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IFixit: Self Repair Program makes M1 MacBooks less repairable

9to5mac.com

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Re: IFixit: Self Repair Program makes M1 MacBooks less repairable

#21

Post by oefrha »

> Our 14″ MacBook Pro battery replacement guide is 26 steps. That might not seem like a very speedy guide, but the Surface Pro 6 is twice that long, and iPad guides can be upwards of a hundred steps. In the scheme of things, 26 steps is pretty good. Imagine our surprise when we found that Apple’s official MacBook Pro battery replacement method clocks in at 162 pages.

162 pages is the entire damn manual[1], not just battery replacement, and the manual is very detailed, what is one step in the iFixit guide (which often includes multiple images in a carousel) could be multiple pages in the manual.

While it’s not great that Apple deems the battery a non-removable part of the top case, this complaint about complexity is misleading FUD.

Disclosure: I’ve made quite a few purchases at iFixit over the years.

[1] https://manuals.info.apple.com/MANUALS/2000/MA2085/en_US/mac...

Re: IFixit: Self Repair Program makes M1 MacBooks less repairable

#22

Post by [deleted] »

MrFoof wrote: post #16
falcolas wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

162 pages indicates that the item was not made to be repaired or replaced. 162 pages indicates that you're going to have to work around Apple's repair-hostile design to do a repair.

The official workshop manual from the manufacturer for my car (which includes full engine assembly!) — the same one used by all of its dealer techs - is over 6400 pages. It is loaded with an absurd number of detailed diagrams, torque specifications, required tools, checklists, etc. Does that make my car less repairable? Or does it provide all the information necessary for someone to correctly perform repair or mainte…

[deleted]

Re: IFixit: Self Repair Program makes M1 MacBooks less repairable

#23

Post by acomjean »

falcolas wrote: post #9
tarentel wrote: post #4

No it doesn't. Ya, it's a 162 page manual and a huge pain and likely not worth it but the program doesn't make it less repairable. It was designed in such a way that makes repairing it a pain in the ass. Having the tooling and manual to do the repair doesn't make it less repairable. This headline makes no sense.

162 pages indicates that the item was not made to be repaired or replaced. 162 pages indicates that you're going to have to work around Apple's repair-hostile design to do a repair.

I replaced my laptop fan after it was grinding. The full disassemble/upgrade manual was like 30 pages. It is a system 76 machine which is just a clevo machine.

edit (30 pages). (they post they're own manuals on github..)

https://github.com/system76/docs/blob/gh-pages/service-manua...

Re: IFixit: Self Repair Program makes M1 MacBooks less repairable

#24

Post by lisper »

tarentel wrote: post #18
lisper wrote: post #14

This is a clickjack link. The original is here: https://www.ifixit.com/News/64072/apples-self-repair-program...

This is a slightly better headline than the one they changed it to which makes no sense.

Huh??? All three headlines (the original iFixit, the 9to5Mac clickjack, and the HN version) are essentially identical:

iFixit: Self Repair Program actually makes M1 MacBooks less repairable (9to5Mac)

IFixit: Self Repair Program makes M1 MacBooks less repairable (HN)

Apple’s Self-Repair Program Manages to Make MacBooks Seem Less Repairable (iFixit)

Re: IFixit: Self Repair Program makes M1 MacBooks less repairable

#25

Post by andix »

Just don't buy products where you can't replace the battery with a reasonable effort.

I replaced multiple iPhone batteries, it was always possible in less then 30 minutes with just simple tools.

I opened up multiple laptops (mostly HP and Lenovo), no problem to replace things there either.

People still replace their devices, because the battery is weak. This is stupid, just replace the battery and use it for another 1, 2 or more years.

Re: IFixit: Self Repair Program makes M1 MacBooks less repairable

#26

Post by falcolas »

MrFoof wrote: post #16
falcolas wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

162 pages indicates that the item was not made to be repaired or replaced. 162 pages indicates that you're going to have to work around Apple's repair-hostile design to do a repair.

The official workshop manual from the manufacturer for my car (which includes full engine assembly!) — the same one used by all of its dealer techs - is over 6400 pages. It is loaded with an absurd number of detailed diagrams, torque specifications, required tools, checklists, etc. Does that make my car less repairable? Or does it provide all the information necessary for someone to correctly perform repair or mainte…

Does your car repair manual dictate that replacing the battery and alternator includes also replacing the unibody (including the driver controls, though not the seats) with a unit provided only by the car manufacturer?

Having used a few workshop manuals, I do get your point. But those manuals provide the advantage of actually letting you repair cars without having to replace the entire unibody when you change an oil filter (though you'll often have to disassemble vast portions of the car to get at simple consumables these days).

Re: IFixit: Self Repair Program makes M1 MacBooks less repairable

#28

Post by renewiltord »

falcolas wrote: post #9
tarentel wrote: post #4

No it doesn't. Ya, it's a 162 page manual and a huge pain and likely not worth it but the program doesn't make it less repairable. It was designed in such a way that makes repairing it a pain in the ass. Having the tooling and manual to do the repair doesn't make it less repairable. This headline makes no sense.

162 pages indicates that the item was not made to be repaired or replaced. 162 pages indicates that you're going to have to work around Apple's repair-hostile design to do a repair.

This is why I argue that code should not have documentation. The more documentation and comments you have, the less modifiable the code is. If you have 162 pages of documentation, your code must be crap. If you have one page of documentation and it reads like it was sent through Translation Party, your code must be awesome.

Re: IFixit: Self Repair Program makes M1 MacBooks less repairable

#29

Post by bombcar »

lisper wrote: post #24
tarentel wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a slightly better headline than the one they changed it to which makes no sense.

Huh??? All three headlines (the original iFixit, the 9to5Mac clickjack, and the HN version) are essentially identical: iFixit: Self Repair Program actually makes M1 MacBooks less repairable (9to5Mac) IFixit: Self Repair Program makes M1 MacBooks less repairable (HN) Apple’s Self-Repair Program Manages to Make MacBooks Seem Less Repairable (iFixit)

The lack of "seem" changes the title entirely.

Anyone anyone who has read "official repair manuals" knows that they're always more detailed and have more steps than you actually need to perform, because they cover every possible situation and assume you have perfect tools and training and are following all possible safety protocols.

I remember reading the Chilton manual for my car vs the factory repair manual, and the Chilton would mention "the repair manual says to remove the front bumper, but with a bit of a squeeze and some care, you can do the replacement without that step" kind of thing all the time.

Re: IFixit: Self Repair Program makes M1 MacBooks less repairable

#30

Post by mmastrac »

rocket_surgeron wrote: post #19

>This time, along with the manuals, Apple is presenting DIY repairers with a excruciating gauntlet of hurdles: read 162 pages of documentation without getting intimidated I read the PDF. https://manuals.info.apple.com/MANUALS/2000/MA2083/en_US/mac... It seems highly likely to me that anyone claiming this document is intimidating either has not read it or is lying for some reason. In many respects, the Apple document…

Apple: If the adhesive strip breaks, attempt to retrieve the rest of the strip with ESD-safe tweezers. If you can’t retrieve the rest of the strip, replace the top case

Jesus. This is not what I'd consider "repairable". And that's not the only place in the manual where Apple just says "toss the whole top case out".

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