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IFixit: Self Repair Program makes M1 MacBooks less repairable

9to5mac.com

101–110 of 140 posts

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

#101

What a stupid take as is increasingly the case with ifixit. How does adding manuals and parts make something LESS repairable? At worst you are no better off than you started. And for all the crap apple gets for things like their batteries, I used to do fleet battery stuff on dell machines using a third party providers and the rate at which these machines BURNED through batteries was insane. THis was a while back, and…

Applecare screen replacement is a breeze, if you live near an Apple store. Walk into scheduled appointment, hand them your phone and sign your name on their little iPad granting them the permission to repair or replace your device and dealing with payment, and they tell you to come back an hour or two later and pick up your device. I always buy Applecare and have had to replace each of my last iPhones at least once this way, but it's really a no-biggie because it only takes maybe an hour total to drop it off and pick it up, including driving time, once the appointment is scheduled.

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

#102

>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…

Why in every story about Apple are their contrarian head burying. No other company would get this amount of support for finally after 20 years allowing a supposed owner of the product to change the battery

Or you could just let Apple do it for $129.

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

#103
Apple's self-repair program is very obviously malicious compliance.

Every rational person will tell you that shipping rented hardware back-and-forth with strict exchange of exactly one broken part for exactly one new part individually for every repair is a bad idea.

Parts and equipment need to be available for purchase with no strings attached so they can be stocked on shelves in repair shops.

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

#105

I've had my 16" MBP since early April and I only have 30 cycles on the battery. At my usage rate, I charge this thing about once or twice a week on average. At this rate, the battery is going to last longer than any laptop battery I've ever owned. And then when it finally degrades to the point that I need to replace it, I would happily pay $199 to Apple for a new one rather than save a few dollars and do it myself. P…

My 2020 (purchased Sept. 2021) M1 MBA is at 100% health with 61 cycles. Rated for 1000 cycles.

  Health Information:
  Cycle Count: 61
  Condition: Normal
  Maximum Capacity: 100%
I use it pretty regularly several hours per day in 2022, maybe didn't use it as much in 2021. But still, seems to be holding up very well.

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

#106
post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s always been like that. Bring your macbook to an Apple store for a battery replacement and they will replace the top case.

Well, it wasn’t _always_ like this. Apple used to have unibody MacBooks with user replaceable batteries without even needing a screw driver.

The laptops were also bigger, heavier, and had less battery life. Everything is trade offs.

The https://everymac.com/systems/apple/macbook_pro/macbook-pro-u...: 2008 15" unibody [last one that didn't need at a least a screwdriver] 1" thick, 5.4lbs, 5 hours of browsing

https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/macbook-pro-m1:M1 MacBook Pro, 0.625" thick, 3.5 lbs, 16 hours of browsing.

Obviously technology has improved (there's a 6 hour increase in battery life going from last intel laptop to an m1), but it also probably helps that that smaller light modern MacBook has a 100 watt hour battery, while the one you're referring to had a 45WHr battery.

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

#107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> iFixit praises the M1 MacBook Air service manuals by saying “they’re in-depth, mostly logical, and well worth an additional repairability point,” This is the service manual you're referencing. The one they're complaining about it is the M1 MacBook Pro. Here's the actual manual referenced: https://manuals.info.apple.com/MANUALS/2000/MA2085/en_US/mac... And here's iFixIt's actual complaint: > it’s not 162 pages becau…

Modern flat lithium batteries are fairly hazardous and Apple is very conservative in their approach to handing them. They never want a Samsung like situation where the airport announcer says “No MacBook Pro 14” on the plane”. Additionally, because it’s Apple, there would be a media shitstorm if that happened.

They'll sell you just a "modern flat lithium battery" for one model but not another. It isn't about the hazardousness of the batteries.

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

#108
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My battery severely degraded without the cycles. I had 150 cycles after 4 years with 78% capacity. I am now at 239 cycles at 64% capacity.

The older batteries were rated for 500 cycles so that doesn’t seem unusual.

Except 80% is regarded as pretty much EOL, and this is a 2017 model.

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

#109
post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'd also say that your average end user is probably still going to be breaking tabs The average end user is not going to do the repair themselves.

Which is a relatively new phenomenon when it comes to batteries. It's only been a handful of year since I could swap them out with a couple of latches.

Yes, they were also physically bulkier, weighed more, and substantially lower battery capacity. The last non-screwdriver replaceable MacBook Pro was 50% heavier, 50% thicker, and had a battery that was less than 50% the capacity. That difference in battery capacity matches almost exactly the user experienced battery life from the last screwdriver-free replaceable battery MacBook and the last intel laptop.

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

#110
post #90
post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s always been like that. Bring your macbook to an Apple store for a battery replacement and they will replace the top case.

I purchased a battery (just a battery) for my 2013 MBP. It was a pain to replace, but I replaced it with the help of an iFixIt guide. I believe it's that kind of guide people expected Apple to publish. So you may be right that it's always been Apple's policy, but the point was that the self-repair program is falling short of expectations. iFixIt set a standard and Apple has fallen short.

Why would anyone expect the self service process setup by Apple to be anything other than the same processes they have for their own repair people though? I don’t expect a car manufacturer to release parts and instructions they wouldn’t have their own service people follow. It’s reasonable to debate the merits of having the battery tied to the top case on the whole, but if it’s what Apple directs their own repair personnel to do, that’s what I would expect their self service to do too.
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