Apple's $599 MacBook Neo its most fixable lappy in a decade+

"In a teardown published late last week, iFixit said that the recently-launched MacBook Neo is the most repairable Apple laptop in roughly 14 years, a surprising shift for a company that has spent the past decade gluing, soldering, and otherwise discouraging anyone with a screwdriver from poking around inside its hardware."

"Under the hood, however, iFixit's teardown team found several choices that technicians haven't seen in a MacBook for some time. Instead of glue and rivets holding major parts together, the Neo relies heavily on screws. The battery alone is secured with 18 screws and can be lifted out without the usual adhesive wrestling match that plagues many recent Apple laptops."

"Several components are also modular. Ports, speakers, and other small parts can be swapped individually rather than forcing repair shops to replace large assemblies, and Apple has published official repair documentation for the machine at launch. All of that helped the MacBook Neo land a 6 out of 10 on iFixit's repairability scale."

Apple's new entry-level MacBook Neo, priced at $599, represents a major shift in the company's approach to device repairability. According to iFixit's teardown analysis, the Neo is the most repairable Apple laptop in approximately 14 years. The device uses screws rather than glue and rivets to secure major components, with the battery held by 18 screws and the keyboard requiring 41 screws for replacement. Ports, speakers, and other small parts are modular and can be swapped individually. The Neo achieved a 6 out of 10 repairability score from iFixit, significantly higher than recent MacBooks. However, limitations remain, including soldered RAM that cannot be upgraded. The laptop features Apple's A18 Pro chip and comes in bright colors reminiscent of classic plastic Macs.

Read at Theregister