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Louis918 · May 17, 2006, 12:22 PM

Someone with a macbook should check and see if they can remove their HD through the battery compartment...it almost looks like the HD sled has a pull tab.

http://www.kodawarisan.com/k2006/arc...ok_aaaa_1.html

discotronic · May 17, 2006, 01:08 PM

There is a link on this page:

http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.php?t=295586&page=4

galarneau · May 17, 2006, 06:23 PM

If you look here:

http://www.kodawarisan.com/macbook/macbook002.html

It looks like the MacBook hard drive is directly under the left palm rest and can be slid out into the battery bay via a pull tab with a minimum of hassle.

Upgraders rejoice!

ort888 · May 17, 2006, 06:25 PM

That is the best news ever. I hate that I am unable to upgrade the HD on my current iBook.

egutin · May 17, 2006, 11:38 PM

I asked a rep at the Apple Store about this thread. He checked and told me that the HD is NOT considered user upgradeable,and to do so would void the warranty. I dont know if this is accurate or not, but that is what they are saying in Paramus. I bet they built it that way to make BTO 10 times easier. Here's why:

With the iBook, to get to the RAM meant removing 4 screws,the keyboard, and the airport card. To upgrade the HD meant taking a good bit of the computer apart (at least 10 srews,probably more), which probably made BTO awfully slow, or meant manufacturing multiple configurations and hoping for the best.

Now the only two real BTO options involving hardware are right next to each other, an easy replacement, and BAM, ready to go. They probably have a bunch of "completed" macbooks sitting around, sans batteries, ready for BTO needs.

tricha6 · May 18, 2006, 11:32 AM

Macworld.com has posted a video (hosted on YouTube) demonstrating removing the RAM and HD. Once the three screws are out, the hard drive seems incredibly easy to replace: No cables or anything. Just remove the chasis from the old drive, put it on the new drive and slide it into place. Nice.

I bet we see the new integrated keyboard and the easy hard drive removal on the MBP line next case revision.

mindwaves · May 18, 2006, 11:40 AM

Originally Posted by tricha6

Macworld.com has posted a video (hosted on YouTube) demonstrating removing the RAM and HD. Once the three screws are out, the hard drive seems incredibly easy to replace: No cables or anything. Just remove the chasis from the old drive, put it on the new drive and slide it into place. Nice.

I bet we see the new integrated keyboard and the easy hard drive removal on the MBP line next case revision.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=8c6ckjy-gdY&search=macbook

Salty · May 18, 2006, 01:43 PM

Wow! Now the question is can you put another pull tab on another HD? Or is it a upgrade easy once sorta deal? Ha. that said it looks pretty dang user upgradable! If I can pop a 100gig 7200rpm HD in there.... then we're talking!

Stradlater · May 18, 2006, 02:03 PM

Could you put in one of these 160GB monsters?

http://www.drivesolutions.com/cgi-bi...emid&itemid=l1

harrisjamieh · May 18, 2006, 02:13 PM

No, because its an ATA drive, and the MB uses SATA

Stradlater · May 18, 2006, 02:14 PM

Originally Posted by harrisjamieh

No, because its an ATA drive, and the MB uses SATA

Ah. That's what I figured upon further browsing. Any drives bigger than 120 available in the SATA realm or coming soon?

EDIT, Found this one: http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_g...160gb+2.5+sata
Only 4200rpm, however.

galarneau · May 18, 2006, 02:17 PM

The pull tab is probably attached to the sled the drive screws onto.

JustinD · May 18, 2006, 07:09 PM

Seagate's Momentus 2.5" 5400RPM 160GB drive with SATA is coming out soon - the PATA version is already out. Perpendicular and all that jazz. I'm holding off until this bad boy is out!

tillin · May 18, 2006, 07:37 PM

that's odd, because i asked the apple rep the same question today, and he told me that it is definitely user replaceable, and he highly recommends it!

hmmm.

Stradlater · May 18, 2006, 07:41 PM

Originally Posted by JustinD

Seagate's Momentus 2.5" 5400RPM 160GB drive with SATA is coming out soon - the PATA version is already out. Perpendicular and all that jazz. I'm holding off until this bad boy is out!

Did a search. Looks like it's out?

http://macsolutions.com/16semob2athd.html

Louis918 · May 18, 2006, 07:57 PM

I was reading the MB manual and it makes no mention of the hard drive, but it does show how to remove the "L" shaped bracket to access the ram slots. Once you're to that point, it looks like all you have to do is pull the HD tab. I'm not so sure if it's a do it yourself part or not.

Edit: I just watched the video...very fun!

masugu · May 18, 2006, 08:16 PM

Whoa...if that 160 is for real, I'm gonna get the standard 80 gig BlacBook. By the time I runoutta space, I can slap in a new 200+ HD I'll bet!

eeeaa · May 18, 2006, 09:57 PM

Originally Posted by ort888

That is the best news ever. I hate that I am unable to upgrade the HD on my current iBook.

You can certainly upgrade the drive in your current iBook. I've upgraded mine from the standard 30GB to a 100GB model. You just have to dismantle the whole computer to get to the hard drive.

The new MacBooks seem to be designed with repairs, not upgrades, in mind. I am guessing that this has nothing at all to do with the fact that Apple wants to be nice and make it easier for us to upgrade our drives (in fact, they want you to buy a new computer, rather than upgrade your current machine). The support costs are probably higher, considering that a hard drive is a typical hardware failure point in a notebook computer. When you have to dismantle the whole thing just to service a hard drive still under warranty, it takes longer. Time is money, and support people are now free to work on other things, rather than spend two hours taking apart an iBook. They made it easier for themselves, and us in the process.

JustinD · May 19, 2006, 04:10 AM

Originally Posted by Stradlater

Did a search. Looks like it's out?

http://macsolutions.com/16semob2athd.html

WHOA whoa whoa - to the guy below that wanted to buy one: this is the PATA model. You need the SATA model that is not out yet. Specs for the model that Stradlater cited:

http://www.seagate.com/cda/products/...81,736,00.html

mavherzog · May 19, 2006, 05:00 AM

Originally Posted by egutin

With the iBook, to get to the RAM meant removing 4 screws,the keyboard, and the airport card. To upgrade the HD meant taking a good bit of the computer apart (at least 10 srews,probably more), which probably made BTO awfully slow, or meant manufacturing multiple configurations and hoping for the best.

Try almost 50! (I just did this myself on my 12" iBook)

Dr.Michael · 06:32 AM

According to the collection of self service manuals on the apple pages, users are only allowed to replace RAM, the L-shaped RAM door and the battery.

But touching the hd is only a very small step once the RAM door is removed. So I guess we will get the permission to replace the drive soon.

update:
########
There is no explicit hard drive replacement manual, but cited from the Memory replacement instructions http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/Mac...Memory_DIY.pdf

"Note: Before you can remove the hard drive, you must remove the battery and RAM door." (top of page 4).

So, this is the answer! It is a do it yourself manual, and it says explicitely that you can replace the harddrive

.

Stradlater · May 19, 2006, 08:26 PM

Originally Posted by JustinD

WHOA whoa whoa - to the guy below that wanted to buy one: this is the PATA model. You need the SATA model that is not out yet. Specs for the model that Stradlater cited:

http://www.seagate.com/cda/products/...81,736,00.html

The site I posted was ambiguous. Strangely enough, I got to it by clicking on "SATA" in the menu.