Apple Used to Design Its Laptops for Repairability

6 hours ago

Apple's MacBooks used to be highly repairable with features like removable keyboards, batteries, and modular components.
Early MacBooks and iBooks had easily accessible keyboards, removable with simple tools like a screwdriver or fingernail.
Batteries in older models were user-replaceable, often with simple mechanisms like coin slots or thumb slides.
RAM and storage in older MacBooks were modular, allowing upgrades and replacements to extend the laptop's lifespan.
Apple's current MacBooks have largely abandoned repairability, with components like RAM soldered to the motherboard and batteries glued in place.
The article highlights the contrast between Apple's past focus on repairability and its current emphasis on thinness and integration.
New technologies like LPCAMM2 offer hope for future repairable, high-performance laptops without sacrificing speed or efficiency.
The article criticizes Apple's current approach, suggesting that repairability could be marketed as a desirable feature if Apple chose to prioritize it.

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