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How I resurrected my MacBook Pro by putting it in the oven

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Re: How I resurrected my MacBook Pro by putting it in the oven

#151

Post by MichaelGG »

cones688 wrote: post #115
School-Cotton wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The benefit of Macs is that they're high-end unix workstations optimized for usability. As far as I know Apple is the only company still making anything by that description.

Thinkpads?

I do not find Macs to be very "usable", and previous-gen ThinkPads outranked them in everything but the shiny-showing-off-at-starbucks metric. However, in the last generations, Lenovo has nerfed the ThinkPads (new ones don't even have a middle mouse area - no more buttons, either). They've also even put the logo upside down so that you can show it off at cafes.

Re: How I resurrected my MacBook Pro by putting it in the oven

#152

Post by MichaelGG »

aidos wrote: post #48
Pitarou wrote: post #7

Do NOT try this with a microwave oven. If you do, there will be a bad smell, and lots of sounds and lights, and you will not read Hacker News today.

I'm sure it wasn't a great idea but we used to microwave things for the effect. At one point there were no lightbulbs left in our house because they'd all gone in the microwave. Your very own Aurora Microwavas from the comfort of your own kitchen.

Wait doesn't this break the microwave? If not, I'm gonna show my kids something really neat.

Re: How I resurrected my MacBook Pro by putting it in the oven

#153

Post by DanBC »

danmatan wrote: post #108
jmpe wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This sounds like a BGA issue. They also had the on PS3/4 and XBox if I'm not mistaking. The chip has a grid of small solder balls on the bottom instead of pins sticking out. Due to thermal differences during operation some rows can experience mechanical stress due to uneven heating of the device. When there are cracks the contact disconnects from the board. Some images here: http://www.playbackups.com/Playstation3-xb…

And from a manufacturing/engineering point-of-view (which I am neither), I guess it's really hard to solve this problem. You have some unpredictable 1/100 or 1/1000 defect that occurs long after production and sale. Just how do you go about isolating the cause, and testing a solution? Make 5 changes, and put through a production batch of 1000 units, and then do accelerated testing? If 5 fail from one batch, and 2 fro…

To add to what jmpe says:

In production you would profile the boards. You take a board and run it through the oven with some thermocouples. You'd then set the temperatures of the pre-heat, heat, and cool down sections. This would heat the solder to melting point without putting too much stress on the components.

This is from memory from a long time ago using a teeny tiny little pick and place machine that did a few thousand components per hour.

BGAs were always always horrible to do.

"Design for production" is really very important and it's hard to find much information about it. Some simple little things can make the difference between an operator having to plonk a component on the board by hand every time just before it goes into the oven or having the machine do it. (Again, from memory).

Re: How I resurrected my MacBook Pro by putting it in the oven

#154

Post by DanBC »

fnordfnordfnord wrote: post #94
DanBC wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, on a BGA the pads are under the IC package. That BGA will be on a PCB close to other ICs which has other packages. Using a hot airgun risks distributing small balls of solder.

If you can accidentally create solder-bridges with a hot-air rework, then there was too much solder; even if you're talking about fine-pitch TQFP's. I've accidentally made bridges using QFN's but only on crappy homemade PCB's and again, with too much solder. It is usually easy to correct. You can dislodge nearby capacitors, diodes, resistors, etc. but that's about it. On a good PCB that's been cleaned properly there…

You're talking about people who know what they're doing, using correct hot air rework tools.

I'm talking about people who don't know what they're doing using paint-stripper style hot air guns.

I have seen faulty PCBs caused by people using that style of hot air gun to rework devices. I used to have photographs but don't have them any longer, but there should be photos in some of the "soldering problems" engineering books.

Re: How I resurrected my MacBook Pro by putting it in the oven

#157

Post by sneak »

null_ptr wrote: post #156

It makes me sad to read how some mistreat their laptops. Why keep it on 24/7? Even if you're using your computer 12 hours a day you're letting it burn for nothing for the other 12! And then you buy a new one every year.

Burn what, precisely? It's not a woodstove.

Re: How I resurrected my MacBook Pro by putting it in the oven

#158

Post by kkl232 »

Hilarious!!

At some point I spilled water all over my MacbookPro and I turned it off and let it dry overnight. The next morning it refused to turn on. I took it to Apple and they say they must send it to repairs for 750 dollars!!

I refused to pay money, went home, asked some friends about it, and concluded that I should put my computer in an inverted position like a teepee.

I let it sit for 2 days. And Voila! Good as new!

Re: How I resurrected my MacBook Pro by putting it in the oven

#159

Post by beachstartup »

larrys wrote: post #149
mikeash wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think "most" microwaves have a metal rack, although they're not uncommon. It's also not uncommon to see microwave-safe food containers that contain metal. I've seen grocery store deli soups, for example, that end up with a big ring of metal around the top when you open them, but can still be microwaved. Still, "no metal" is a good approximation. "Unless it says you can use it" is probably OK to leave implied.

I've seen that as well. I'm wondering (from my own experiment) if it has something to do with angles vs. no angles [1] in terms of the metal in addition to the blocking by metal of the actual microwaves. [1] Same as with stealth airplanes avoiding radar, right?

microwaves induce a current in metal. if there's a gap for that current to jump, you'll see it jump, and it'll probably cause problems including fire, but if there's no gap to jump, all that voltage potential just stays in the metal.

put a table spoon in the microwave and turn it on - nothing happens. i do this all the time when reheating soup.

i've won money on small bets like this too. non-technical people have no idea WHY metal poses a problem in the microwave, so i just bet them $10 that i can put a spoon in there without problems and they never believe me. they just think i have special spoons.

Re: How I resurrected my MacBook Pro by putting it in the oven

#160

Post by aidos »

MichaelGG wrote: post #152
aidos wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm sure it wasn't a great idea but we used to microwave things for the effect. At one point there were no lightbulbs left in our house because they'd all gone in the microwave. Your very own Aurora Microwavas from the comfort of your own kitchen.

Wait doesn't this break the microwave? If not, I'm gonna show my kids something really neat.

Eventually the gas in the bulb expands too much and the bulb itself shatters. In my experience, other than having to clean up the broken glass, the microwave still runs fine. At one point we had a bulb where the glass expanded out enough to ease the pressure created. We could use it again and again.

Maybe it's a bad thing to do, maybe there's some horrific gas that's created. Someone on here could weigh in on that. It's an incredible effect though and I'd happily do it again.

Obviously, general disclaimers on looking after your own health and safety apply.

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