Teardown -- Engadget

teardown posts

27-inch iMac torn into tiny bits for the greater good

by Tim Stevens posted Oct 22nd 2009 at 7:26AM

You've seen the outside of what the new iMacs look like, but do you know what's inside them? If you guessed "lots of tiny components," you win! The folks at iFixit are always on the bleeding edge when it comes to taking big things and turning them into series of smaller things, and they don't disappoint us here. No real surprises, just a few notes, like the external display won't be able to be powered without the integral one being on as well, that the lack of a Blu-ray drive is described as a "bag of hurt," and that "the SuperDrive just doesn't seem so super anymore." Like we said, no surprises, but lots of fun pics.

Magic Mouse post-teardown loses some of its dark arts charm

by Ross Miller posted Oct 22nd 2009 at 12:43AM

Were you expecting unicorn tears or something? iFixit keeps working to finish its list of teardown to-dos, this time with Apple's new Magic Mouse. It probably comes as no surprise, but just under the top surfaces lies a considerable number of capacitive sensors, and other than that, there really isn't a lot to gaze upon. Then again, if you tend to fancy the ins and outs if gears and gizmos, this should be right up your alley.

MacBook strips off its polycarbonate unibody shell for the expected teardown

by Ross Miller posted Oct 20th 2009 at 6:34PM

That thumbs up means exactly what you think, and just like all the other new MacBook (Pro) models, that "non-removable" battery in the new polycarbonate unibody MacBook is more of a guideline than an actual set of rules. iFixit's currently doing its traditional teardown process -- so far, other than the battery and hard drive swapping places, the internal geography looks about like its predecessor. Letting your eyes venture into forbidden territories is just a mouse click away at the read link below.

VAIO X spotted in champagne, propped up by extended battery, ripped apart

by Paul Miller posted Oct 7th 2009 at 7:56PM

While the price might be the most notable -- and welcome -- aspect of Sony's VAIO X showing tonight, we were also privy to our first look of the laptop in champagne, the incredibly odd extended battery, which actually creates a bit of a gap between itself and the rear of the laptop, and even Sony's own little teardown of the components. We'd be a bit more grumpy about that big "14 hour" wedge, given that the regular battery only gets about 3 hours of quoted battery life, but since Sony is selling the laptop with both of them in the box, we can't complain too much.

Gallery: VAIO X spotted in champagne

Gallery: Sony VAIO X press shots

Nikon Coolpix S1000pj torn asunder, L-shaped projector module examined

by Laura June posted Oct 7th 2009 at 4:08AM

ifixit's gotten ahold of Nikon's new camera - projector hybrid, the Coolpix S1000pj, and done what they do... meaning they've ripped it apart. Okay, they slowly and carefully disassembled it while painstakingly photographing the proceedings. Most interesting to us, of course, is the Nikon developed, L-shaped projector we just heard about that makes the whole set up possible, and we have to say that the internal layout of the S1000pj is terribly impressive to behold. There's another shot (and video!) after the break -- but hit the read link for the entire, time consuming project in all its tedious glory!

Continue reading Nikon Coolpix S1000pj torn asunder, L-shaped projector module examined

Video: PSP Go torn down, owners counseled on warranty violation

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Sep 28th 2009 at 11:49AM

Sure, most of you are interested in the playability and durability of your gaming devices -- that's why we do our extensive, award-winning reviews (for instance, our latest PSP Go review is quite a page-turner). But sometimes you just want to rip into a device and see the chips and the solder -- that's why we're grateful that the kids at iFixit have provided us with a complete tear-down guide, featuring step-by-step instructions and plenty of pretty pictures. Apparently, the Go owes its diminutive size to the fact that it eschews an internal metal framework altogether (instead relying on the external plastic shell to provide structural integrity). But don't take our word for it! Check out the full video below -- it's basically Hostel with a handheld gaming device.

Continue reading Video: PSP Go torn down, owners counseled on warranty violation

Mac Portable gets a 20th anniversary vivisection

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Sep 22nd 2009 at 8:57AM

In September 1989, Apple made its first stab at a portable Macintosh computer. The name? "Macintosh Portable." Kind of has a ring to it, huh? This 16 pound behemoth packs a 10-inch (640 x 400) monochrome display, 16MHz Motorola CPU, 1MB RAM, 40MB HDD, 3.5-inch floppy drive, and a 2400 baud modem into a handsome clamshell design that features (and this is our favorite part) a modular design that allowed the user to position the trackball on either end of the keyboard. Lefties of the world unite! Originally yours for $6,500 - $7,300 (that's $11,288 - $12,677 when adjusted for inflation), but we're guessing you can find someone on eBay (or at Goodwill) to cut you a deal on one at this late date. Hit the read link to celebrate this momentous anniversary in the manner of a true gadget-head: by watching someone gut the thing and take pictures of it. You'll be glad you did.

Microsoft's Zune HD already cracked open and photographed (updated)

by Darren Murph posted Sep 15th 2009 at 8:52AM

Considering that even now only a swath of Zune HD owners are able to update their software in order to -- you know -- have a working device, we can understand Anything But iPod's eagerness to stop trying and just crack open Microsoft's newest entrant into the portable media player market. Without getting too gushy, we can definitively say that the innards look just as sexy as the exterior, but unfortunately the make and model of the internal WiFi chip (amongst other things) remains a mystery. Hit the read link for a nice gallery of closeups, but be sure and shield your screen from any lingering cube passers.

Update: iFixit just went live with their teardown as well!

Update 2: The iFixit teardown is complete. While there aren't any 802.11n WiFi or vacant camera-space surprises like those found inside Apple's iPod touch, the Zune HD doesn't need any to pique our interest. What you will find photographed in exquisite detail is the NVIDIA Tegra SoC, SiPORT HD Radio module, Toshiba-sourced flash NAND, a 2.45Wh battery, Wolfson MIcro WM8352 audio subsystem, and Foxconn logo confirming its manufacturing origin. There's also a "for our princess" inscription meant as a tribute to a Zune team member who passed away during development. Check the gallery for a tease or head over to iFixit to get knee-deep in it.

Gallery: Microsoft's Zune HD already cracked open and photographed

3rd gen iPod touch gets torn down, 802.11n and possible camera slot found

by Darren Murph posted Sep 11th 2009 at 5:49PM

There's no denying that Apple let the entire world (yes, even the native Easter Islanders) down by not shoving a camera of some sort into its iPod touch, but if a delicate teardown completed by the screwdriver-wielding fiends over at iFixit is any indication, a seasoned modder could certainly add one. A 6- x 6- x 3-millimeter space was spotted between a Broadcom chip and the wireless antenna, which is reportedly not enough room for an iPhone-esque sensor, but just enough space for the video camera module found in the 5G iPod nano. In potentially more interesting news, the aforesaid Broadcom BCM4329 chip actually supports 802.11n. For the nerds in attendance, you'll recognize that even the iPhone 3GS can't handle those high-speed airwaves. Furthermore, the chip supports FM transmission, so at least theoretically, the device could stream tunes to your old school stereo through an open FM station. Eager for more? Tap that read link, buster.

iPod nano 5G gets a teardown

by Nilay Patel posted Sep 10th 2009 at 12:54PM

Dying to know what that tiny VGA video sensor in the new iPod nano looks like? As usual, the folks at iFixit have it covered -- hit the read link to follow along with all the gory action as it proceeds. (Seriously, they're posting the teardown pictures live as they do it.)

Update: It's all over, and the findings are interesting, if not too shocking: the 8GB of flash is from Toshiba, the processor is an Apple-branded ARM unit manufactured by Samsung, and the camera's VGA resolution is probably explained by its 3mm thickness -- the iPhone 3G's camera is 6mm, and the nano is only 6.2mm thick at its fattest.

SanDisk Sansa Clip+ gets torn down, presumably built back up again

by Vladislav Savov posted Sep 3rd 2009 at 10:25AM

No need to twist our arm to get a confession: we absolutely enjoy seeing ultra-complex hardware getting dissected bit by bit. But sometimes -- particularly on cold and unwelcoming mornings with no coffee in the cupboard -- we prefer to keep things simple by just cracking open a shockingly rudimentary MP3 player. The spartan Sansa Clip+, which you may know as the Sansa Clip plus a microSD slot, turned out to be a doddle to undress, and its insides were about as uncomplicated as they come. Two SanDisk chips dominate the miniature motherboard, and the fabled marathon-running battery also makes an appearance. If you're not 1) disgusted or 2) confounded by the details we just discussed, you owe it to yourself to check out all the bare naked circuitry in the read link.

[Thanks, Yuki]

PS3 Slim gets torn asunder

by Ross Miller posted Aug 25th 2009 at 7:40PM

If you're wanting some quality analysis of what's under the PlayStation 3 Slim's hood, you're still gonna have to wait for that. However, if you're the sort that just needs to see hardware broken down into as many simple pieces as possible, boy have we got some pictures for you.

Update: The results are in and well, there isn't a lot of excitement to show for it except for maybe the large 17-blade fan that stretches 95mm in diameter. There's also a video slideshow of the process, seen after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Read - Tech Powerup forum
Read - iFixit teardown
Read - Rapid Repair teardown

Continue reading PS3 Slim gets torn asunder

Video: ASUS Eee Keyboard gutted, soldering secrets revealed

by Thomas Ricker posted Jul 8th 2009 at 7:25AM

Oh the carnage! A prototype ASUS Eee Keyboard made a wrong turn at Albuquerque only to end up gutted in a French orgy of gadget terrorism. Nine screw removals later and we see the stand-alone PC with its 5-inch, 800 x 480 pixel touchscreen splayed, 1.66GHz Atom N280 processor and all. Unfortunately, easy access does not mean easy upgrades as the RAM is soldered to the motherboard. Other notables are the Silicon Image HDMI transmitter that allows 1080p playback over HDMI and 1880mAh battery that should provide an estimated 1 hour and 40 minutes of use before hitting the mains. Blogeenet also has a pretty thorough video overview of ASUS' customized UI running on XP; after the break, son.

Continue reading Video: ASUS Eee Keyboard gutted, soldering secrets revealed

iPhone 3GS: $179 to build says iSuppli

by Laura June posted Jun 24th 2009 at 3:20PM

iSuppli's just released its estimated cost of Apple's newest offering, the iPhone 3GS. Total costs for the 16GB model costs $178.96 to manufacture, according to them -- give or take $4.63 more than the 8GB iPhone 3G estimate from last year. It's also about $40 more than iSuppli's most recent manufacturing estimate for the Palm Pre. The estimate covers only materials, and doesn't take into account various costs such as shipping and distribution, packaging, royalty fees or all the miscellaneous accessories included with each handset. Regardless, it definitely looks like Apple's managed to step up the innards of the phone without a significant bump in costs.

iPhone 3GS gets the quick and dirty tear apart treatment, already (update: could do 833MHz and 720p video)

by Ross Miller posted Jun 19th 2009 at 4:04AM

Well that was fast. Orange Boutique in Paris, France did a midnight release of the iPhone 3G S, and the gang at Rapid Repair were there to pick one up and subsequently rip their new toy to shreds. There isn't much here in terms of analysis of parts yet, it's more so just a quick and dirty job to get it out to the world, but hey, if you're into watching someone rip apart brand new, expensive gadgetry, we've got just the gallery for you.

Update: They've identified the chipset as the SoC S5PC100 from Samsung and thus confirm an ARM Cortex A8 running at 600 MHz (operates at up to 833MHz though) and the ability to record 720p video and handle real-time video conferencing should Apple choose to go in that direction (iPhone 3G S records VGA only). PowerVR SGX graphics and 256MB of RAM too as expected. S5PC100 block diagram after the break.

Read -- S5PC100 [warning: PDF]
Read -- RapidRepair Teardown

Continue reading iPhone 3GS gets the quick and dirty tear apart treatment, already (update: could do 833MHz and 720p video)