“Due to its ultra-thin profile, Apple’s new MacBook Air was designed with an integrated 37-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery that is not user-replaceable [but] the replacement process is quite trivial,” Kasper Jade reports for AppleInsider.
“According to people familiar with the new-generation notebook, there are no special tools or knowledge required to swap out the MacBook Air’s battery,” Jade reports. “Instead, the process requires a single size-0 type philips screwdriver and some diligence.”
“Once flipped upside down, the MacBook Air’s bottom cover is easily unscrewed and removed, providing immediate access to the battery cavity. From there, the battery can be unscrewed from the chassis with the same screwdriver and unplugged from the circuit board with a simple tug — it’s not soldered to the board,” Jade reports. “The entire process, according to those in the know, can be completed by any service technician in as little as three minutes.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “bob” for the heads up.]
MacDailyNews Note: As a side note, for those times when you need it, third-party sources such as Batterygeek.net offer external battery packs for Apple’s MacBook and MacBook Pro which offer anywhere from 3 to 20+ hours of additional runtime per charge. These third-party suppliers are not just going to randomly decide to ignore MacBook Air. Patience, Padawans. MacBook Air was just unveiled on Tuesday.
Other items of interest — or what we like to call “Whiner Silencers” — that Apple already offers for MacBook Air:
• MagSafe Airline Adapter: $49. Just plug it into your airline seat power port and keep your MacBook Air powered up for the entire flight.
• Ethernet Adapter: $29. Connects to the USB 2.0 port of your MacBook Air and provides an RJ-45 connector that supports 10/100BASE-T performance.
• Modem: $49. Connects to the USB port on your MacBook Air.
• MacBook Air SuperDrive: $99: Compact external MacBook Air SuperDrive connects to your MacBook Air via USB and fits easily into a travel bag. Read and write CDs and DVDs, including double-layer DVDs.
Other things MacBook Air road warriors might consider (besides canceling their chiropractic appointments): USB EVDO Modem for wireless broadband, USB Travel Hub for multiple devices, and other such items.