MacBook Pro With Retina Display Torn Down, Virtually Unfixable

MacBook Pro With Retina Display Torn Down, Virtually Unfixable:

Image: iFixit

Those who throw down more than two grand for a new MacBook Pro with Retina Display will have a hell of a time trying to fix their notebook should anything go amiss. iFixit’s latest teardown reveals the newest member of the MacBook Pro line is the “least-repairable laptop” the team has ever had to tear apart.
The brand new MacBook Pro with Retina Display manages to pack a 2.3GHz Intel Core i7 processor, a massive battery, and a souped up 15.4-inch Retina display into a slender .71-inch thick frame. Unfortunately, when packing all those parts inside, Apple used a lot of glue and other techniques, like numerous pentalobe screws, that make upgrades and repairs virtually impossible.
As in the MacBook Air, the notebook’s RAM is soldered to the logic board, so you won’t be able to upgrade or replace it. The SSD also isn’t upgradable at this point. The lithium-polymer battery is also glued in, which makes it difficult to remove without potentially dangerous battery breakage.
iFixit also found Apple implemented an intriguing design in its exhaust air vents, forcing the air through a restriction before it reaches the outer portions of the vents. This creates a change in pressure that accelerates the air to push it out of the laptop faster.
Apple talked about how it used a new display process on the MacBook Pro with Retina Display’s screen during its WWDC keynote Monday. Apple built the layers of the display into the unibody case to eliminate the need for a separate cover glass. Although this makes for a striking-looking display with lower glare and reflectiveness (thank goodness!), it means that if something manages to break the display, it’s going to be a very pricey repair process indeed. In fact, it might require a complete replacement of the laptop.
The 2011 MacBook Pro — last year’s model — scored a very reasonable 7 out of 10 iFixit repairability score. This year’s MacBook Pro with Retina Display gets iFixit’s lowest score: a 1 out of 10.
So, if indeed you do splurge, you’ll want to consider your future computing needs. And maybe store it in a museum-quality vault when it’s not being used.

Image: iFixit

via iFixit