land fill. Thanks Apple. But maybe creating products that last long and are easy to repair is a better strategy to create green products. Apple is heading into the opposite direction. There's no need to glue in the battery except for making it impossible for the user to replace the battery by themselves. So, when the battery is dead, you have to hope Apple is still replacing them for an affordable price. And you have to hope keep an eye on your MacBook - when the battery starts to bloat - which happened to me on 4 MacBook batteries out of 6 of different generations already - you've got to head to the Apple service fast and you've got to pay whatever they ask for or write your MacBook off. You can't remove the battery to avoid further damage, or to store it separately to avoid damage at all when you want to keep an old MacBook for whatever reason. There's only one safe way to handle these new MacBooks - avoid them or sell them before the Apple Care protection expires.

 

[alfistas]

I don't get why ifixit and some users here complain about the new battery!!! All you have to do is carefully insert a thin Flathead screwdriver underneath the battery assembly and then gently pull it up until the glue becomes loose. just be careful not to puncture the ba...

BOOM

 

[Mad-B-One]

Oh guys! It's 2012! This year is supposed to be the last one anyways. So here a few predictions on what is gonna happen:

1) The earth will stop spinning. Half of us will burn, the other ones freeze. Apple products will work longer on the dark side though.

2) The earth will colide with the sun/moon/comet/other planet. Apple products will be re-melted into the core of the earth or be expelled into space.

3) Judgement day comes around. The more expensive Apples go to hell with all the lawyers, the cheaper or handed down Apple products go to heaven with the kids for they will enter heaven. Some Apples stay in ther middle to decide later: Programmers, everyday John Does...

4) The Zombie Appocalypse comes around: Smarter zombies will use Apple devices, dumber ones will eat them. Recycling problem solved.

 

[weezor]

There's no need to glue in the battery except for making it impossible for the user to replace the battery by themselves

You remember the exploding iPhone on a plane and realizing it was due to a screw sticking into the battery after user repairs?
Imagine that happening to a battery that big.

 

[Panu]

How Wonderful!

So, it is harder than ever to open and mess around in a Mac laptop. Hurray! That means fewer owners will try it. Geniuses will have fewer problems with customers who tried home-made repairs, botched it, and deny they ever tried it. People who are in line in front of me won't be as angry and the line will go faster. Geniuses won't be harassed and hassled, but in a better state to wait on me.

Whoever is recycling the computer is not affected much, because they don't have to worry about putting it back together again.

I bought a third-party battery from a third-party source. It was supposed to have a longer life, but after I got it I found out that was not true. It warped significantly, and I had to get rid of it. I had to replace it with an Apple battery, which means it wasn't cheaper, it cost double. Now that can never happen again! Whoopee!

Retail stores, mail order outfits, and neighborhood geeks can't hoodwink me into letting them fix my computer for less, but failing, damaging it, and voiding my warranty. They can't flummox me into buying bargain components that are "better than Apple" only in the sense that they catch fire more quickly. I won't get a cheap fix that turns out to be a more expensive fix because I have to repurchase a component or buy a whole new computer.

One time I took my car to a repair shop that claimed to be an expert in Volkswagens and advertised that they had lower rates. The hourly rate was lower, but they spent five hours trying to find the problem. I yanked the car out of their shop, paid them for five hours of work, and drove it to Volkswagen, where they fixed it in 30 minutes. Volkswagen's repair at the higher rate was actually cheaper. Now I can't have the joy of that experience with Apple.

This is good news all around, unless you are an enterprising geek or a mail-order repair service. For them it is a disaster, for me it is a delight. Happier customers, happier geniuses, shorter lines, quicker repairs, no voided warranties, and everything will work. Hurray!

 

[donniedarko]

another solution is dont buy one. Im not. Been on Apples since 93' and first time Ive said that. Hope Cook and his homeys are reading this. Ive spent close to 35k with Apple over the years and never thought Id say that...

 

[Panu]

another solution is dont buy one. Im not. Been on Apples since 93' and first time Ive said that. Hope Cook and his homeys are reading this. Ive spent close to 35k with Apple over the years and never thought Id say that...

Okay, so throw yourself through the Windows into Dell hell. Windows is a pane. Rethink this. You're actually going to throw away a computer, even though it works better, just because you can't tinker with its innards? Unless you spend all your time disassembling and reassembling your computer for fun, you might not have thought this through.

 

[donniedarko]

Okay, so throw yourself through the Windows into Dell hell. Windows is a pane. Rethink this. You're actually going to throw away a computer, even though it works better, just because you can't tinker with its innards? Unless you spend all your time disassembling and reassembling your computer for fun, you might not have thought this through.

I didnt say I was going Winblows. I wont be buying one of these machines with a build like this. Hopefully apple hears our displeasure and does the math. I wont buy one of these machine that what I meant. Every laptop since my 520c to my pismo to my current macbook Ive updated. Weak on Apple for not appreciating that. I dont make the money to buy new machines every two years my buy cycle is 4-6 years

 

[Panu]

I didnt say I was going Winblows. I wont be buying one of these machines with a build like this. Hopefully apple hears our displeasure and does the math. I wont buy one of these machine that what I meant. Every laptop since my 520c to my pismo to my current macbook Ive updated. Weak on Apple for not appreciating that. I dont make the money to buy new machines every two years my buy cycle is 4-6 years

Apple is into customer experience, and for most customers, a more pleasant experience at the Genius part is a major part of it. Don't expect Apple to make things harder on Geniuses any time soon. The number of people who want to mess with their machines is very small, and is actually a problem for Apple.

A buy cycle of 4-6 years is about right. in the long haul, I think you'll be happier.

----------

It's nice you can give back Apple products instead of dumping them on the next land fill. Thanks Apple. But maybe creating products that last long and are easy to repair is a better strategy to create green products. Apple is heading into the opposite direction. There's no need to glue in the battery except for making it impossible for the user to replace the battery by themselves. So, when the battery is dead, you have to hope Apple is still replacing them for an affordable price. And you have to hope keep an eye on your MacBook - when the battery starts to bloat - which happened to me on 4 MacBook batteries out of 6 of different generations already - you've got to head to the Apple service fast and you've got to pay whatever they ask for or write your MacBook off. You can't remove the battery to avoid further damage, or to store it separately to avoid damage at all when you want to keep an old MacBook for whatever reason. There's only one safe way to handle these new MacBooks - avoid them or sell them before the Apple Care protection expires.

ignoring the fact that batteries have changed. The newer batteries keep a charge longer, and they have the same life expectancy as the devices they're in.

It used to be that you could lift your engine out of your car and replace it with a more powerful one. Now it is not possible to upgrade your car. Does anyone care? I used to upgrade my computers myself, but now I see no need for it. My first MacBook Pro, I had to replace the battery twice. The battery lasted for the entire life of the second one. The third one has an even better battery.

This isn't 1979, when almost every computer owner needed to have a soldering iron on hand.

 

[donniedarko]

Apple is into customer experience, and for most customers, a more pleasant experience at the Genius part is a major part of it. Don't expect Apple to make things harder on Geniuses any time soon. The number of people who want to mess with their machines is very small, and is actually a problem for Apple.

A buy cycle of 4-6 years is about right. in the long haul, I think you'll be happier.

Have you actually gone and used a 'Genius'? I have twice and ended up showing him the second a couple shortcuts it was bs. Problem wasnt fixed, still isnt and the experience sucked. Nothing resolved. Ive even posted threads here and on the Apple dsicussion boards. Nothing

Bottom line is if my machine is getting long in the tooth Im getting in the end of battery recharge cycles or my HD should be updated, or touch pad goes south I should have to almost destroy part of my machine to repair another dont care what you say. Secondly this just shows me that this another corporation creating planned obsolescence out of their product which ultimately is bs. Well played Apple

 

[hfuhruhurr]

http://www.apple.com/recycling/

Non upgradable does not mean non recyclable!

The link Apple has does not mention how the recycling is to happen. It just says they contracted with a 3rd party to get it done. Regardless of who's doing it, how is the rMBP going to be recycled when all accounts say it's a recycling nightmare?

 

[BC2009]

Did we hear all this complaining years ago when automobile manufacturers started installing those new-fangled computers under the hood? Yet cars run better today with less emissions and now only need tune-ups like every 100k miles. I can still remember the car tinkerers complaining about those new Japanese cars having an influence on Ford and Chevy.

The only downside to all of this is not being able to stage my RAM purchasing so that I get 8GB now and 16GB later when it costs half as much. But given that is only a $200 upgrade, I don't think I would blink much in selecting it now. Now if the machine actually supports 32GB, but they are only selling 16GB (like the current iMac models that require you to go to OWC for the 32GB modules) then that kinda sucks. RAM is probably the single most common upgrade on any machine and that's why the iMac has door on the bottom specifically for upgrading RAM. Everything else does not really matter to all but the smallest percentage of people.

Then again, Apple may feel that virtual memory on solid state storage is fast enough to make RAM a non-factor as well. Heck the MacBook Airs are really speedy and just barely got an upgrade to 8GB option.

 

[cjmillsnun]

The link Apple has does not mention how the recycling is to happen. It just says they contracted with a 3rd party to get it done. Regardless of who's doing it, how is the rMBP going to be recycled when all accounts say it's a recycling nightmare?

Quite simple. The 3rd parties that Apple deals with will be instructed in how to safely deal with the battery, and will have pentalobe screwdrivers.

 

[alfistas]

It used to be that you could lift your engine out of your car and replace it with a more powerful one. Now it is not possible to upgrade your car. Does anyone care?

Who told you that ???

If anything you can do more car tuning today than ever before...

 

[thekev]

Would you like some MacBook with that battery?

----------

does Apple actually replace the battery for $199? or do they just give you a full replacement & swap the flash module?

Giving you a full replacement would cost a ridiculous amount. You can count on this not happening. I would guess that Apple has worked out the disassembly here. Some people have suggested they'd need to replace the entire top plate. That still seems pretty crazy and unlikely given that they charged $150 for the old battery alone.

Okay, so throw yourself through the Windows into Dell hell. Windows is a pane. Rethink this. You're actually going to throw away a computer, even though it works better, just because you can't tinker with its innards? Unless you spend all your time disassembling and reassembling your computer for fun, you might not have thought this through.

Windows takes a lot of unnecessary insults on here. It's not really less stable than OSX if you have half a brain and don't install everything you find on the internet. They just need to do something about that stupid registry. Throwing away a computer is not the same as neglecting to buy the new one. I wouldn't suggest anyone touch it if they feel they need 4-6 years to justify the purchase. Personally I wouldn't count on anything beyond 3. Budget for 2-3. Buy based on that. If it lasts longer, enjoy it. Spending more can double the cost to add a year at most of spec longevity given that much of the time it's hardware features that cause something to go out of date, and past around the 4 year mark, you have no guarantee that Apple will deem it repairable. They've discontinued hardware service on many of these older ones.

The only downside to all of this is not being able to stage my RAM purchasing so that I get 8GB now and 16GB later when it costs half as much. But given that is only a $200 upgrade, I don't think I would blink much in selecting it now. Now if the machine actually supports 32GB, but they are only selling 16GB (like the current iMac models that require you to go to OWC for the 32GB modules) then that kinda sucks. RAM is probably the single most common upgrade on any machine and that's why the iMac has door on the bottom specifically for upgrading RAM. Everything else does not really matter to all but the smallest percentage of people.

Then again, Apple may feel that virtual memory on solid state storage is fast enough to make RAM a non-factor as well. Heck the MacBook Airs are really speedy and just barely got an upgrade to 8GB option.

A lot of ram from quality vendors costs more than some of the random stuff anyway. Note that some of the cheapest on newegg has a lot of complaints. Do not expect 32GB for the current model even if Intel suggests the chipset will support it. No one makes these in sodimm form yet, and it's likely to be one of those things where it won't take off until a later ram spec/standard. You can get 32GB in a notebook today. You just can't do that with a Mac or the majority of them on the market. There are a few in the mobile workstation category that can take it including lenovo. The lenovo isn't even that heavy. I'd be surprised if the ram standard used in the current macbook pro revision ever gets cost effective 16GB sodimms. If they remain too expensive for that machine spec, it forces a machine upgrade.

 

[KevinC867]

Wow, just wow! Did you folks scan through that iFixit article? They completely disassembled the laptop just to replace the freakin battery. This is just insane given that the much smaller MacBook Air still has an easily replaceable battery.

Apple is going to lose a bundle every time they replace an rMBP battery for $200. The only thing I can imagine is that Apple believes it won't matter because 99.9% of users will never want to have their battery replaced. That has certainly not been my experience with older MacBooks, but maybe the batteries really have gotten that much better.