iFixit Tears Down the New Seventh-Generation iPod Nano

[bungiefan89]

Yeah, and for $140!!.
Obligatory xkcd:
http://xkcd.com/768/

Another one of the things I absolutely hated about my algebra classes: The bulky, ancient graphing calculators we had to use.

It was 2006. I had a very nice iBook G4 that I did everything on in high school, and took everywhere. I didn't understand why I ALSO had to drag around that stupid heavy and expensive graphing calculator for a single class. Why couldn't I just have had a program on my computer?

 

[Lark.Landon]

So much for the mystery...I thought it was filled with lollipops and unicorns.

 

[Skika]

THE RETINA MACBOOK PRO WAS ‘VERIFIED’ EPEAT GOLD, BUT IT’S NOT GREEN
http://ifixit.org/3525/the-retina-macbook-pro-was-verified-epeat-gold-but-its-not-green/

Lol please cry some more your tear are delicious.

 

[Medic311]

did they find an HDMI port? lolz

 

[nick_elt]

why cant the iphone have an fm module?

 

[Skika]

why cant the iphone have an fm module?

Because its old technology that doesnt belong in a modern post pc device.

 

[reevans]

iFixIt is clueless

iFixIt is stuck in the 1980's and believe that solder is bad, nothing should be amalgamated into one component, glue is bad, thin is bad, Apple is bad . . .

They would like us to stop progress so that they can eek out a business fixing things that are superseded by newer technology. This shop should be relegated to the trash heap of history.

 

[Anuba]

How is TI supplying parts for the new Nano when they're still producing and selling these:

Image

LOL. I have a TI calculator from 1985 in a drawer somewhere. It still works, which isn't all that remarkable. What's crazy is that the never-replaced, miniscule coin cell battery still has juice in it after 27 years!
Oh well, perhaps it's an indication of how much I cared about math when I went to school in 1985, some 114 years ago.

 

[Iconoclysm]

THE RETINA MACBOOK PRO WAS ‘VERIFIED’ EPEAT GOLD, BUT IT’S NOT GREEN
http://ifixit.org/3525/the-retina-macbook-pro-was-verified-epeat-gold-but-its-not-green/

It's not green according to iFixit but is green according to EPEAT.

----------

iFixIt is stuck in the 1980's and believe that solder is bad, nothing should be amalgamated into one component, glue is bad, thin is bad, Apple is bad . . .

They would like us to stop progress so that they can eek out a business fixing things that are superseded by newer technology. This shop should be relegated to the trash heap of history.

They're obviously under the impression that no solvent exists that breaks down glue with a quick washing but doesn't disintegrate glass or aluminum...and think they're experts on the entire subject?

 

[nick_elt]

Because its old technology that doesnt belong in a modern post pc device.

so.............why is it in the nano????????


pat on your back. your logic is just awesome. who on earth uses fm radio

 

[swarmster]

How is TI supplying parts for the new Nano when they're still producing and selling these:

Image

hehe, of course TI has long since outsourced the design on those (they might still control the software? But otherwise it just a branded calculator).

I'm just sad they took away the clip on the back. The 6th Gen Nano will remain the ultimate Gym nano for a while it seems.

Maybe I'm the only one, but I sweat at the gym. So the clip, while cute, was always wasted thickness in my armband case.

 

[WestonHarvey1]

The real question is how do they get away with charging as much as they do ($100-$170 depending on the store) for those given the technology inside?

Many standardized tests have them on a short list of approved calculators and it gives them a monopoly position. They're sold under the same model as college text books.

I think there's a pretty hefty licensing fee for Derive rolled into them, too.

 

[SaaGua]

The iPod Nano and the retina MacBook Pro can be repaired and recycled by Apple. iFixit is throwing tantrums because they can't fix them? iFixit needs to get over itself.

So, you actually enjoy paying for the extremely overpriced repair cost by Apple?

Just as there should be competition amongst products, there should be competition amongst services. (After service/repair)

Imagine if you can only get your Ford serviced exclusively by Ford, instead of Firestone, Sears, etc...

 

[WestonHarvey1]

So, you actually enjoy paying for the extremely overpriced repair cost by Apple?

Just as there should be competition amongst products, there should be competition amongst services. (After service/repair)

Imagine if you can only get your Ford serviced exclusively by Ford, instead of Firestone, Sears, etc...

I can't remember the last time I had to send an Apple product in for repairs. For laptops, Applecare is a bargain when you blow the mainboard. iPod nanos aren't worth repairing at that price.

You're saying you don't want to let Apple take this whole "thin and light" thing as far as they possibly can? You want bulkier equipment that doesn't push the state of the art, just so you can potentially save a few bucks on a repair?

 

[SeattleMoose]

iPod Nano Is "Lost"

With the iPod Nano 5G Apple reached the zenith for functionality, looks, and value. 6G was a huge step down and while better than the 6G, the 7G still lacks a lot of functionality and key components like the click wheel (which means you don't even have to see the unit to operate it). If Apple wanted a "sure thing" they would bring back the 5G with a 32GB top end. That would be a killer product!!!

 

[Mikey44]

You're saying you don't want to let Apple take this whole "thin and light" thing as far as they possibly can? You want bulkier equipment that doesn't push the state of the art, just so you can potentially save a few bucks on a repair?

So.... The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 as found here: http://bit.ly/Rzg3hV doesn't count as being repairable and thin? Even though it is thinner than the iPad? And the HP Z1 Workstation, which looks similar to the iMac isn't upgradable or able to be repaired with ease at all either?

Apple could make the devices they build to be so stinking repairable, but they choose not to. Which is where the issue lies. Look at the iPhone 5 for example. It can be easily repaired, and it is thinner than the iPhone 4/4S. Just something to think about.

 

[speedyraf]

Today, I needed my calendar from my 5th gen iPod nano at work and it gets daily usage whether at work, with exercise or at home. There are things I like about the 7th gen iPod nano but it doesn't fit me or my needs at present since it lacks notes, calendar or contacts. I submitted feedback to Apple and hope they'll upgrade its software eventually.

 

[jouster]

In ten years when the collective components are the size of a postage stamp will anyone still care if it's user-servicable?

They're pretty much that size now.

really. Your phone can do everything that calculator does.

Even before what we now consider to be "smart" phones, my college did not permit anything except traditional calculators in quant exams. People were handing their Palm pilots in beforehand!

I bet that's still the case in lots of schools.

 

[Anuba]

You're saying you don't want to let Apple take this whole "thin and light" thing as far as they possibly can? You want bulkier equipment that doesn't push the state of the art, just so you can potentially save a few bucks on a repair?

There's more to it than that. For decades, people have relied on third party upgrades because Apple charges completely insane prices for BTO options. And we're not talking about "a little more than street prices", we're talking 3-4 times the street prices, sometimes more. Last week I bought a Samsung 830 SSD for $170 bucks and put it in my MBP. If I add the exact same drive to an iMac, Apple wants $600.

Well now the quest for ultimate thinness has led them to start using proprietary SSDs and RAM soldered to the motherboard, like on the Retina MBP, I HAVE to go with Apple's ludicrously overpriced options if I want anything other than the baseline config. Making stuff thinner is one goal, but part of why they're doing it is to force you to replace your computer in its entirety if you want any manner of capacity increase. The only ones who benefit from that are Apple, their drooling stockholders and the stupid ass cheerleaders who have zero personal gain from such moves, but cheer anyway, because they're airheads.

 

[KnightWRX]

Maybe I'm the only one, but I sweat at the gym. So the clip, while cute, was always wasted thickness in my armband case.

Armband case what ? I sweat like a pig, usually look like I stepped out of the shower fully clothed after a run/thread mill session, but the Nano is right there, clipped somewhere to my soaked shirt, playing my favorite metal song.

I hate armbands, wore one exactly one time, threw it in the trash.

 

[OrangeSVTguy]

Won't be long before computers and electronics will be "printed" out and all the circuits will be printed directly to the material and will no longer be able to be taken apart.

So long iFixit. Pretty soon it will be iFuxit.

 

[baryon]

Every time Apple updates the nano, I get the feeling that they don't know where they want to go with it.

At first it was a smaller iPod classic, resulting in the 5th nano, which was the best of the product we've seen so far IMO.

Then it became a bigger iPod shuffle, and many of the features in the 5th gen were removed, but people became excited about the possibility of smart watches.

Now it's a smaller iPod touch with none of the things that make the touch great(App Store, camera, web browsing, wifi)?

It just seems that Apple is keeping the nano around simply for the legacy of it.

It also seems that those who just want a music player that's light and pocket/armband friendly are still best served by the 5th generation Nano.

Yes, the Nano used to be the most popular iPod, but then the iPhone and iPod Touch came in an I think Apple saw from sales that everyone is buying the Touch instead of the Nano. So they thought "what can we do with the Nano that would make it worth having a separate device?" Obviously, size is important, so the Nano's most important feature would be that it's tiny… But I guess people weren't impressed with the previous nano (too small for a screen, especially a touch screen), and you'd take your smartphone with you literally no matter where you go anyway…

I think that now that everyone has a smartphone or an iPod Touch at least, no one will buy a dedicated music player, except for sports maybe, but then the Shuffle is perfect for that, and its price is also good for having it as a second iPod.

The new nano is great in my opinion, it looks and feels amazing, but at the same time you'll ask yourself "why should I have yet another device just for music?".

 

[swarmster]

Armband case what ? I sweat like a pig, usually look like I stepped out of the shower fully clothed after a run/thread mill session, but the Nano is right there, clipped somewhere to my soaked shirt, playing my favorite metal song.

I hate armbands, wore one exactly one time, threw it in the trash.

Hmm. All I know is sweat (and maybe the odd rain shower) killed two nano 4th gens (in "sport" armbands, even, including Apple's) before I decided waterproof armbands were the only way to go. Maybe they've gotten better with moisture since ditching the click wheel, but I'm not taking the risk.

 

[MartiNZ]

I was SURE they would need a diamond saw to get it open, only to discover a mystery: there is nothing inside at all.

But I called it wrong. It’s packed with chips and batteries.

So awesome . THAT's the next gen....

 

[KnightWRX]

Hmm. All I know is sweat (and maybe the odd rain shower) killed two nano 4th gens (in "sport" armbands, even, including Apple's) before I decided waterproof armbands were the only way to go. Maybe they've gotten better with moisture since ditching the click wheel, but I'm not taking the risk.

See tons of people at my gym with 6th gens, all naked as the day they were built (the nanos, not the people... unfortunately in some cases). My Nanos usually break because I toss them in my bag and throw stuff over them, not because of sweat. I also don't clip them where they are getting soaked, usually near my shoulders or on the side at the bottom of my shirt.

Armbands really get in the way when doing biceps/triceps/pectorals.