4 ms·

Are there any tablets that are actually easy to repair?

by benologist 14y ago

foohey 14y ago
This is not only tablets. Every recent hardware is made to not be repairable.
- benologist 14y ago
  I just tried to replace a hard drive in a mac mini, now it's in the shop getting the fan I broke replaced heh.
- networked 14y ago
  Recently my Nokia E5 phone had been malfunctioning in a common way for the model that involves the headphone jack [1] and since it was out of warranty I decided to take it apart. What I found inside filled me with a newfound respect for Nokia's engineers. The phone's mainboard attached to the case with just 4 Torx screws and the replaceable modules like the headphone jack module and the LED flesh simply set in small compartments inside the back cover assembly. The modules connected to the mainboard through exposed flat contacts that would be held against similar contacts on the board when the phone was assembled. There were no tiny ribbon cables except for the one connecting the display. Ultimately, I was able to repair the phone by rubbing the PCB contacts that corresponded to the headphone module with an eraser to clean them. I had previously disassembled an HP Palm Pre 2 and it wasn't pretty at all by comparison -- too much double-sided tape inside. With Symbian near dead chances are that my next phone will have a touchscreen, which makes me wonder if many touchscreen phones offer that kind of repairability. [1] The so-called "Select Enhancement" problem. See https://www.google.com/#hl=en&tbo=d&output=search&sclient=psy-ab&q=nokia+e5+select+enhancement https://www.google.com/#hl=en&tbo=d&output=search&#3....
- orangethirty 14y ago
  For most people its not repairable. Some of us enjoy the challenge.
- Someone 14y ago
  I think you are somewhat mixing cause and effect. Hardware is more and more made to be small and look good. Replacing a bracket by some glue helps make the package smaller (tip for Apple: make tolerances even smaller, so that batteries fit so tight that you don't even need glue) Also, labour costs are so high (or, alternatively, electronics are so cheap) that there is little pressure to improve repairability and lots of pressure to decrease construction costs (even for stuff made in low wage countries) I think hard-to-repairness mostly comes as a consequence of these. At the other end of the spectrum, Lego and Meccano are cool, but few people would buy stuff made from it.
mtgx 14y ago
The Nexus tablets are much easier to repair.
- josefresco 14y ago
  As well as the Kindle Fire (8/10)
networked 14y ago
Well, Chinese brand tablets usually at least aren't held together by an adhesive. You can see a teardown of one here: http://www.slatedroid.com/topic/33614-window-n90-dual-core-ii-teardown-components-internals-w-pictures/ http://www.slatedroid.com/topic/33614-window-n90-dual-core-i.... Use a password from BugMeNot if you aren't registered.
meaty 14y ago
ThinkPad X220. Not a "newfangled" tablet, but about the most repairable thing out there and the hardware maintenance manual is 100% available here: http://download.lenovo.com/ibmdl/pub/pc/pccbbs/mobiles_pdf/0a60739.pdf http://download.lenovo.com/ibmdl/pub/pc/pccbbs/mobiles_pdf/0...
- networked 14y ago
  Sadly, it looks like they still have the fan placed underneath the motherboard, a design that has lingered since at least the 2006 ThinkPad X60 (both the tablet and the regular laptop version), meaning that you can't replace or grease the fan without taking much of the laptop apart.
  - JoshTriplett 14y ago
    Given that the vast majority of repairs turn into motherboard replacements (since the motherboard includes pretty much every electronic component and port), making the motherboard more quickly accessible seems higher priority than getting at the fan. Anecdotal evidence: I've gone through multiple keyboard, motherboard, and screen replacements for the last 3 thinkpads I've owned, but never a fan replacement.
  - meaty 14y ago
    Its quite easy to get it out. Took me about 20 minutes on one.

Are there any tablets that are actually easy to repair?

foohey 14y ago

This is not only tablets. Every recent hardware is made to not be repairable.

benologist 14y ago
I just tried to replace a hard drive in a mac mini, now it's in the shop getting the fan I broke replaced heh.
networked 14y ago
Recently my Nokia E5 phone had been malfunctioning in a common way for the model that involves the headphone jack [1] and since it was out of warranty I decided to take it apart. What I found inside filled me with a newfound respect for Nokia's engineers. The phone's mainboard attached to the case with just 4 Torx screws and the replaceable modules like the headphone jack module and the LED flesh simply set in small compartments inside the back cover assembly. The modules connected to the mainboard through exposed flat contacts that would be held against similar contacts on the board when the phone was assembled. There were no tiny ribbon cables except for the one connecting the display. Ultimately, I was able to repair the phone by rubbing the PCB contacts that corresponded to the headphone module with an eraser to clean them. I had previously disassembled an HP Palm Pre 2 and it wasn't pretty at all by comparison -- too much double-sided tape inside. With Symbian near dead chances are that my next phone will have a touchscreen, which makes me wonder if many touchscreen phones offer that kind of repairability. [1] The so-called "Select Enhancement" problem. See https://www.google.com/#hl=en&tbo=d&output=search&sclient=psy-ab&q=nokia+e5+select+enhancement https://www.google.com/#hl=en&tbo=d&output=search&#3....
orangethirty 14y ago
For most people its not repairable. Some of us enjoy the challenge.
Someone 14y ago
I think you are somewhat mixing cause and effect. Hardware is more and more made to be small and look good. Replacing a bracket by some glue helps make the package smaller (tip for Apple: make tolerances even smaller, so that batteries fit so tight that you don't even need glue) Also, labour costs are so high (or, alternatively, electronics are so cheap) that there is little pressure to improve repairability and lots of pressure to decrease construction costs (even for stuff made in low wage countries) I think hard-to-repairness mostly comes as a consequence of these. At the other end of the spectrum, Lego and Meccano are cool, but few people would buy stuff made from it.

mtgx 14y ago

The Nexus tablets are much easier to repair.

josefresco 14y ago
As well as the Kindle Fire (8/10)

networked 14y ago

Well, Chinese brand tablets usually at least aren't held together by an adhesive. You can see a teardown of one here: http://www.slatedroid.com/topic/33614-window-n90-dual-core-ii-teardown-components-internals-w-pictures/ http://www.slatedroid.com/topic/33614-window-n90-dual-core-i.... Use a password from BugMeNot if you aren't registered.

meaty 14y ago

ThinkPad X220. Not a "newfangled" tablet, but about the most repairable thing out there and the hardware maintenance manual is 100% available here: http://download.lenovo.com/ibmdl/pub/pc/pccbbs/mobiles_pdf/0a60739.pdf http://download.lenovo.com/ibmdl/pub/pc/pccbbs/mobiles_pdf/0...

networked 14y ago
Sadly, it looks like they still have the fan placed underneath the motherboard, a design that has lingered since at least the 2006 ThinkPad X60 (both the tablet and the regular laptop version), meaning that you can't replace or grease the fan without taking much of the laptop apart.
- JoshTriplett 14y ago
  Given that the vast majority of repairs turn into motherboard replacements (since the motherboard includes pretty much every electronic component and port), making the motherboard more quickly accessible seems higher priority than getting at the fan. Anecdotal evidence: I've gone through multiple keyboard, motherboard, and screen replacements for the last 3 thinkpads I've owned, but never a fan replacement.
- meaty 14y ago
  Its quite easy to get it out. Took me about 20 minutes on one.