iFixit dismantles new iMac
As usual, our friends at iFixit have taken apart the latest hardware from Apple. Inside the new 20" iMac, they found that the machine's innards live behind the display, which must first be removed (this isn't new, but a lot less convenient than the G5s with their removable rear panel).Notable is that the AU Optronics M302EW02 display isn't LED backlit, but has a CCFL backlight (four of them in fact, each run by its own high-voltage AC power). Also, the crew had to remove 22 screws before getting at the 12.7mm SATA 8x double-layer SuperDrive, which features a screw-free design. Go figure.
Finally, they uncovered six temperature sensors, the largest resting above above the 2.66 GHz Core 2 Duo processor, of course.
While my first inclination after receiving a brand new iMac certainly wouldn't be to take it apart, I'm glad that's just me. Thanks, iFixit!
[Via MacNN]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Rubbinz said 1:37PM on 3-04-2009
I find this to be rather hilarious:
"Inside the new 20" iMac, they found that the machine's innards live behind the display, which must first be removed (this isn't new, but a lot less convenient than the G5s with their removable rear panel)."
It almost sounds as if they were utterly mystified by this hot new way to put components behind the screen. Especially since you had to comment that this isn't anything new.
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robogobo said 3:33PM on 3-04-2009
but of course, it isn't so hilarious, after you realize that he meant they're "behind" the screen rather than behind the removable panel, meaning the only way to get to them is to remove the screen.
davejay said 1:54PM on 3-04-2009
Does this mean that the new rev has the same janky display as the previous 20" model?
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Sam said 2:18PM on 3-04-2009
this is interesting..Apple is making this whole big fuss about having their products being 'greener' but there still using a CCFL backlight (as opposed to an LED backlight) which is worse from an environmental standpoint and one for the consumer. All this talk about 'instant-on' displays turns out to be a bunch of crap when you buy apple's desktop products, eh?
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9600baud said 2:54PM on 3-04-2009
I agree that the CCFL screen is a huge letdown. Not that i was in the market for one anyways but I was kinda surprised by this nevertheless...
Andrew said 3:15PM on 3-04-2009
Has anyone found a new Mini takeapart posting? I bought one last night and intend to upgrade the RAM and HD, but am curious to see what I'm getting into first....
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Andrew said 3:57PM on 3-04-2009
Answering my own question,
http://www.macminicolo.net/macmini2009.html
czantra said 5:59PM on 3-04-2009
They did the Mac Mini next: http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/First-Look/Mac-Mini-A1283-First-Look/659/1
Alex Mills said 6:13PM on 3-04-2009
"G5s with their removable rear panel"
The iSight G5's used the same "screen first" design as this, though the alloy models have a lot more screws holding it together.
The screws he counted were just for the case and screen. Once off the superdrive is free to access.
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paul merrill said 6:14PM on 3-04-2009
We'd only be looking at a higher list price if they went with LEDs.
Think about price, folks.
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