dissected
Latest
Apple's gigabit / non-gigabit AirPort Extreme base stations compared
Considering that Apple has been known to release products without all the features, um, enabled out of the box, it seemed fair to question the (now previous) AirPort Extreme's inability to handle gigabit speeds. Apparently unable to shun curiosity, the investigatory folks over at ComputerWiz decided to break open both the gigabit and non-gigabit editions of the AirPort Extreme, and unfortunately for those hoping that their older iteration could be upgraded with a simple firmware patch, that doesn't look to be the case. After closer inspection, the non-gigabit model packed a Broadcom BCM5325 chip, which only contains "five full-duplex 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX Fast Ethernet transceivers," while the newest AE possesses a Broadcom BCM5395, which of course understands gigabit requirements just fine. Ah well, at least you can stop wishin', eh?
Nokia E61i dissected
We knew it would only be a matter of time before a Symbian fanatic would be brave enough to dissect one of Nokia's newest additions to the line-up, the E61i. Each picture shows the dismembering of the QWERTY device piece by piece. If you have a weak stomach or can't stand the sight of unprotected hardware, tread lightly. If not, be brave and check out the additional pics or even try it yourself and let us know how it goes.
SanDisk Sansa Connect gets dissected
While most of the Sansa Connect coverage has treated the little fellow fairly well up until this point, we knew it was only a matter of time before someone got their hands dirty and cracked it open. Sure enough, the unashamed folks at AnythingButiPod had no qualms peeling back the plastic and taking a look inside, as SanDisk's portable WiFi audio player was carefully returned to a state it once found itself in on the manufacturing line. So for those of you whose eyes light up at the mere sight of PCB, click on through for a few more snaps, and then hit the read link when you're ready for more.
Microsoft's Xbox 360 Elite gets unboxed and uncased
What once was special has apparently lost its exclusivity, as not only did Target completely ignore the April 29th street date set for the Xbox 360 Elite, but now we're seeing that a Wally World in Minneapolis (among others) has followed suit. As these things always go, an avid gamer with a hand at photography has done the honors of unboxing and uncasing the new updated console, but we've got to give props for going the extra mile and offering up a comparison shot between the new and old motherboards. Additionally, he pointed out that a Hitachi GDR-3120L FK78 DVD drive and Fujitsu MHW2120BH 120GB HDD were the new weapons of choice, and while he couldn't quite determine if Microsoft had snuck a 65-nanometer CPU core in there, we do know that Microsoft has updated the legacy compatibility list for the first time since December, giving you dozens of new titles to drown your sorrows in. Go ahead, indulge yourself.[Thanks, l3ftonm3]
Drobo unboxed and dissected in one fell swoop
Just when you thought we couldn't geek out anymore about Data Robotic's new Drobo "intelligent" storage array, along comes tipster Ben with a snazzy photoset complete with unboxing shots and scandalous pics of the internals. Apparently Data Robotics was selling 'em at a "lemonade stand" outside the company HQ in Mountain View, CA for $200 off the rather pricey $700 sticker price, and Ben just couldn't pass up the opportunity to buy one and rip in. Any unconfirmed reports of Engadget editors patrolling the streets of Mountain View tomorrow in search of such "lemonade stands" will most likely be baseless and unfounded.[Thanks, Ben L]
Europe's PlayStation 3 motherboard on display
Typically, we don't single out just one aspect of an entire console or gizmo, as it's always a beautiful sight to see a perfectly assembled console do its thang in reverse, but Sony's European PlayStation 3 is a different animal. If you'll recall, the American PS3 features a neatly attached PS2 chipset to make sure that backwards compatibility was all but a minor issue, but even after countless delays and a staggeringly high price point, Europe's unit was hamstringed still. While we'd heard that the late-coming PS3 would sport limited abilities in the PS2 department, it still made us cringe when those whispers were proved true, and now its time to witness just how bare this motherboard looks as it uses emulation to crank up a few (literally) PS2 titles. Grab your tissues, and click on through for a few more shots.[Via PS3Scene]
Cowon iAudio D2 gets delicately dissected
It's a borderline travesty that Cowon's iAudio D2 isn't readily available in North America, as this cute little PMP sports the company's highly-touted sound quality and a display that got rave reviews, but just in case your love affair with foreign DAPs doesn't run deep enough to import one of your own, AnythingButiPod is giving you a taste of ownership anyway. Just like the myriad of devices that have come before, the iAudio D2 is getting dissected for nothing more than pure viewing pleasure, but unlike some attempts we've seen, this one looks to be well-planned and executed with precision. Sure, you might say that you'd never rip open your hard-to-acquire media player once you finally captured it, but that's why someone else has already done the dirty work for you. You know what to do, the read link awaits.
Nokia's N800 dissected: look at all the pretty innards!
We've seen plenty of nekkid gadgets in our day, most of which reveal nothing more than the particular warranty-scoffing recklessness of the user that busts open his or her unit for the joy of sharing with others. Nokia's 770 was a notable exception, with hackers discovering an undocumented microphone that turned out to be quite the boon to VoIP junkies. There are no such surprises in this N800 dissection by ThoughtFix, but we're still pretty impressed by how sexy Nokia bothered with making this thing look on the inside. Check out the disassembly on video after the break, or hit up the read link for some snazzy pics.
MOTOFONE loses all sense of decency and gets naked
The unboxing and dissecting of gadgets has become so commonplace that we're almost amazed when new and noteworthy devices aren't taken apart and photographed in the nude for all of the tech world to see. Today, Motorola's MOTOFONE joins such greats as the 2G iPod Nano and iRiver Clix, as it becomes our latest inductee into the illustrious "Hall of Splayed." So, if the images of internal components and bare circuit boards are your cup of tea, check out the Flickr gallery of gadget faithful John P., where he puts everything the MOTOFONE has to offer out in the open.[Thanks, John P.]
Xbox, Xbox 360 taken to console heaven by water jet cutter
While there's no shortage of interesting ways to dissect (or completely obliterate) your favorite gizmo, this one came straight out of left field but still manages to impress. If you've never been around a pressure washer and had vivid thoughts of cutting up your precious Microsoft console with it, you're probably in the (vast) majority, but the zany folks over at Waterjets fulfilled their own fantasies. Offered a bunch of malfunctioning Xbox and Xbox 360 consoles, they put their laser water cutting skills to the test by making an "X" out of an original Xbox, carving out Xbox logos from the circuit boards, and creating a hole in the middle of an Xbox 360. Sure, the utility here is questionable, and the methods are most certainly unorthodox, but we can't deny the wow-factor. So if you're interested in seeing just what else happens when that oh-so-powerful jet gets fired up, be sure to hit the read link for the full rundown of slicing and dicing.[Via MAKE]
Nintendo's Wiimote gets dissected, inspected
While the console launch frenzy has given us some exciting innards to look at lately, it's good to see someone finally take a big step away from that potentially hazardous (and sued) Wiimote, pick up a screwdriver, and delve right in. Similar to the precise movements that splayed the Wii itself, these folks used utmost caution (and a fairly nice digicam, too) when dissecting their brand new Wiimote. Beneath the casing was the IR sensor, capacitors, a Broadcom BCM2042 Bluetooth chip, vibration motor, LEDs, accelerometer, EEPROM, and a myriad of other random forms of circuitry. Interestingly enough, the kids behind the scenes got a little carried away and found that the "EEPROM contained all the constants like Bluetooth ID, firmware revision, etc.," while the Wiimote "functionality was burned into the Broadcom" chip itself. So if cramming a SIXAXIS controller into a model airplane is too amateur for you, crack open that Wiimote (before it does the same to you) and get to hacking.[Thanks, Kevin]
Nintendo's Wii: opened up the easy way, and the hard way
While a few zany folks preferred to mindlessly operate on a PlayStation 3 without any tact whatsoever, the steady-handed folks over at Popular Science went by the books when they gingerly took apart Nintendo's latest. But alas, not everyone is so gentle (or considerate) when it comes to enjoying new toys, and the folks over at SmashMyWii shaved a few minutes off their uncasing time by going at it with a large foreign object instead of a minuscule screwdriver. We're reserving comment on which method we prefer most, but we do applaud both the tender care and rage expressed in each unique scenario. Nevertheless, snagging a Wii should've been slightly (and slightly we stress) easier than dodging bullets or quitting your job in order to (hopefully) get a PS3, but we're sure there's still quite a few of us sitting home empty handed -- so if you're craving an inside look at the Wii which you don't yet have (or don't want to dissect yourself), be sure to hit the read link for some well-captured Wii pr0n, and peek after the break for the painfully humorous slaughtering.Read - Popular Science performs a cautious WiisectomyRead - SmashMyWii obliterates Nintendo's Wii
Toshiba Gigabeat S exposed!
Congratulations Toshiba, not only has your new Gigabeat S been well received by the press and spoken of with reverence in the halls of Engadget, but now it's been ushered into the elite realm of "interesting enough to post pictures of its dissection." Anything But iPod did the honors here, and while they found the battery to be easily replaceable, they don't really recommend going to the same lengths they did to check out the processor and the rest. Luckily you can live vicariously and peep these nudie pics from the comfort of your own home.
iRiver Clix Dissected
We know the iRiver Clix DAP has its fair share of fans, so they may want to look away for this one, as the fearless folks at Anything But iPod rip into their precious device to see what makes it tick. And if you want to see for yourself, they've provided some clear step-by-step directions so you can disassemble your own with nothing more than a Swiss Army knife and a couple of screw drivers. Although judging by the number of times they use the word "pry" or "prying", anyone wanting to keep their Clix looking like new (or keep their warranty) will probably want to steer clear. They also took apart the seemingly identical iRiver U10, finding that the Clix does in fact use a faster processor than the U10, which accounts for the increased responsiveness of the UI.
MacBook innards exposed!
These days you're not a real gadget unless somebody splays you across their workbench for all the world to see. Apple products are especially privy to such treatment, and the MacBook is proving no exception, going from announcement to dissection in roughly 24 hours. The dissasembler over at Kodawarisan responsible for this was quite thorough, and along the way displays a couple of the niceities of the MacBook. First off, the RAM slots are quite convenient. You just remove the screws from the memory door and you have access to the two slots, with little ejector tabs to help you with your efforts. Replacing the hard drive is just as easy (pictured bottom left), which means you can finally replace your own drive without voiding the warranty. Perpendicular storage here we come![Via Tuaw, Zatz Not Funny]
