Cracking Open
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DIY desktops are dead in business and dying in the home
By Bill Detwiler | May 24, 2013, 8:22 AM PDT
Declining PC sales, fewer discrete components, and the proliferation of mobile devices are pushing the homebrew PC market into obscurity.
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Google Glass teardown reveals hits and misses on repairability
By Bill Detwiler | May 14, 2013, 8:06 AM PDT
Bill Detwiler cracks open Google Glass and discovers the wearable computer's sturdy construction also makes repairs impractical.
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Samsung Galaxy S4 teardown reveals redesigned interior, easier-to-fix phone
By Bill Detwiler | May 6, 2013, 1:08 PM PDT
Bill Detwiler cracks open the Samsung Galaxy S4, explores the redesigned interior and shows you why it's easier to repair than previous Galaxy phones.
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Pricey Chromebook Pixel: Built well but impractical to upgrade
By Bill Detwiler | March 14, 2013, 1:25 PM PDT
Bill Detwiler cracks open the Google Chromebook Pixel and shows you why it's easy to open and service, but nearly impossible to upgrade.
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Difficult-to-repair Surface Pro built more like an ultrabook than a tablet
By Bill Detwiler | February 21, 2013, 6:59 PM PST
Bill Detwiler cracks open the difficult-to-repair Microsoft Surface Pro and shows you how it's built more like a laptop or ultrabook than a tablet.
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Nexus 4 teardown: Easy-open case hides LTE hardware surprise
By Bill Detwiler | February 11, 2013, 1:35 PM PST
Bill Detwiler shows you how to crack open the LG-built, Google Nexus 4 and uncovers a hardware surprise inside.
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Top five Cracking Open teardowns of 2012
By Bill Detwiler | December 18, 2012, 6:48 AM PST
Bill Detwiler counts down his favorite Cracking Open teardowns of 2012, which include the mediocre Lumia 900, a $7,000 PC, and difficult-to-repair MacBook Pro.
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HP Z820 Workstation: Tool-less case makes teardown a snap
By Bill Detwiler | December 7, 2012, 12:37 PM PST
Bill Detwiler cracks open the HP Z820 using nothing but his hands and shows you what's inside this desktop powerhouse.
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iPad Mini more difficult to repair than larger iPad
By Bill Detwiler | November 12, 2012, 8:17 AM PST
Bill Detwiler shows you how to disassemble the iPad Mini and explains why it's actually more difficult to crack open and repair than the iPad.
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Microsoft Surface built solid, but design lacks polish
By Bill Detwiler | November 5, 2012, 6:54 PM PST
Bill Detwiler cracks open the Surface for Windows RT. Inside Microsoft's tablet, he finds easy-to-replace components, but an often-annoying hardware layout.
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Apple October surprise: iPad Mini sticker shock, iPad hardware refresh, and more
By Bill Detwiler | October 23, 2012, 6:12 PM PDT
Bill Detwiler gives you the details and his first-take hardware analysis on the new iPad Mini, fourth-generation iPad, 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, redesigned iMac, and updated Mac Mini.
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PS3 Super Slim teardown reveals hardware changes, but no real upgrades
By Bill Detwiler | October 11, 2012, 7:50 PM PDT
Bill Detwiler cracks open the PlayStation 3 Super Slim, shows you how Sony redesigned the popular gaming console, and compare the new machine to older PS3 models.
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iPhone 5 teardown: Redesigned case and interior simplify repairs
By Bill Detwiler | September 25, 2012, 4:38 PM PDT
Bill Detwiler tears down the iPhone 5 and shows you how its redesigned case and interior hardware layout make the phone easier to disassemble and repair.
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Kindle Fire HD teardown reveals repair-ready tablet with minor annoyances
By Bill Detwiler | September 20, 2012, 12:54 PM PDT
Bill Detwiler disassembles the Amazon Kindle Fire HD and shows you why it's easy to crack open and how it compares to the Nexus 7 and Galaxy Tab 2 7.0.
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iPhone 5 lacks killer feature, still impresses
By Bill Detwiler | September 12, 2012, 5:21 PM PDT
The iPhone 5 lacks one big killer feature. But, Bill Detwiler explains why the phone's hardware improvements and iOS 6, make the iPhone 5 an impressive device.
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How to replace a broken laptop screen
By Bill Detwiler | September 6, 2012, 1:31 PM PDT
A cracked screen can make a laptop unusable. Luckily, you can fix it. Bill Detwiler gives you step-by-step instructions for replacing a broken laptop LCD panel.
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Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 teardown shows rigid, repair-friendly design
By Bill Detwiler | August 30, 2012, 12:48 PM PDT
Bill Detwiler disassembles the Galaxy Note 10.1 and shows you why it's easy to service and an improvement over the 10-inch Galaxy Tab.
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Teardown reveals Chromebox Series 3 isn't your average desktop
By Bill Detwiler | August 23, 2012, 3:21 PM PDT
The Samsung Chromebox Series 3 may look like a Mac Mini, but it's not. Bill Detwiler explains why this Chrome OS machine isn't your typical desktop.
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Five ways manufacturers make devices hard to repair
By Bill Detwiler | August 16, 2012, 10:27 AM PDT
Bill Detwiler shows you five ways manufactures are making our gadgets harder to fix and gives you tips on working around these self-repair roadblocks.
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MacBook Air 11-inch (2012) teardown reveals upgraded hardware, same battery/internal design
By Bill Detwiler | August 9, 2012, 8:46 AM PDT
Bill Detwiler tears down the 2012, 11-inch MacBook Air and shows you how Apple upgraded its hardware without changing the internal design.
