At this year's Worldwide Development Conference (WWDC) Apple unveiled its new plans for one of its most popular devices, the MacBook Air, but the tech minds at iFixit got a chance to take it apart, later assigning the famed notebook a poor rating.
The newly-updated 13-inch MacBook Air was well-received on Monday in a presentation that was part of Apple's keynote, announcing several improvements, including "a faster solid-state drive, an upgrade to Intel's fourth-generation core processor, increased battery life and support for 802.11ac Wi-Fi," according to CNET.
And while the sleek hardware has stayed about the same as the MacBook Air before it, the iFixit crew delved a little deeper a performed, quite literally, a takedown and rebuild.
In their experiment, the tech team at iFixit found a larger battery, saw a smaller set of parts acting as the machine's solid-state drive, and an upgraded the Wi-Fi AirPort card.
To get the Air to run faster, Apple announced it replaced the former SATA connection in the SSD, to a much more efficient PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) connection, reported CNET.
Ultimately, the experts at iFixit, after admitting some components of the machine were impressive, gave the 2013 MacBook Air a score of 40 percent of 100, or a four out of 10.
"The screws are proprietary, demanding a certain type of screwdriver," CNET reported. "All of the components are proprietary, including the RAM and SSD. The RAM modules themselves are soldered to the logic board, and the SSDs aren't compatible with prior AirBook models."
iFixit offers tutorials on how people can fix devices themselves.
It has also created an online community of techies committed to teaching others about learning more regarding proprietary technologies as it relates to hardware restoration and overhaul.
iFixit launched in 2003 and is the brainchild of two college roommates, Luke and Kyle. Since its launch, the online manuals and instructions have helped everyone from forensic detectives to everyday kids.
