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Original URL: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/02/18/macbook_upgrades/

Apple shares MacBook break-in tips

Easy no more

By Rik Myslewski in San Francisco

Posted in Hardware, 18th February 2009 01:49 GMT

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Apple has published instructions for upgrading hard drives and RAM in its MacBook and MacBook Pro lines, and user-friendliness took another step backwards.

Before the "unibody" MacBook and MacBook Pros were introduced [1] last October, memory replacement in both was a breeze. The MacBook in particular was an upgrader's delight, with both its RAM and its hard drive easily accessible by even the least handy of users.

No more.

Whereas a RAM upgrade on the older MacBook Pro was a three-screw affair, you now need to remove eight screws of three different lengths to gain access [2] to the RAM slots of both the MacBook and the 15-inch MacBook Pro.

Apple's flagship 17-inch MacBook Pro ups the screw count to 10, also of three different lengths. Instructions for upgrading its RAM [3] or hard drive [4] include the helpful suggestion of "note the screw lengths and locations so you can replace the screws correctly. Put them aside in a safe place."

Battery-replacement instructions for the big boy are simple: don't [5]. As we noted earlier [6], an ailing battery in a 17-incher requires a trip to an Apple-authorized service provider.

Clearly, Apple doesn't want everyday users mucking about inside of its precious machines. For example, although the Mac Pro remains easily user-serviceable - at least at the drive, RAM, and card level - replacing an iMac's hard drive [7] is not a job for mom nor pop.

Upgrading your Mac has never been easy. And it just got harder. ®