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MacBook Neo Teardown: Modular Ports, Glue-Less Battery, Zero Tape

stlredbird said:
Not to highjack this thread but...

I just recently got my late 2008 MBP out of storage. The battery died long before I quit using it. Anyway, I have a new battery on order and am upgrading to 8GB of RAM.

What do you use your 2008 MBP for? I just installed Linux Mint on it but I'm not convinced I don't want to go back to El Capitan or something else.

Just trying to figure out use cases for it.
Click to expand...

Is it the core duo or core 2 duo model? Curious if Linux can use the 64-bit processing of the C2D...Apple never enabled it in OSX and let it die with the 32-bit deprecation. I had the C2D model and was PISSED.

I still miss the little button and the green battery indicator lights.
 
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Paul1964 said:
That's not empty - it's where the speakers go. Watch the full video.

Watch the full video. That "empty space" is where the speakers live. The screen shot is showing the Neo AFTER the speakers have been removed.
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Ah, thanks for the clarification.

Was gonna say, it didn't look right.
 
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WarmWinterHat said:
Is it the core duo or core 2 duo model? Curious if Linux can use the 64-bit processing of the C2D...Apple never enabled it in OSX and let it die with the 32-bit deprecation. I had the C2D model and was PISSED.

I still miss the little button and the green battery indicator lights.
Click to expand...
This. It should be back on all MacBooks. It was very useful to be able to check how much battery power you had without having to open the lid and check on-screen.
 
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thelion7 said:
Honestly, would love it for Apple to be forced to issue an updated to the Homepods unlocking it's bluetooth to support third party devices using them as a Bluetooth speaker.

I get that on Paper Airplay is meant to be more reliable but allow people the option, even if Apple Devices are forced to use Airplay but none Apple Devices can use Bluetooth.
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There are android apps they let you stream to HomePods.

www.androidpolice.com

Can you use an Apple HomePod with an Android phone?

Apple and Android may not always get along, but did you know you can use AirPlay with an Android phone?
www.androidpolice.com www.androidpolice.com
 
WarmWinterHat said:
Is it the core duo or core 2 duo model? Curious if Linux can use the 64-bit processing of the C2D...Apple never enabled it in OSX and let it die with the 32-bit deprecation. I had the C2D model and was PISSED.

I still miss the little button and the green battery indicator lights.
Click to expand...
Core 2 Duo. I didn't know apple didn't enable 64 bit. I believe the version of linux i installed is 64 bit.
 
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This is much more about the education market than anything to do with the EU.

Kids are tough on their Chromebooks. Constantly replacing USB ports, keyboards etc. the modularity means school IT departments can do common basic fixes.

tonmischa said:
The EU passes a law on the “right to repair,” and suddenly there are computers that are easy to repair.
Well, well. So it is possible after all.
Click to expand...
 
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Jamie0003 said:
Hell yes. Apple has been saying for years that it’s impossible to make these thin devices repairable…..but we all know the real reason $$$
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Can you cite a single instance of Apple—spokesperson or senior exec—claiming it's "impossible" to make devices repairable? Literally one single time.

Also notable that this isn't really a "thin device," it's significantly thicker than the Air. It also has far less battery and decidedly less-than-bleeding-edge specs.

Jamie0003 said:
EU is really killing it recently.
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Zero evidence this has anything at all to do with the EU. First of all, various US states also passed R2R legislation, which is far more likely to sway Apple. And this device is obviously geared towards education so making it highly repairable is actually smart economically.
 
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I read all the Neo "material" leading up to 11 March. The colors looked okay and I thought Citrus would be my choice.

I got to the local Apple Store at 11:15 Arizona time on 11 March and saw the actual colors. I immediately changed my mind to go with silver. The verbiage about color matched key board chiclets does not seem to ring true for my eyes. I thought they all looked the same color.

Fired it up when I got home and almost immediately it needed access to my WiFi to download the necessary MacOS update.

Doing the regular work of organizing the desk top and getting the settings I needed adjusted, it seemed just as quick as any of the M4 gear.

I think the folks that buy this will be pleased.
 
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Paul1964 said:
It's basically a system on chip and soldered storage. You have to buy the spec you want.

Hopefully next year it will have the A19 Pro with 12GB of RAM.
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I said it above, so apologies for repeating myself, but I’ll be interested to see if they keep the form factor of the main board the same and so possible to swop logic boards between a 2026 and 2027 (2028?) Neo. In other words, they standardise the internals of the Neo like they did with last decade’s Mac Minis and MBAs.

That would be a huge benefit to home-repairers and schools.
 
Okay, I just watched the entire tear down video and… wow, I’m impressed.

I feel like this is one of the best engineered machines Apple has designed. Wow. As the guy in the video says, Apple has kept the costs down, the simplicity up, and the repairability is great! No glue, no tapes…

I really liked the internal design of this computer. And the speakers take quite a bit of space, so I suspect they are going to sound really good!
 
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Populus said:
Okay, I just watched the entire tear down video and… I’m impressed.

I feel like this is one of the best engineered machines Apple has designed. Wow. As the guy in the video says, Apple has kept the costs down, the simplicity up, and the repairability is great! No glue, no tapes…

I really liked the internal design of this computer. And the speakers take quite a bit of space, so I suspect they are going to sound really good!
Click to expand...

They don't sound very good, unfortunately.
Passable.
 
Credit where credit is due, this is fantastic news… bravo Apple!

But: why had you made the terrible repair decisions you did for the past decade to BEGIN with?!? #1 being Type C ports on some models that were flat-out non-replaceable, or on daughter cards whose removal required complete disassembly/removal of the motherboard?? #2 being glued in batteries… when it is now clear that glued-in batteries—some requiring solvents to remove!—were never actually mechanically necessary? Contra Apple's public assertions on 'repairability' through the tech punditry? Clearly Apple was lying then, and it cost customers… only to boost AppleCare sales and repair silo revenue. We can only hope that this is a lasting change in a good direction for the company.
 
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The most important detail in this teardown isn't the six minutes. It isn't the zero tape. It isn't the 18 screws on the battery that lift straight out. It's this. The keyboard can be replaced without replacing the entire top case. On every previous MacBook that has been a $500+ repair. On the Neo it's a component swap. This machine was fully designed around the cost of ownership. Not just the cost of purchase. That's a different design philosophy. And it shows.
 
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The_Gream said:
Just curious why?

AirPlay is free for any developer developing for Apple hardware.
Android has Chrome cast.

There are better and cheaper options to iCloud. They may not have the same level of integration.

Like iCloud, FaceTime has other and better options out there.
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AirPlay is not cross compatible. For example, when I have friends over that have Android phones, they can’t AirPlay to my HomePods or Apple TV’s. A version of casting for both platforms is already available called matter casting, but of course neither support it
 
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thelion7 said:
Honestly, would love it for Apple to be forced to issue an updated to the Homepods unlocking it's bluetooth to support third party devices using them as a Bluetooth speaker.

I get that on Paper Airplay is meant to be more reliable but allow people the option, even if Apple Devices are forced to use Airplay but none Apple Devices can use Bluetooth.
Click to expand...
Sure, both would be good though. Bluetooth ain’t great for audio quality
 
ProMotionPotato said:
The most important detail in this teardown isn't the six minutes. It isn't the zero tape. It isn't the 18 screws on the battery that lift straight out. It's this. The keyboard can be replaced without replacing the entire top case. On every previous MacBook that has been a $500+ repair. On the Neo it's a component swap. This machine was fully designed around the cost of ownership. Not just the cost of purchase. That's a different design philosophy. And it shows.
Click to expand...
The keyboard has a solid bottom too. I wonder if that helps to keep spilled liquids from getting inside the machine?
 
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M4irmidnight said:
But why would anyone want macOS on an iPad Pro? That’s the question I get a lot.

We should be happy with a locked down mobile OS on a machine capable of being a real computer!
Click to expand...

Honestly, I wouldn't really care about macOS on an iPP if the hardware disparity wasn't so extreme.

The gorgeous OLED + Cellular of the iPP is incredibly appealing.

All the Macbook hardware falls well short of the iPP for me right now.
 
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