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Of all the things I've ever wanted to be different on my macbook, removable batteries have never been one of them. Now when battery life exceeds a (long) workin

Of all the things I've ever wanted to be different on my macbook, removable batteries have never been one of them. Now when battery life exceeds a (long) working day, why on earth would anyone want this? The very few times you will be away from a wall socket for more than 12 hours, you can just bring a power bank.

makeitdouble 3y ago
At some point Apple refuses to replace the batteries of your macbook as they stop supporting the model. At that point you could be down to a few hours of battery life, with no third party repair shop willing to work on your laptop at a reasonable price. That's where you'd be with a 2017 macbook Air for instance. Replaceable batteries gives an out to that situation, as one battery maker somewhere in the world could be enough to keep the remaining laptops alive, with no need for invasive serviceing. Of course that brings Apple close to nothing in revenue, but would boost good will from users and let them tout sustainability? Also won't resonate if you're cycling through devices every 2 years anyway.
- windowsrookie 3y ago
  The 2017 MacBook air has a ton of aftermarket batteries available for less than $60. It's really not that difficult to replace it yourself. The ifixit guide says it takes 15 minutes. https://www.ifixit.com/products/macbook-air-13-late-2010-2017-replacement-battery?variant=39371743789159 https://www.ifixit.com/products/macbook-air-13-late-2010-201... "with no third party repair shop willing to work on your laptop at a reasonable price." I am not aware of any third party repair shop who would refuse to work on a 2017 MacBook Air. Unless it is a repair shop that refuses to work on Apple products in general.
- jlokier 3y ago
  Are you sure about that 2017 Macbook Air? I have a 2013 Macbook Pro and I'm getting the battery replaced next week by Apple. My laptop is over 10 years old and they're still doing it at their standard battery replacement price.
  - makeitdouble 3y ago
    My mistake, I mixed up a Macbook pro and an Air. The Air was from 2014, the pro is 2017. Could it be regional differences ? I rechecked on the online support page - both Jp and Fr -, and repair support falls off right at 2015 (which is nothing to sneeze at for a maker, but I'd still wish for more)
    - jlokier 3y ago
      It's worth asking. When I did, they couldn't guarantee to repair my 2013 laptop, but they sent out a parts request to see if they had a replacement part in the warehouse (top case), and they did have one, and they were happy to use the battery replacement price if my battery showed the "service recommended" state, same rule as for newer models. They don't provide a warranty for repair on such an old machine, because they can't guarantee being able to find another replacement part. I asked for a price on a screen replacement too and they didn't have a screen, so couldn't do that. The screen is in pretty good shape though.
diffeomorphism 3y ago
You are confusing removable=repairable and hotswap. The latter indeed is "who cares", the former is important.

makeitdouble 3y ago

At some point Apple refuses to replace the batteries of your macbook as they stop supporting the model. At that point you could be down to a few hours of battery life, with no third party repair shop willing to work on your laptop at a reasonable price. That's where you'd be with a 2017 macbook Air for instance. Replaceable batteries gives an out to that situation, as one battery maker somewhere in the world could be enough to keep the remaining laptops alive, with no need for invasive serviceing. Of course that brings Apple close to nothing in revenue, but would boost good will from users and let them tout sustainability? Also won't resonate if you're cycling through devices every 2 years anyway.

windowsrookie 3y ago
The 2017 MacBook air has a ton of aftermarket batteries available for less than $60. It's really not that difficult to replace it yourself. The ifixit guide says it takes 15 minutes. https://www.ifixit.com/products/macbook-air-13-late-2010-2017-replacement-battery?variant=39371743789159 https://www.ifixit.com/products/macbook-air-13-late-2010-201... "with no third party repair shop willing to work on your laptop at a reasonable price." I am not aware of any third party repair shop who would refuse to work on a 2017 MacBook Air. Unless it is a repair shop that refuses to work on Apple products in general.
jlokier 3y ago
Are you sure about that 2017 Macbook Air? I have a 2013 Macbook Pro and I'm getting the battery replaced next week by Apple. My laptop is over 10 years old and they're still doing it at their standard battery replacement price.
- makeitdouble 3y ago
  My mistake, I mixed up a Macbook pro and an Air. The Air was from 2014, the pro is 2017. Could it be regional differences ? I rechecked on the online support page - both Jp and Fr -, and repair support falls off right at 2015 (which is nothing to sneeze at for a maker, but I'd still wish for more)
  - jlokier 3y ago
    It's worth asking. When I did, they couldn't guarantee to repair my 2013 laptop, but they sent out a parts request to see if they had a replacement part in the warehouse (top case), and they did have one, and they were happy to use the battery replacement price if my battery showed the "service recommended" state, same rule as for newer models. They don't provide a warranty for repair on such an old machine, because they can't guarantee being able to find another replacement part. I asked for a price on a screen replacement too and they didn't have a screen, so couldn't do that. The screen is in pretty good shape though.

diffeomorphism 3y ago

You are confusing removable=repairable and hotswap. The latter indeed is "who cares", the former is important.