New MacBook Pro to feature removable battery and hard drive, according to latest leaked shots

It took a little while to come back around to them specifically, but if these pictures are any indication, Apple Insider's MacBook leak way back in July had a pretty good grasp on things to come -- even if it was frustratingly premature. New shots depicting the bottom of the new purported 15-inch MacBook Pro have surfaced on Chinese forum MacHome. The source confirms both a removable battery and a swappable hard drive for the upcoming laptop, with the whole bottom rear of the device lifting off to remove the goodies in store. Not not like this little tidbit is changing any opinions on the laptops due to be announced by Steve in a couple of hours, but hopefully it can serve as a filling, not fattening, snack to get you through to the keynote.

[Thanks, Chris]

[alan @ Oct 14th 2008 9:46AM]

Looks good

[Saad Rabia @ Oct 14th 2008 10:12AM]

Looks like a Macbook Pro that has a detachable screen that converts the keyboard into a wireless one. It even has a small part to put the screen straight on top of a surface!

[BorgKing @ Oct 14th 2008 10:33AM]

Looks to me like the larger of the two base pieces is at the back, and the smaller removable part is at the front of the case. The larger piece has the cutout for the screen hinge.

Not too sure what the piece in the last picture might be for. Could this cover be under the small removable section, covering the hard drive?

[Homer @ Oct 14th 2008 11:26AM]

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[skant @ Oct 14th 2008 11:52AM]

This is more than just good, it is just revolutionary...wow a laptop that you can remove the battery and the haddrive. Steve is just brilliant.

[BigD145 @ Oct 14th 2008 12:18PM]

That's a lot of connections to potentially break.

[jon @ Oct 14th 2008 1:03PM]

Why would you put your email on something this public??... bots love that shit

[Matt @ Oct 14th 2008 9:46AM]

All these leaks are just spoiling the surprise of the event...

[Chris @ Oct 14th 2008 9:54AM]

"We've invented removable batteries... *crowd cheers*"

Then you come back to Engadget 20 minutes later and see all the comments claiming every other laptop manufacturer copied Apple.

[Michael @ Oct 14th 2008 10:02AM]

Amen Matt... amen. I don't want to hear anything else!

[Lamp @ Oct 14th 2008 10:01AM]

the pros have had removable batteries since they were first introduced.

the removable harddrive, however, is new, and definitely welcome.

[purezerg @ Oct 14th 2008 10:59AM]

not sure about you guys, but my HP laptop has got removable DVD, removable HDD, removable KB, removable touchpad and removable batteries. note that i can remove them without a screw driver. HP business class laptops have been like that for the past few years.

as for single press sheet metal. HP has done that with blackbird. so nothing new here.

what would be interesting is if Mac uses the metal case as some form of heat sink. HP has only gone as far as using the metal sheet at the bottom of the keyboard as a secondary heatsink.

[Mark Anderson @ Oct 14th 2008 11:01AM]

But hey, they might have a touchpad that you can use as a button!

You know, sort of like Synaptic have had for years.

[Nux @ Oct 14th 2008 11:05AM]

Really, doesn't one of the alienware laptops have one?

"Increased Storage Options With Smart Bay

When additional hard drive space is crucial, a 500GB swappable Smart Bay drive brings the system’s total capacity to 1.5TB. Use multiple Smart Bay drives to assign dedicated drives for movies, photos, music or anything else you choose. Smart Bay’s hot-swappable design makes switching drives a snap and, unlike external hard drives, Smart Bay doesn't monopolize a USB port or require an outside power source."

What did mac invent (in these last years)? Spaces? Time Machine? Come on, all these things already existed! I prefer Macs to Windows, but please, don't exagerate

[Mark Anderson @ Oct 14th 2008 11:10AM]

Why yes, it's sure to be as exciting as the 'Let's Rock' event.

Which was like watching paint dry.

[Jon @ Oct 14th 2008 9:46AM]

Looks pretty cool. It's about time Apple got on board with the removable battery and hard drive. I replaced my MacBook Pro hard drive myself, and it was not a pretty picture...

[enclav3d @ Oct 14th 2008 10:26AM]

"It's about time Apple got on board with the removable battery"

That's laughable. I don't know about you, but my four year old Powerbook has a removable battery. Oh and the Powerbook 100, which came out in 91 or so had removable batteries. Technically.

http://www.academ.com/info/macintosh/pbook.shtml

[Chris @ Oct 14th 2008 10:31AM]

I think Jon was referring to an easier to replace battery, because the OEMs for MacBook Pros are really pricey. Also, I agree with him completely about the whole hard drive thing. You have to take apart the computer to replace it.

[Kiwi616 @ Oct 14th 2008 9:47AM]

Can't wait for the keynote....these leaks are getting better and better.

[Raymond @ Oct 14th 2008 9:47AM]

Now they can continue to sell in EU Countries :-)

[Niks @ Oct 14th 2008 10:00AM]

haha yes

[Nouman @ Oct 14th 2008 9:48AM]

I guess applechina took these, though I can't be certain.

[farfisa @ Oct 14th 2008 9:52AM]

You may be right. If I squint really hard, I can sort of make out the words "applechina," like they put some kind of clue in there for us to find. Slick!

[jwm1314 @ Oct 14th 2008 8:45PM]

must... email... [e-mail]...

[BorgKing @ Oct 14th 2008 10:26AM]

I think Mr. AppleChina was born in 1988 too.

[Backlin @ Oct 14th 2008 10:27AM]

I wonder how many e-mails these guys are getting?

[macfly @ Oct 14th 2008 10:51AM]

Guess it's too late for a COD email from [e-mail] :-)

[Erb @ Oct 14th 2008 9:48AM]

Finally...

[Hey Ya @ Oct 14th 2008 9:49AM]

It's about time the Pro machines caught up with the consumer models, on this front.

[pheer6224 @ Oct 14th 2008 1:56PM]

Then where were the consumer models in the first place?

[Jash Sayani @ Oct 14th 2008 9:51AM]

Yeah, the new law states that all electronics should have removable batteries and they also help in Re-cycling.... Apple says, need a battery-replacement? Upgrade your device!!

Maybe, Apple is learning now... The new iPhone CDMA will have removable batteries too!!

[Vanillacide @ Oct 14th 2008 9:57AM]

iPhone CDMA? Dream on ... who in the world uses Qualcomm's format, apart from a couple of US MNOs?

[Jason @ Oct 14th 2008 10:07AM]

CDMA iPhone?

Why go backward?

LTE is next.

[Lightsource Media @ Oct 14th 2008 9:51AM]

The MacBook Pro has always had a removeable battery...

[Magallanes @ Oct 14th 2008 10:01AM]

... and memory, i upgrade my mbp up to 4gb.

[ZaxCG2 @ Oct 14th 2008 9:52AM]

This means easy repairs, yes? I'd be nice to just get sent a working harddrive/battery under warranty if one or both breaks.

[somedude @ Oct 14th 2008 9:52AM]

'bout god damned time

[Mike @ Oct 14th 2008 9:53AM]

So what happens if you email [e-mail]?
And did previous mac notebooks really not have removable batteries and swappable hard drives? How quaint.

[Phil Perman @ Oct 14th 2008 9:55AM]

Pretty sad that removable batteries and hard drives count as a feature. Thats been standard on most laptops for years

[wayne @ Oct 14th 2008 9:57AM]

If this is the $800 version, then I might finally consider buying a Mac for my next laptop. I am very interested in a touch screen for a touch pad.

[Niks @ Oct 14th 2008 10:02AM]

Dream on pal!!!

[Eddie @ Oct 14th 2008 10:12AM]

That looks like the 15 inch. Expect to pay $2000 or more.

[Bill @ Oct 14th 2008 9:58AM]

Is this right? I mean if you look at the pic, it appears that the big panel will be screwed down, and just the little panel (the top one) will be removable. The latch is on the big panel, so kinda confusing.

Also, I don't think apple would make the hard drive readily accessible just like the battery.

[Derek @ Oct 14th 2008 10:09AM]

That's how I see it - the small portion at the front of the MBP will be the part that comes off. Not to mention that the battery is perfectly sized to fit in such a compartment along with a 2.5" HDD...

[tinker23 @ Oct 14th 2008 9:59AM]

Nobody noticed these edges look more tapered than before, almost Air-like?

[Aleks @ Oct 14th 2008 10:45AM]

Yeah, edges are a little more tapered, but not as much as the Air. Finally the plastic grey bordering is gone from the pro case :) and the ugly latch, and the ugly screws, and thank god the anti-slip pads are black and not grey (which end up going green).

Hopefully they release an external blu-ray drive and have an option for a macbook pro without a drive but with a toaster instead. or a paper shredder.

the glass trackpad is clearly going to be 'matte' and not shiny like the iphone.. (so yay! no fingerprints). its so that there is no bald spot and so that when clicked, its firm enough for the whole pad to sink slightly. Daring Fireball says it works so much better than it sounds. There will be no screen under it.

I like it.

[Wolfticket @ Oct 14th 2008 10:05AM]

I would have blanked out all the email addresses before posting.
Also, one has to wonder whether (assuming these leaks a accurate) if Apple will have the cheek to market a removable battery and upgradable hard drive as a selling point.

[schmody @ Oct 14th 2008 10:05AM]

unless I'm mistaken, the Macbook air was the 1st to NOT have a removable Battery??

[johnnyboy @ Oct 14th 2008 10:09AM]

so is the HDTV rumor dead by now?

[MIDI_EVIL @ Oct 14th 2008 10:09AM]

Apple's laptops have had removable batteries for years... but the hard-drives weren't 'user upgradeable' on the MacBook Pro, but were on the MacBook