The new 2012 Macbook Pro with Retina display capabilities is being touted as Apple’s next big push further in the consumer market but repair outlet iFixit is complaining after a thorough teardown that the new Macbook Pro models are the “least repairable laptop” ever created.
According to the company’s breakdown of the device it requires special pentalobe screws which were also found on the iPhone 4, 4S and MacBook Air. Unfortunately that is a screwdriver most people simply do not own. The company also found that the RAM is soldered to the logic board, preventing the upgrade or replacement of memory in the case of a system hardware failure.
iFixit also found that the notebook’s battery is glued into the case instead of being screwed, making it easier to break during the teardown process. The battery also covered the trackpad cable which could lead to a disconnected trackpad during a repair.
iFixit also notice that the display assembly is “completely fused” without any glass protection. That means if the display goes wonky the cost of a repair can skyrocket.
Overall the company calls the notebook “virtually non-upgradeable” which makes it the first MacBook Pro to be incapable of future upgrades for storage and memory technologies.
On the other hand iFixit loves the asymmetrical fan, Samsung SSD and new ports.
It should be noted that Apple has switched flash controllers to a Toshiba design based on SandForce SATA III which should allow for SSD upgrades once they reach market.
So perhaps the 2012 MacBook Pro models will not be easily upgradeable but let us be honest for a moment, most Apple users simply buy a new device when Apple shocks them with new technology once again, that will likely remain true when the next lineup of MacBook Pro devices reach market.
