Teardown: MacBook Pro 2017

[Gudi]

Batteries have a tendency to swell over their lifetime. It might look like 'wasted' space today, but 5 years from now it could be filled.

Only failing batteries swell and if they do then in thickness not length. A swollen battery should be replaced immediately. Empty space is also no protection against punctuation. You're all just guessing on what little you know about batteries, when in fact it's simply a suboptimal design. Even if Apple prioritized weight over battery life, they should have made the whole laptop thinner. This design is bigger and heavier than in needs to be, because of the covered empty space.

 

[macintoshmac]

I would like to say, if you are so confident of yourself and your opinions, go talk to Tim and Jony, not rant about it here. They are going to be a better audience since it is their reputation on the line and Jony would certainly love to learn something about design and engineering from you.

Next, apply for a job whenever Apple is open to hiring.

All of the above is constructive if you definitely believe in what you are saying here and can substantiate it. If not, this is borderline trolling, inciting hard knocks from people who will be confused at your apparent lack of understanding of design principles and considerations and going after a company which is noted and rightfully acknowledged for superior design considerations and tolerances.

I am no notable engineer at all, but the wasted space that's got you in a fit, is, to my eyes, breathing room. And breathing room is always needed, as it helps in managing heat among other things.

 

[TailsToo]

Ugh. My early 2011 MBP is on it's last legs, but it's so hard to put down the kind of money needed to get a laptop that has no repairability.

My 2006 MBP had coffee spilled on it, and fired the keyboard, which I replaced. I've upgraded the hard drive or RAM on pretty much all of the laptops i've owned.

This is pretty big change for me - now I have to max out whatever I buy.

 

[macintoshmac]

Ugh. My early 2011 MBP is on it's last legs, but it's so hard to put down the kind of money needed to get a laptop that has no repairability.

My 2006 MBP had coffee spilled on it, and fired the keyboard, which I replaced. I've upgraded the hard drive or RAM on pretty much all of the laptops i've owned.

This is pretty big change for me - now I have to max out whatever I buy.

My Late 2011 is a classic in that sense. Maxed out 16GB 1600MHz RAM, 256GB SSD. There are only 4 things that the new laptop has that the old one does not, that I find truly indispensible.

1. Blazing fast IO
2. Retina display (from my 2011 standpoint)
3. Footprint reduction
4. Much better thermals

Apart from this, there is just the added advantage of superior quality speakers in the new MBP.

Considering all these, if they take away the repairability, I really wonder, apart from RAM and Storage, both of which you can max out on at the time of purchase, what more would you need to repair yourself?

True, those were the days when you could buy inferior specs and update later on to stagger the cost of upgrade and still have a fantastic Mac machine. But, clearly, those days have long gone, and there is no point to it anymore. Holding on to old machines is not a solution, the new machines are a real joy to use, despite being a pain to open and repair.

 

[SuprUsrStan]

MacBook Pro 13" Touch Bar 2017 Teardown

Are you kidding me, there's still so much wasted space around the batteries?
Apple, you don't want my money!

Just a small poke...

 

[HerbertDerb]

Picture of MBP 15" 2016:

If you google picture of XPS 15 for example and compare it. Yes, at the first glance it would seem like the XPS is more filled.

But lets look at the MBP more closely:

At the 2x center cells. You have to not that at the edge of the laptop, there is the touchpad's haptic feedback "motors". So you cannot push them any lower.
And one point to note: behind those 2 center cells, there is force touch TP behind them. It has to flex.
Second note: It seems that the 2015 Retina MBP also has force touch trackpad. But its center cells are way more filled.... Maybe because of the size of the trackpad...? idk

And about the other 4 cells: there are space in the sides and at the bottom of these cells for sure. But i don't know if it has to do with balance of the laptop or what, why Apple opt not to fill those empty spaces....(?)

But we are not talking anything groundbreaking if Apple would have filled the empty gaps with cells... Other than that it does look pretty filled to me. There isn't much Apple could have done to change the motherboard layout.


And BTW in the 13" NonTB 2016 model, the batteries are "more filled" but even then Apple does not want to fill the batteries to the front-edge of the laptop(?) Would be interesting to know why....

Pic of 13" nonTB 2016:
https://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/rHEntBKH24INysSo.huge

IDK man, Apple is confusing.

Edit: Little bit googling and founded the reason for "small batteries".... *drums playing*....... Weight!

 

[vipergts2207]

And about the other 4 cells: there are space in the sides and at the bottom of these cells for sure. But i don't know if it has to do with balance of the laptop or what, why Apple opt not to fill those empty spaces....(?)

But we are not talking anything groundbreaking if Apple would have filled the empty gaps with cells... Other than that it does look pretty filled to me. There isn't much Apple could have done to change the motherboard layout.


And BTW in the 13" NonTB 2016 model, the batteries are "more filled" but even then Apple does not want to fill the batteries to the front-edge of the laptop(?) Would be interesting to know why....

I would guess part of the reason would be the prevent damage to the batteries if the laptop is dropped on the edge or corner.

 

[Nik]

The 2015 MBP had no wasted space anywhere, the new one does. The argument of "it would go up in flames" is just utter BS.

 

[New_Mac_Smell]

I would guess part of the reason would be the prevent damage to the batteries if the laptop is dropped on the edge or corner.

You know, I'm really thinking they should have just put stickers in those spaces like they do in books.

Or left a little love note in there from the engineer.
[doublepost=1497476706][/doublepost]

The 2015 MBP had no wasted space anywhere, the new one does. The argument of "it would go up in flames" is just utter BS.

Are you sure?

 

[macintoshmac]

The "wasted space" may also have to do with leaving room for sound from speakers to sound fuller. Point is, we don't truly know what was their reason for leaving the space. Not knowing shouldn't be the reason to hit out at Apple, which is what happens in most cases.

Just because we didn't get the battery life we wanted, and just because we see some space that we think could be filled with battery, we are here hitting out at Apple. I wonder why don't we want perpetual batteries.. never needing a charge.. and let's file a class action lawsuit against Apple for not using its billion dollars in cash properly, right? Surely with the money it has, Apple could have funded a project to create a better God, immortality, a perfect world, yes?

More and more, logging into MR is just becoming a repelling activity, with the constant "Apple should have done this" and "shouldn't have done this" and "if only" things. Come on, you all buy Apple stuff, why? Only to crib about something after buying it and then will buy the next one too? Even then, sometimes, I have seen people cribbing about not being able to upgrade to the very next successive generation because they don't find anything worthwhile. Come on! Ever heard of iterative? Do you have to upgrade each year? Is Apple under some sort of onus to create things that you will suddenly "need" so you can justify the desire to upgrade to a new machine for no real reason?

Why, why all this negativity around Apple? What is the company doing that wrong for you, huh? They are doing what they want to do - they are doing things according to their vision - and only expect those who can see and align to that vision to use their products.

The MacBook was created for extreme, insane levels of portability and there is NOTHING on the market that is of this quality and craftsmanship. The agenda was clear: Portability. But no, just one port! Apple sucks!

The MacBook Pro was about a fantastic balance of power and portability, and it shows. But hey, it is so costly, and hence, Apple has become greedy.

The desktop iMac was supposed to be the powerhouse that can handle the requirements of a large strata of people, and does it not? Does it not? But no, if only we could put more RAM 2 years later, and hence, Apple sucks.

The Mac Pro was the extreme in terms of performance that Apple had to offer. Is it not? But no, if only Apple had used better graphic chips in it, and hence, this is a trash can.

The agendas were clear. Why do we f*** them up for sticking to clear agendas? It is remarkable that they are not giving up under the extreme, insane, demands. We just want a battery life more than we actually need, the newest processor, the maximum RAM, every f***ing port in the world, a screamer in performance and in the form factor of a MacBook or at max, MacBook Pro. Till that happens, Apple is wasting its talent, and Jony is a dork.

Even then, which version of MacBook Pro will become another matter of contention, with most saying 2015 is the best one. Well, seriously, are you prepared to spend the next 40 years of your life upgrading to the same design with just better and better processors and RAM and storage? Same 1.8kg and rather huge (in comparison to 2016) form factor for 40 years on? So, if Apple gives you a better form factor and equivalent battery life but far better performance in key areas, what is to cry about? Sure, they have removed ports "a little prematurely", but haven't they always pushed the envelope? Haven't they always? Sure, HDMI and SDXC should have remained. Should have. But they have given us a fantastic machine still. HDMI was not there in 2011 notebooks when I bought mine, so it was introduced later, right? And now, removed. Why cry so much that almost every single thread I come across, across the forum, reeks of negativity?

Come on! For once, just understand your requirements and purchase the right form factor for your requirement, and watch how much you then enjoy it.

If my post comes across as desperate, so be it. I have been on these forums for about 7 years now, and only lately I have observed a remarkable shift towards negativity that does take a toll on my mood so much that I sometimes feel I do not enjoy MR anymore. Just because of constant whining about something or the other. There is just no satisfying some people, sometimes.

 

[HerbertDerb]

That is true that it might be just for sound.

And i agree, it's Apples choice and their products. If the product doesn't success, they suffer from it. However, it doesn't allow us to speculate why Apple does some choises that seem"weird" at first glance.

Ether they leaved out space for better speakers, Because the design is so thin and it curves at the edges, or because they wanted it to be less than 4 lbs. We don't really know.

Or maybe they leaved out because of the weight/thinness- factor + it doesn't need to be bigger. By the specs the 2016 and now even more with 2017. The laptop is thinner and weights less. And still, by specs it manages to get better battery life.

But FYI i am buying 2017 MBP 15" with 560 GPU. So i clearly like the product enough to spend 3000€ on it. But still the topic is interesting one.

 

[New_Mac_Smell]

The "wasted space" may also have to do with leaving room for sound from speakers to sound fuller. Point is, we don't truly know what was their reason for leaving the space. Not knowing shouldn't be the reason to hit out at Apple, which is what happens in most cases.

Just because we didn't get the battery life we wanted, and just because we see some space that we think could be filled with battery, we are here hitting out at Apple. I wonder why don't we want perpetual batteries.. never needing a charge.. and let's file a class action lawsuit against Apple for not using its billion dollars in cash properly, right? Surely with the money it has, Apple could have funded a project to create a better God, immortality, a perfect world, yes?

More and more, logging into MR is just becoming a repelling activity, with the constant "Apple should have done this" and "shouldn't have done this" and "if only" things. Come on, you all buy Apple stuff, why? Only to crib about something after buying it and then will buy the next one too? Even then, sometimes, I have seen people cribbing about not being able to upgrade to the very next successive generation because they don't find anything worthwhile. Come on! Ever heard of iterative? Do you have to upgrade each year? Is Apple under some sort of onus to create things that you will suddenly "need" so you can justify the desire to upgrade to a new machine for no real reason?

Why, why all this negativity around Apple? What is the company doing that wrong for you, huh? They are doing what they want to do - they are doing things according to their vision - and only expect those who can see and align to that vision to use their products.

The MacBook was created for extreme, insane levels of portability and there is NOTHING on the market that is of this quality and craftsmanship. The agenda was clear: Portability. But no, just one port! Apple sucks!

The MacBook Pro was about a fantastic balance of power and portability, and it shows. But hey, it is so costly, and hence, Apple has become greedy.

The desktop iMac was supposed to be the powerhouse that can handle the requirements of a large strata of people, and does it not? Does it not? But no, if only we could put more RAM 2 years later, and hence, Apple sucks.

The Mac Pro was the extreme in terms of performance that Apple had to offer. Is it not? But no, if only Apple had used better graphic chips in it, and hence, this is a trash can.

The agendas were clear. Why do we f*** them up for sticking to clear agendas? It is remarkable that they are not giving up under the extreme, insane, demands. We just want a battery life more than we actually need, the newest processor, the maximum RAM, every f***ing port in the world, a screamer in performance and in the form factor of a MacBook or at max, MacBook Pro. Till that happens, Apple is wasting its talent, and Jony is a dork.

Even then, which version of MacBook Pro will become another matter of contention, with most saying 2015 is the best one. Well, seriously, are you prepared to spend the next 40 years of your life upgrading to the same design with just better and better processors and RAM and storage? Same 1.8kg and rather huge (in comparison to 2016) form factor for 40 years on? So, if Apple gives you a better form factor and equivalent battery life but far better performance in key areas, what is to cry about? Sure, they have removed ports "a little prematurely", but haven't they always pushed the envelope? Haven't they always? Sure, HDMI and SDXC should have remained. Should have. But they have given us a fantastic machine still. HDMI was not there in 2011 notebooks when I bought mine, so it was introduced later, right? And now, removed. Why cry so much that almost every single thread I come across, across the forum, reeks of negativity?

Come on! For once, just understand your requirements and purchase the right form factor for your requirement, and watch how much you then enjoy it.

If my post comes across as desperate, so be it. I have been no the forums for about 7 years now, and only lately I have observed a remarkable shift towards negativity that does take a toll on my mood so much that I sometimes feel I do not enjoy MR anymore. Just because of constant whining about something or the other. There is just no satisfying some people, sometimes.

After reading that, I don't know whether to offer you a stiff drink or a hug... You're right but it's aimed at a group increasingly disinterested in listening. I think the problem is that tribal rhetoric is overriding peoples objectivity, people listen to someone on YouTube say something, and it becomes almost a slogan to dance behind; moreso than abject reasoning and understanding. Apple's designers are really good, among the best in the world, and understanding the design process means they cannot do each and everything they might want. Design is a compromise to finding a solution, where hoards of other industries vie to have their own agendas impact the overall product.

The most important thing to always understand though is that Apple make computers, not teen idles. If you're genuine thinking is that they should/could have done something differently then educate yourself, focus on why they couldn't have done it, then attempt to work out how they could. There's a lot goes in in designing such a refined product and it is therefore an extremely complex task. But if you're interested in design then study it, if you're young and thinking of college then think about it.

@macintoshmac is right in that there is a lot of hate around at the moment, don't dismiss peoples discussion as fanboy or cherish. Do something constructive with it instead.

All these threads regarding the battery are nonsensical. It's being argued that they should have added more battery. When the product already achieves 10 hours, would an extra 30 minutes really make a difference to your day if it potentially sacrificed safety or other legal concerns? Nobody but Apple can adequately explain the void, all I'd say is it's not in any way a negative to the computer.

 

[maflynn]

The "wasted space" may also have to do with leaving room for sound from speakers to sound fuller. Point is, we don't truly know what was their reason for leaving the space. Not knowing shouldn't be the reason to hit out at Apple, which is what happens in most cases.

Yes, you said it better then I ever could. Just because there's space doesn't mean that Apple leaving open to just for weight's sake or for financial reasons. I don't buy into any of the conspiracy theories. Apple engineers are very smart, they're very good at what they do. All to often, its so easy to be an armchair quarterback saying what Apple did wrong, when clearly none of us have the level of training or knowledge needed to make these decisions.

Oh and so as not be hypercritical, I've had my share of armchair quarterbacking

 

[Nik]

Are you sure?

Yes, I am.

 

[New_Mac_Smell]

Yes, I am.

Note that I specifically found an image with that black tape along the bottom removed for you, so that you could more easily see.

But let me find an image of that same device taken from the top and not slanted.

Can you still not see those gaps?

 

[vipergts2207]

Yes, I am.

Looking at the outlines on the black tape, it looks like the batteries may not actually go all the way to the edge.

 

[jerwin]

How do you know it's wasted space? What is your engineering expertise? Just because it's empty space, doesn't mean it serves no purpose.

better heat distribution, better balance....
certain regs impose an upper limit on battery size.

 

[macintoshmac]

After reading that, I don't know whether to offer you a stiff drink or a hug...

When I visit the UK, I will take and give both!

 

[2457248]

Are you sure?

View attachment 704065

nailed it.

i'd call it's a resonance chamber for the speaker, they just got away with the plastic housing and use the case itself instead.

 

[rezenclowd3]

Ugh. My early 2011 MBP is on it's last legs, but it's so hard to put down the kind of money needed to get a laptop that has no repairability.

Every part can be replaced. Same as any laptop that has ever been made. Upgrade ability? It has none after purchase. Your point is nada.

 

[bartvk]

That's not enough, my 2010 MBP had 10 hours battery life, 11 hours on 10.9 Mavericks. That's the bare minimum, but I want more. And I don't want to see space go wasted for nothing.

I fully agree. But with USB-C, there's a very cheap solution: external batteries. The 21016/2017 MBPs will charge from any external battery, even though it supplies only 5V.

So if you start your day without wall power, but with that external battery connected, it'll trickle-charge throughout the day. That way, you can get an hour or two extra from a decently-sized battery pack.