Cheapskates (like the one that almost caused a fire on an aircraft in flight) who don’t want to pay what it costs to get a battery or screen replaced could be endangering not only them selves but any one with the misfortune to be in a confined space with them (elevator, plane, etc)

Good one.

Last year we had the same rubbish saying Apple’s new screws were patented, but look at how easily you can buy drivers for them.

This is the sort of stuff fandroids dream of, so they can claim their Samsungs have “open” screws.

I have changed a few HDDs, processors, power supplies, RAM, graphics cards, batteries, etc. in my time. But I recognize the compromises inherent in a highly optimized design like the iPad and the MBA. Life involves change…accept it or find an acceptable alternative. Apple is unlikely to care unless a *lot* of people stop buying Apple products, which seems unlikely at this point.

I don’t see the point of making it hard for owners to do simple upgrades and make simple replacements of parts that fail.

And it’s ‘off’ BTW.

Hmmm… I really meant this as a snarky reply, but the more I think about, the more sense it’s beginning to make. Especially since taking into account that Apple tends to make long range plans.

It would explain a lot about why Apple is doing these sort of things. More so than some of the lame ass excuses Apple apologists (and Apple on occasion) have come up… like any so-called “design” considerations.

Think of the number of people who lease cars these days. Why most car commercials I see these days only mention leasing and say noting about actually buying a car.

Would you “lease” an Apple device for a monthly fee? What if it came with a free replacement in case of accidental damage? Or allowed you to “upgrade” to new hardware for a nominal fee at the end of your lease?

Perhaps Apple is manufacturing its own screw for other reasons. ie size, strength, weight. Maybe if you make enough of your own design it’s cheaper. It could make it easier to identify knockoffs etc. I can think off plenty of reasons that don’t center around me.

AND you get to KEEP the 4GB. sell online for $20-25 (i did) and ultimately pay $25 or so.

HD same MBP 13
$100 to upgrade to a 5400rpm 750gb drive. (lose the 500gb drive)
$135 to get a 750GB hybrid momentus that is almost as fast as a pure SSD. and keep the 500GB drive.

both done in 5-10 minutes depending on how DIY you are.

and those screws… will stop the joe blow random idiots. it will not stop smart people. that new screwdriver needed will be on the market for repair pro’s in a month.

Between myself and my Dad, we own damn near every “special” screwdriver/bit/tool on the market… there is nothing we can’t open. I even have some Yamaha/Triumph tools that you can’t buy anywhere outside the Factory, just to open some “non-servicable” parts on Yamaha bikes.

go look at comparison tests with that drive and the stock MBP, almost as fast as a straight SSD.

I get making it hard to open iDevices, thin laptops is borderline acceptable. You can’t ever upgrade an Air or Retina without going to Apple (and since MBA and MBRet parts are glued/soldered in, an “upgrade” probably consists of a completely different computer, so you’ll have to restore from a Time Machine backup when you get home).

If the 2012 13″ MBP had been un-upgradable I would not have bought it. In a couple years I will replace its hard drive with an SSD drive after they’ve come down in price. You can bet I didn’t have higher-capacity hard drive or extra RAM added to my MBP order.

The issue is really, why does Apple think we do not have the right to open something that we own and purchased from them? Apple needs to put their R&D teams back to work developing new devices and enhancing the existing products. If your car tire had lug nuts that you could not remove when you get a flat, would you be a little pissed about it? I would!

What is has accomplished is the pissing of of longtime customers and driven up the price of maintaining our devices. I’m tired of the unyielding quest for form over function.