Original URL: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/02/18/macbook_upgrades/
Apple shares MacBook break-in tips
Easy no more
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 (http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2008/10/14macbook.html) 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 (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1651) 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 (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1270) or hard drive (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3419) 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 (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3371). As we noted earlier (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/01/14/17_inch_macbook_battery/), 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 (http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/apple-desktops/104186-black-face-intel-imac-1tb-hard-drive-replacement.html) is not a job for mom nor pop.
Upgrading your Mac has never been easy. And it just got harder. ®