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This was my experience with a ThinkPad last year. They could not do on-site (in home) service due to the French lockdown so I had to do mail-in. They even email

This was my experience with a ThinkPad last year. They could not do on-site (in home) service due to the French lockdown so I had to do mail-in. They even emailed a PDF with instructions on how to remove the drive. Sadly this is not possible with a modern MacBook. When I have had to send a MacBook to Apple (or a service partner) for repair I was instructed to wipe the machine (along with ensuring I log out of iCloud to disable Activation Lock and disable Find My). While it is good to ensure my personal data is not compromised it isn't user friendly at all to have to wipe my whole machine for a battery replacement :(

Symbiote 5y ago
It's not user-friendly at all to require a machine to be sent off for a battery replacement. For the ThinkPad, it's a 5 minute task which many people can do themselves -- certainly anyone who works in IT. We've had less strict restrictions than France, but a couple of my colleagues replaced the batteries on their HP laptops. I sent videos, and they saw how easy it was -- less painful than a Covid test.
- alpaca128 5y ago
  > For the ThinkPad, it's a 5 minute task which many people can do themselves Which is still a step backwards. On my ThinkPad I can remove the battery in seconds without looking. Mainly because sometimes I had to disconnect it to reset it completely. If that would take 5 minutes or any kind of tool that's already hard to justify imho. What do we gain from integrated batteries? Nothing that makes up for easy replacement or, in the case of ThinkPads, the option to upgrade the capacity before the purchase.
  - syshum 5y ago
    a few generations ago ThinkPad when to a dual battery setup so unless your ThinkPad is pretty old I bet it has both an internal and removable battery. as to "What do we gain", they claim they can make them thinner and lighter, but the T14 seems to be the same Thinkness and a T450/T460 so.......
    - midasuni 5y ago
      I had a second battery instead of a CD, as well as the 9 cell. Trouble is the latches weren’t fewer, it would often slip out, and that would cause the machine to lose power momentarily knocking it out of “sleep”.
    - ohazi 5y ago
      The T480 was the last T-series model with dual batteries. The newer ones all have only the embedded battery.
  - tgsovlerkhgsel 5y ago
    I appreciate the lower weight and size (and presumably cost) of devices, and I don't need to swap the battery often enough to justify batteries that can be replaced without tools. Battery replacement is a once-in-a-few-years operation and it's OK for it to take 5 minutes.
    - waheoo 5y ago
      Spoken like someone that should probably be using a desktop. Personally, having backup batteries is a requirement for the places I work.
      - gambiting 5y ago
        Yes, that's why USB-C powerbanks exist. I can charge my laptop from one and it's nicer than lugging around laptop batteries, plus the laptop can be thinner.
        waheoo 5y ago
        Such a bizzare way to respond. Laptop being thinner is a trade off you're willing to make, I am not. Charging a battery with another battery is extremely inefficient. Lugging around laptop batteries is exactly the same thing as lugging around power banks, except laptop batteries don't require a dongle and a cable to tether you to a table. Laptop batteries mean you laptop can continue to in fact work from your lap.
        alpaca128 5y ago
        I am a big fan of removable batteries but even I can see the huge advantage of USB-C Powerbanks. An additional ThinkPad battery can cost ~$100 iirc. And this battery will only ever work with this specific laptop model. A powerbank for the same price will probably have a higher capacity, and be able to charge any USB-C device. All this is not a reason for integrated batteries, but Powerbanks using a universal interface are clearly more practical.
cat199 5y ago
also relies on it being in working-enough-order to do the erase to begin with.. plenty of machines broken enough to not to power on but still hold data...
- jackson1442 5y ago
  I mean it's not like you're ineligible for service if you can't wipe your machine, I imagine there are alternative directions if that is one of your issues.
greyhair 5y ago
Let alone, impossible to do if the device will not even boot.

Symbiote 5y ago

It's not user-friendly at all to require a machine to be sent off for a battery replacement. For the ThinkPad, it's a 5 minute task which many people can do themselves -- certainly anyone who works in IT. We've had less strict restrictions than France, but a couple of my colleagues replaced the batteries on their HP laptops. I sent videos, and they saw how easy it was -- less painful than a Covid test.

alpaca128 5y ago
> For the ThinkPad, it's a 5 minute task which many people can do themselves Which is still a step backwards. On my ThinkPad I can remove the battery in seconds without looking. Mainly because sometimes I had to disconnect it to reset it completely. If that would take 5 minutes or any kind of tool that's already hard to justify imho. What do we gain from integrated batteries? Nothing that makes up for easy replacement or, in the case of ThinkPads, the option to upgrade the capacity before the purchase.
- syshum 5y ago
  a few generations ago ThinkPad when to a dual battery setup so unless your ThinkPad is pretty old I bet it has both an internal and removable battery. as to "What do we gain", they claim they can make them thinner and lighter, but the T14 seems to be the same Thinkness and a T450/T460 so.......
  - midasuni 5y ago
    I had a second battery instead of a CD, as well as the 9 cell. Trouble is the latches weren’t fewer, it would often slip out, and that would cause the machine to lose power momentarily knocking it out of “sleep”.
  - ohazi 5y ago
    The T480 was the last T-series model with dual batteries. The newer ones all have only the embedded battery.
- tgsovlerkhgsel 5y ago
  I appreciate the lower weight and size (and presumably cost) of devices, and I don't need to swap the battery often enough to justify batteries that can be replaced without tools. Battery replacement is a once-in-a-few-years operation and it's OK for it to take 5 minutes.
  - waheoo 5y ago
    Spoken like someone that should probably be using a desktop. Personally, having backup batteries is a requirement for the places I work.
    - gambiting 5y ago
      Yes, that's why USB-C powerbanks exist. I can charge my laptop from one and it's nicer than lugging around laptop batteries, plus the laptop can be thinner.
      - waheoo 5y ago
        Such a bizzare way to respond. Laptop being thinner is a trade off you're willing to make, I am not. Charging a battery with another battery is extremely inefficient. Lugging around laptop batteries is exactly the same thing as lugging around power banks, except laptop batteries don't require a dongle and a cable to tether you to a table. Laptop batteries mean you laptop can continue to in fact work from your lap.
        alpaca128 5y ago
        I am a big fan of removable batteries but even I can see the huge advantage of USB-C Powerbanks. An additional ThinkPad battery can cost ~$100 iirc. And this battery will only ever work with this specific laptop model. A powerbank for the same price will probably have a higher capacity, and be able to charge any USB-C device. All this is not a reason for integrated batteries, but Powerbanks using a universal interface are clearly more practical.

cat199 5y ago

also relies on it being in working-enough-order to do the erase to begin with.. plenty of machines broken enough to not to power on but still hold data...

jackson1442 5y ago
I mean it's not like you're ineligible for service if you can't wipe your machine, I imagine there are alternative directions if that is one of your issues.

greyhair 5y ago

Let alone, impossible to do if the device will not even boot.