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News & Opinion
iFixit Posts Repair Guides for MacBook Pro with
Retina Display
iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens notes that month ago, he and his team called
the MacBook Pro with
Retina Display "the least repairable laptop we've taken apart."
However, Weins says, "we wouldn't be the 'repair manual for everything'
if we tapped out on the difficult projects. So guess what? We just
completed writing the repair manual for the 2012 MacBook Pro with
Retina display."
Wiens observes that
many components inside the ultrathin laptop can be removed without much
fuss, provided one uses the correct tools. Apple's proprietary
Pentalobe screws fasten the lower case in place and Torx screws secure
everything else. Spudgers and plastic opening tools are absolutely
necessary, he says, since many of the components are designed with such
tight tolerances that using fingertips is simply not an option.
However, Weins warns that working on this laptop is no easy task,
and some repairs are simply unfeasible. For example, he notes that
there is no way to replace the trackpad without removing the battery,
and while it's theoretically possible to remove the battery, chances
are high that it will be punctured in the process, and puncturing
Lithium-polymer batteries releases noxious fumes and can cause fires,
so not cool. Additionally, he cautions that removing the LCD glass from
its 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.
Also, finding
replacements for the machine's proprietary components is currently
difficult. Wiens says iFixit is working to source parts, but that may
take some time, and while they've developed a technique for removing
the battery, there remains a high risk of puncturing the cells so
they're still working to improve on the battery removal procedure.
Wiens comments that in the context of iFixit's philosophical belief
that everyone has the right to maintain and repair their products. the
design direction Apple has taken with the Retina MacBook Pro is
"disturbing," and he estimates that third party battery replacements
will cost over $500 if technicians follow the safer Apple-suggested
procedure and replace the entire upper case assembly along with the
battery. For more on that and related matters, see the
next news brief.
However, he says that while Apple isn't making
this easy, iFixit is committed to making repair as straightforward as
physically possible.
The takeaway here is that if you're comfortable and extraordinarily
handy at working on the innards of electronic gadgetry, you may be able
to successfully execute some DIY repairs on the Retina MacBook Pro.
Everyone else ought to seriously consider buying AppleCare coverage
with a purchase of one of these machines.
Link: Repairing the
Unrepairable: MacBook Pro with Retina Display Repair Guides
Link:
MacBook Pro 15" Retina Display Mid 2012
Apple Memo to Service Techs Says Battery in Retina
Display MacBook Is Not Replaceable
Tree Hugger's Jaymi Heimbuch notes that according to an internal
service announcement sent from Apple to its technicians, a couple
training courses are required for techs to be authorized to service the
new Retina MacBook Pro laptops. The document also explains some
handling must-dos for parts of the computer, a notable one being that
the rMBP's battery must be replaced with the top case assembly, and
confirming that the glued-in battery alone is not a replaceable part,
and the service memo warning that "batteries should not be separated
from the top case assembly for any reason."
Because having to buy the entire top case assembly in order to
replace the battery won't be cost effective for anyone but Apple,
effectively Apple becomes the sole source for rMBP battery replacement,
for which it charges $179.
Link: Apple Internal
Memo to Service Technicians Show Battery in MacBook Is Not
Replaceable
Apple's Thunderbolt-to-FireWire Adapter Only Works
One Way
MacFixIt's Topher Kessler reports that while Apple's new
Thunderbolt-to-FireWire adapter offers FireWire connectivity to the
latest MacBook Air and MacBook Pro with Retina Display, models that
have Thunderbolt but do not have built-in FireWire connectivity, it
will not provide Thunderbolt over FireWire, since the Thunderbolt
adapter is a unidirectional bridge from Thunderbolt to FireWire that
requires a computer host with software drivers to interface with the
controller it contains. Inverting it and attempting the connection in
the opposite direction will not work.
Link: Apple's
Thunderbolt FireWire Adapter Is a One-Way Connector
Tech Trends
Lenovo Unveils Three-Pound, 14" Carbon Fiber
ThinkPad X1 Carbon Ultrabook
PR: On Monday, Lenovo unveiled a new even lighter version of
its already ultrathin 14-inch ThinkPad X1 Ultrabook, reducing the
machine's weight from an already svelte 3.8 pounds down to just under
3.0 pounds thanks to more extensive use of carbon fiber in its chassis
and rollcage instead of more typical aluminum-magnesium alloys.
Lenovo claims its ThinkPad X1 Carbon laptop is the lightest 14-inch
Ultrabook in the industry, exceeding Intel's Ultrabook specifications
by using a premium carbon fiber rollcage to create a durable laptop
weighing 
in at less than
three pounds. Other ThinkPad X1 Carbon features include the latest Ivy
Bridge Intel Core i processors, 3G connectivity for anywhere
anytime access, Lenovo's RapidCharge technology for a near-full battery
charge in 30 minutes, and Intel vPro technology for manageability,
Lenovo's Enhanced Experience 3.0, a backlit keyboard, USB 3.0, gigabit
Ethernet, and more.
"We crafted the ThinkPad X1 Carbon with premium carbon fiber
material in order to make it incredibly thin and light, yet durable,
commented Lu Yan, senior vice president, Think Product Group, Lenovo.
"Our new ThinkPad laptop portfolio embodies much of the innovative
thinking exemplified in the X1 Carbon, such as a backlit keyboard,
super-bright high definition display, Dolby Home Theatre and rich
communications features that balance business performance with personal
use."
Lenovo says the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Ultrabook will be available
starting later this summer.
Link: ThinkPad X1
Carbon
Intel Developing New SSD Specs for Ultrabooks
DigiTimes' Josephine Lien and Joseph Tsai report that Intel is
working on a unified specification for mSATA SSDs targeted at ultrabook
applications, seeking cooperation with PC vendors and NAND flash
companies, and that details will likely be finalized in September,
according to sources at memory makers.
Lien and Tsai say the new SSD specification is expected to be fully
adopted into ultrabooks in 2013, but whether or not it becomes a
standard specification for traditional PC notebooks will depend on
brand vendors' attitudes about follow-up issues such as leftover
inventories of old, noncompliant components.
DigiTimes' sources reportedly say Intel wishes to unify mSATA SSD
specifications into one single standard, with most PC brand vendors and
NAND flash makers, such as Micron, SanDisk, and Samsung, participating
in the discussion, and that one reason why Intel is aggressively
pushing the NGFF SSD standard is that current mSATA SSD specifications
impose limitations on the number of NAND flash chips that can be used
(4-5 maximum), so in order to facilitate SSDs with more than 512 GB of
storage capacity, adopting the NGFF standard, which allows NAND chips
on both sides of the PCB, thus relieving that limitation, is
necessary.
Link: Intel Developing
New SSD Specs for Ultrabooks (subscription required)
More Ultrathin Hybrid Drives on the Way for
Super-slim Ultrabooks
The Register's Chris Mellor reports that in analyst briefings by WD
CEO John Coyne and CFO Wolfgang Nickl revealed that WD is developing
thin and ultrathin hybrid hard drives for the PC Ultrabooks market with
a likely transition to energy-assisted recording in 2015 enabling
1 TB 2.5" platters.
Mellor notes that current Ultrabooks are 21mm and 18mm thick, but
Intel wants to slim them down even more to achieve 15mm - and
eventually 12mm thickness. That's easier to do with the SSD flash
storage Apple uses in its MacBook Air and Retina MacBook Pro models,
but all-flash is an expensive way to go, and with limited capacity
compared to hard drive and hybrid solutions. Pure conventional hard
drives offer cheaper capacity but are slow. However, hybrid disk
drives, combining a hard drive with a flash cache, can service 90% of
reads from flash memory and thereby offer the near instant-on
performance advantage of flash and still provide expansive capacity at
reasonable prices.
Only Seagate ships hybrid drives at the moment.
Mellor says Seagate and WD are both reportedly working on 5mm thick
hybrid drives and the WD investment analyst briefing round confirms
that WD is with a 7mm hybrid single platter 2.5" hard drive coming in
late 2012/2013 that will be suitable for 15mm Ultrabooks, and a 5mm
hybrid that could come in mid-2013 or the second half of the year and
that would facilitate 12mm Ultrabooks.
Capacities? 500 GB now, with a 1 TB platter coming possibly in
2015.
Link: Race to Super-Slim
Ultrabooks: More Ultra-Thin Hybrid Drives on Way
Products & Services
SLAPPA Kampus Lightweight Duffle Laptop Backpacks
Back-to-School Sale
PR: Hot on the
heels of being awarded "Best Laptop Bag Brand" by About.com, SLAPPA
introduces its new Kampus duffle style laptop backpacks. Kampus is a
lightweight, rugged and protective backpack that offers tons of open
storage space (great for books or clothes) and a super-cush padded
dedicated laptop compartment. Think of a camping style backpack with a
dedicated laptop section, and that's the Kampus - great for the college
student, gamers and DJs.
Able to fit a laptop +
lots of books, gym clothes, cords and mixers, the Kampus laptop bags
are versatile, roomy and good looking! The "flip-top" cover and
drawstring cinch string makes it easy to access the inner bag. The
laptop section features .25" of super-cush padding and two hard plastic
underbelly runners provide additional protection for your laptop. On
the outside of the backpack are 5 large, seamless storage pockets ideal
for tons of small gadgets and accessories including phones, GPS, Serato
Box, phone chargers, pens, money, keys, passport, boarding passes and
bottled water.
Features
- Ripstop parachute ribbed poly material; light and strong
- Dedicated .25" super-cush padded laptop compartment (16" and 18"
(add $10) sizes available)
- Cavernous 3.5 gallon duffle style main compartment
- Two hard-plastic underbelly strips for additional protection
- Super-cush padded shoulder straps with belly strap
All of SLAPPA products come with a 365-day warranty that provides
the customer with repair or replacement of defective products. SLAPPA
was voted the "Best Laptop Bag Brand" in the 2011 About.com Readers
Choice Awards.
MSRP: $79.99
Regular Price: $71.99
Back To School Sale Price: $61.19 - Enter Promo Code BTS15
Sale Ends Aug. 31
Link:
Kampus Backpack
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