While Apple’s new MacBook Pro with Retina display (MBPr) is certainly a thin, beautiful, and unprecedented piece of equipment (and arguably the finest Mac ever made), it’s been dinged by critics time and time again for being difficult to upgrade or repair.
That fact is highlighted even more today, as iFixit has posted 15 detailed repair guides for the new machine, providing users with step-by-step instructions on how to repair and replace various parts of the machine. From the announcement:
We couldn’t be the “repair manual for everything” and then tap out on the difficult projects. We take pride in showing the world that even “unrepairable” devices can be fixed with the right tools and an adventurous spirit. So guess what? We’ve got a full set of repair guides for the 2012 MacBook Pro with Retina display for your DIY pleasure.
Unfortunately, although unsurprisingly, it turns out that many parts are either dangerous or extremely difficult to replace at home, and the cost for replacing certain parts, such as the battery, could run as high as $500!
One example highlighted in the guides (as well as in their initial teardown) is that replacing the trackpad requires first removing the battery, which is firmly glued down on top of the trackpad’s cable – and the battery is challenging enough to remove that it poses a serious risk of possibly puncturing the battery in the process.
It’s also worth noting that replacement parts are unavailable at the moment for many components, and Apple has chosen to use proprietary screws, as well as unique proprietary connectors for components such as the SSD in order to make them more difficult to replace.
The moral of the story is that it’s definitely a smart (and perhaps essential) idea to purchase an AppleCare policy if you own or plan to purchase a Retina MacBook Pro. It will likely pay for itself (and them some) on its very first repair.