iFixit Takes CrazyPowerful New MacBook Pro Apart, Deems It Un-Repairable

I bought a 2005 MacBook Pro new and it is still running (now on Snow Leopard) precisely because I was able to replace the battery, upgrade the RAM and HD.

But this is the sort of behavior that makes me vow not to buy any more Apple products...

The new Macbook Pros are amazing computers, but . . .

I've been saying this for the past 3 years since the adaptation of the unibody design. If you break your Macbook, you are forced into a service contract. That's a fact.

SMART MOVE FOR APPLE. BAD MOVE FOR CONSUMERS.

Apple long term business plane has always been proprietary electronics. Part 2 of their business scheme is the belief once a use becomes adapted to an operating system, they do not like to change, hence free computers to schools. The only thing they are leaving out is a character mascot and to give away happy meals to the kiddies to help program the up and coming generation.

Yeah, anytime a computer company chooses to solder the system's RAM to the motherboard they are essentially saying, "This is going to be a future paperweight for someone". Memory goes bad quite easily and it doesn't matter who uses the computer or how cautious they are, it's just an eventuality. I don't know why anyone would knowingly buy a computer that can't be repaired (or upgraded) without having to call the manufacturer.

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In space, no one can hear a tree fall in the forest.

I don't see what the deal is. As electronics get thinner and thinner, of course the parts get less swappable. The only reason people throw this kind of a hissy fit is because it's seen as trendy to bash apple for this.
Any razor thin devices don't have space to spare for latch mechanisms and detachable connectors. You try to design a 15 inch laptop that's as thick as two USB ports stacked on top of each other and see how easy it is.

Anyone else see the irony? Their old 80s commercial with the runner and the hammer smashing the Orwellian 1984 Oppression. They have become exactly the controlling machine they claim to rail against. This is Consumer Oppression at its finest. Thanks Steve, RIP A_Hole!

@ Ebrainer1

people throw a hissy fit when there toy needs to be fixed but can not because its all glues together. apparently its fully non-upgradeable, nonrepairable. only a fool would buy such a product

There is nothing to repair on this laptop. The event of failure is remote. When was the last time you replaced a faulty CPU or memory chip?
For upgrades you need to upgrade the whole device at once.
For extra functionality buy USB devices or online services.

@highermorals,

Let me shed some light on your "Failure is remote" myth.

Did you know that it is the policy of Apple corporation that if the most vulnerable component of a macbook laptop -namely, the "Retina Display"- WILL NOT BE REPAIRED unless you have a special service contract to repair your display. Not only that, but it is in fact the policy of Apple Corporation that if your laptop's display is somehow damaged, weather it was intentional or not, "APPLE WILL NOT PERFORM ANY REPAIRS OF ANY KIND TO ANY OTHER COMPONENT ON THE LAPT - WEATHER IT'S THE HARD DISK, KEYBOARD, OR PORTS" until the display is repaired. And of course, you have to enter into a service contract to repair the display.

To anyone considering buying a brand new car . . . How about if we had to buy a brand new car every time we wanted to change or repair a part? . . . and let me tell you, a working used car costs less than a Macbook pro.

. . . and by the way, I repair these devices for a living. The cost to repair a retina display will cost you upwards of $300. Look it up.

@highermorals
This past 6 months alone (according to my NewEgg order history) I've replaced RAM in no less than 3 Laptops for friends and family and upgraded RAM in 2 other laptops. Trust me, it happens more than you think.

In my case, I recently upgraded my Dell laptop's memory, CPU, added a SSD hard drive, replaced the battery (2 times now), and even replaced its keyboard and saved money a lot of money in the process. Had it not been upgradable, I would have had to buy a new system and spent a lot of money (when this was brand new it cost me over $2,300 and was top-of-the-line at the time).

You can't do any of the above mentioned with the new MBP. May not seem like a big deal now, but wait a couple of years when you need something upgraded or replaced and you'll know what I mean.

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In space, no one can hear a tree fall in the forest.

By the time this brand new macpro needs repair it will be outdated by sopmething slicker more reliable and cheaper.

I watched the ad for the new mbp Apples greatest talent is still thier advertising prowess whilst I was watching the ad I couldn't help but think wow thier new mbp is just like all the other windows ultrabooks now and they're ad just felt like they were feeding me more hype and spin, our mbp is great because we have two fans. Truely revolutionary device? Nope, just like everything else? Yep only twice the price and now even more locked in than ever before

Now some input from a computer repair professional:
I used to do repairs and "upgrades" on past-warranty mac pros. These things are designed to be damaged as you take them apart. On every other laptop ever, the keyboard ribbon cable is rather thick, and can be taken out easily. On a macbook pro, keyboard cables are the width of a pencil and are connected with just four weak-a$$ solder points. Many a time was I stuck with a customer's MBP waiting on a new ribbon cable to ship from somewhere across the country because the components melted the last flimsy one.

Also, modular design is what EVERYTHING should be built with. RAM cards fry so easily, and these Mac computers always run right at 80c, which is the temperature at which the chipsets start to degrade. It's written into the software, run those chips at the brink of destruction to push out a little more power while the internal components slowly start to melt away. Why anyone in their right mind would by a MBP outside of video editing on FCP is beyond me. (Even then just buy a high-end Windows laptop and install OSX with the TonyMacx86 software.) When it comes to computers, intelligence and research will save $$$, while ignorance will definitely cost you.

@ higher morals

I agree with you. Ignore these retards, they always flame mac articles, and after reading their drivel for months now, I can firmly establish that they merely do not have enough disposable income to risk buying a mac. (not knowing how reliable and well integrated they are.)

As for the car analogy, my car recently needed its transmission replaced. I have a service contract, it was not covered. It was debated whether to buy a new car instead of repairing the transmission. It cost a significant fraction of the cars current value. The car, by the way, is a Chevy Suburban, not a BMW or Range Rover. It's very reliable, but, when there are large and rare malfunctions, I prefer to give it to a professional, not tinker with it myself. This is the stance most people take with computers. No matter what you think, the programmer geek who tinkers often with his electronics is still the minority.

I tinker with my electronics, but am happy to give apple my business if anything out of my league goes wrong, and would honestly prefer to go to them when I have any problems. When I upgrade from my current MBP, I expect this new one will be far in the past. As for people complaining about the prices of the Retina display and thunderbolt etc. These are Apples innovations. It's called a monopoly, they can charge whatever they want! Until you have another company that has a display and cables that are similar, the prices will not change and should not change.

What I can't believe is people don't get supply and demand! I'm glad Macs are exclusive, because that means the viruses stay mainly with the PCs!

@GregN913

You know it violates the license agreement to hack a copy of OSX like that right? and people say Apple is unethical because of their prices. I can't get any useful information from the comments, or comment myself, on Apple articles anymore because of the gutter scum who will admit they had and loved, or wish they could afford a Mac. Go read a Windows or Android article. Not one iPhone fanatic or Apple head is saying that's garbage that is made of plastic and is still five years behind any number of Apple products (MS Surface comes to mind, but notice how I'm putting my comment here where it won't flame anyone, except it will flame the flamers...but you get the point, let us get excited about our more exclusive, hands off devices because we let you get excited about your little plastic fisher price computers.