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iFixit opens up the iPhone 4
As expected, the tool-minded folks at iFixit have torn down an iPhone 4 and posted its inner workings for all to see. There are plenty of juicy high-res photos and details here. The story of how they got their phone is even more interesting than what they found inside. Kyle was all set to hop a flight to Japan and wait in line at the Ginza Apple Store when pre-ordered iPhones started arriving early, saving him the trip. He and the rest of the team got right to work. First of all, let us give kudos to the iFixit team for a set of very well-done photos. I'd love to get a look at their studio setup some day. Highlights of the teardown include how easily accessible the battery is. By removing the two bottom screws, iFixit notes, the rear glass pops right off revealing the battery. It's not soldered into place and very easy to remove.
iFixit breaks down the new Mac mini
The folks at iFixit have carefully taken apart a mid-2010 Mac mini and documented the process for all to see. This new case is a lot thinner and fatter than its predecessor. The whole thing is machined from a single block of aluminum and impressive-looking. The most striking change to anyone who's opened a previous-generation mini is the screw-off bottom. With a simple counter-clockwise twist, you've got access to the RAM bay and fan. No more putty knife. Well done, Apple! Apple's designers got creative with this machine in a number of ways. The unibody construction required the two antennas to be carefully placed next to the logic board. Also, the fan has a very high number of blades so it can push a maximum amount of air. The fan's screws are isolated with rubber dampers to keep noise to a minimum. Getting at the hard drive (iFixit's unit only had one) is an ordeal. Expect to remove just about every other part before gaining access. And I thought the white iBook was a pain to take apart. Meanwhile, the folks at Macminicolo have taken apart a dual-drive mini meant to be used as a server. That second drive is much easier to get at than that in the single-drive model. They also provided some nice side-by-side shots with a white plastic mini; the aluminum model is so much better looking it's not funny. The whole thing is three pounds, and macminicoloco says, "It feels less like a brick...and more like a laptop without a screen." Finally, Macworld kept their unit in one piece and did a point-by-point comparison to the Apple TV. Could the mini be the next-generation Apple TV in disguise? By comparing features like connections, physical media, content and price (a biggie, as the new mini is seven hundred bucks), Chris Breen fills in the details while letting the readers make final judgement. As for me, I'd love to swap my Apple TV for a sleek new mini.
iFixit tears down the updated Macbook
As usual, the folks at iFixit.com have taken apart a piece of Apple hardware. This time, it's the recently refreshed Macbook. This update wasn't significant, so most of the machine's innards are the same, with a few exceptions. First is a larger battery. Apple proudly notes that the MacBook will give users 10 hours of battery life. The feat is accomplished, in part, by a slightly larger and heavier battery. Despite having the same model number (A1331) as the battery found in the unibody MacBook that was refreshed last October, the current one is 7.5 grams heavier and provides an extra 350 mAh of power. In fact, it's the same 63.5 watt-hour battery as the 13" MacBook Pro. Also new in this machine is audio and video out via the Mini DisplayPort, which is a small but very welcome change. We enjoy the iFixit teardowns, but always wonder...who puts it back together? [Via AppleInsider]
iFixit dismantles new iMac
As usual, our friends at iFixit have taken apart the latest hardware from Apple. Inside the new 20" iMac, they found that the machine's innards live behind the display, which must first be removed (this isn't new, but a lot less convenient than the G5s with their removable rear panel).Notable is that the AU Optronics M302EW02 display isn't LED backlit, but has a CCFL backlight (four of them in fact, each run by its own high-voltage AC power). Also, the crew had to remove 22 screws before getting at the 12.7mm SATA 8x double-layer SuperDrive, which features a screw-free design. Go figure.Finally, they uncovered six temperature sensors, the largest resting above above the 2.66 GHz Core 2 Duo processor, of course.While my first inclination after receiving a brand new iMac certainly wouldn't be to take it apart, I'm glad that's just me. Thanks, iFixit![Via MacNN]
Eee PC 900 gets dissected, looks about the same as the Eee PC 700
Oh, poor Eee PC 900. You haven't even made it into most people's hands, and already you're getting dissected and inappropriately inspected. Honestly, we didn't mean for that to rhyme. Regardless, the folks over at bit-tech have gone to all the hassle of cracking the little dude open, though what they find inside is apparently more of the same. No new modules, no fancy layout changes, no tiny army of artificially intelligent lifeforms. Still, it's nice to look at. Take peek and see for yourself!
Zune 8 goes under the knife, bares all
We're actually kind of surprised it's taken this long for us to get a solid look at the guts of a new Zune 8, but we suppose it gets pretty distracting up in the social. Anyway, the fine folks at RapidRepair have done the honors, and there's not much hiding in there of note: the battery appears to be soldered in, and the Zune Pad appears to be sealed in and irreplaceable -- which is a shame, because we were anticipating some wicked squircle mods. Hit the read link for the rest of the gory pics.
Double iPod dissection: 3G nano, 6G classic go under the knife
You've seen the announcement, you've peeped the hands-on, and you've read the reviews -- but how well do you really know the new iPod nano and classic? Well, thanks to the folks at iFixit, you can get familiar with the little guys inside and out. That's right, the first official tear-downs (or take-aparts, depending on who you ask) have happened to Apple's latest and greatest, and the results are somewhat... um, nerdy. Upon unfastening the eight locking tabs on the nano, iFixit made note of an increase in the use of adhesive, particularly on the click-wheel, making replacement "difficult," as they put it. Additionally, it appears battery replacement will be harder because of its attachment to the logic board with three "though-hole" solder points. Switching over to the classic, the tinkerers find that there is a metal plate on the backside of the screen (for protection against breakage, they suspect), and they discover that the battery is exactly the same as the one used in the 30GB iPod video. Don't take our word for it, however, hit the link and check out all the gory details.
iPod nano/classic take-aparts
People love to dismantle their expensive, new toys for whatever reason (probably the same reason I took transistor radios apart as a kid - to see "how it works"). Today, AppleInsider is pointing to fully illustrated take-aparts at iFixit.com - one for the iPod nano, and one for the classic. They note that Apple abandoned the anodized aluminum enclosure of the former nano for the scratch-hungry gloss of the original. Also, Apple used lots of adhesive with the nano, which makes getting it back together difficult.As for the classic, it has metal enclosure tabs instead of the old plastic ones, making it harder to get apart.If you're still compelled to disassemble your iPod, iFixit has the how-to.
iMac take apart photos
While I don't feel compelled to disassemble brand new equipment, I will watch someone else do it. If you're like me, check out this photo set depicting the take-apart of an iMac. Note how the glass is removed, the blue board, the trio of fans...and the voided warranty.Enjoy your Thursday afternoon geek pr0n.[Via MacDailyNews]Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
Found Footage: Disassemble your iPhone for fun and profit
Maybe it's just because I'm a big geek, but there's something absolutely fascinating about watching the complicated process of disassembling an iPhone. PDAParts.com produced the above video to go with a forthcoming DIY screen repair kit for the iPhone. Nonetheless, it's just cool to see what it takes to get one apart, admiring Apple's engineering chops along the way. For those of you worried about the battery, it's also interesting to see what replacing it will take. According to the video it's soldered to the motherboard, so putting in a new one will be quite a bit tougher than on the iPod. Obviously opening your iPhone will void your warranty, so I'd say this is probably more one to watch than to do![via Infinite Loop]
Mighty Mouse take apart
I recently purchased a wireless Mighty Mouse. Several users have complained of a sticky roller ball, and I was concerned until I was shown this step-by-step, illustrated take-apart. You'll only need an X-acto knife, a tiny screwdriver and some patience to remove the ball, clean it off and reassemble your mouse. Perfect!I've bookmarked this one for future reference.Thanks, Grant!
iPhone Take Apart
As often happens with new and fantastic technology products with a lot of hype associated with them get released, someone immediately wants to take them apart to see what's inside. Such is the case at iFixit where they have begun the disassembly process on a new iPhone. So, if you're curious not only about what the device looks like on the outside, you can also get a peek underneath the shiny, candy-coated exterior as well and see the inside. However, if you happen to be a bit squeamish about photos of disassembled devices costing over six hundred bucks, you may not want to look.thanks for the tip kristen
MacBook DIY hard drive replacement from Apple
If you've got a MacBook with a cramped hard drive, and you're kind of handy, check out this official DIY manual from Apple. As someone who has changed the drives on beastly Nubus Macs and 1st generation iMacs, I can tell you that the process described here is a breeze. So pick up a drive and save yourself some labor fees. This one is a piece of cake.
Rig of the Day: Where did the computer go?
Today's rig is more of an "anti-rig." When Apple released the iMac G5, they used the tagline, "Where did the computer go?" Flickr user *nathan takes the idea to a whole new level with this "faceless" iMac. Where did the computer go indeed."Faceless" posted by *nathan.If you'd like to see your own rig featured here, simply upload photos into our group Flickr pool. We select one image to highlight each day, and crown a Rig of the Week on Sundays.
First MacBook take-apart
One of may favorite aspects of the Mac Web is the race to be the first person to take apart a brand-spanking new piece of equipment. Kodawarisan has broken down this white MacBook, and put up the photos to prove it. You can clearly see how accessible the hard drive is, as we mentioned in an earlier post.Thanks for the gallery, Kodawarisan! Now get that thing back together. Thanks to everyone who pointed this out to us.
Intel Mac mini take-apart
What's the first thing you do when you get your new Mac home? Set it up and start playing around, maybe transfer all of your files? No, you grab some tools and take it apart! If you're itching to rip a new Intel mini wide open, take a look at this fully illustrated how-to at Apple Fritter. Prying apart the case seems to require the same process as the PPC mini (get yourself a very thin putty knife), but the innards are a bit different (two RAM slots...finally!).Check it out...but don't try this at home.[Via Make:Blog]In related news, TUAW reader Tim just received his Intel mini and has posted some nice unpacking pics. Thanks, Tim!
Cracking open a new Intel iMac
Hopefully, I'll have my hands on a new iMac later today, so that I can weigh in with a little video review of the new computer, but thank the Woz that the Japanese beat me to tearing open the new iMac! Now, I can simply direct your eager eyes over to this site, so that you can peep into the new iMacs sans the distractions of English, and, as a bonus, I no longer have to tear open my own machine....unless I need to. ;-) Thanks, Robert!
iMac disassembled for your viewing pleasure
Continuing the tradition of taking things apart as soon as they're released, a site by the name of KODAWARISAN has already dissected an Intel Dual Core iMac. The images aren't incredibly hi-res, but they should be good enough to keep you from doing the same to your zippy new iMac.[via MacDailyNews]
