Why Some Parts are not Consumer-Installable

ByMike Moffit

by Jon, jon@smalldog.com

Apple offers upgrade Kits for Mac Pro, Mac Mini and PowerMac G5 with the requirement that they are to be installed by Apple Authorized service providers only. Some people, including myself (to a point), feel the prohibition against self-installation not entirely necessary. When installing Airport/Bluetooth upgrades on a Mac Pro, even a certified technician like myself can make a mistake.

Mac Pros are selling very well right now, and have the lowest DOA rate of any Apple product in a long time. We keep in stock the AIrport and Bluetooth kits, and install them for free whenever the kit is ordered with a new machine. It was my job last Thursday to install a bluetooth kit into a Mac Pro before it was turned over to UPS. I have performed this install numerous times, and was being a little nonchalant about it…after all, it’s just a card, a cable, and two screws.

All was going well until the magnetized screwdriver lost its grip on the last screw of the install. Some end users performing this install would ignore this lost screw, and use the computer as if nothing happened. What could one little screw do after all? I know better: the consequences of a conductive metal bit banging around the inside of a computer can be dire. I first started fishing for the little metallic monster with a slightly longer screw driver, but was unable to find it. More drastic measures were in order.

As an authorized service provider and a certified desktop technician, I have at my disposal the complete “take aparts” and service manuals for the all Apple computers, and the appropriate electrostatic discharge prevention equipment. The short of it is that I had to almost completely disassemble the computer in order to remove the logic board. The screw was stuck under the logic board.

This is the worst-case scenario, and can happen to anyone. If you attempt to install a part designated as not customer installable, and this happens, it can be costly to have a technician take your whole machine apart to find the lost piece. Further, if you leave the part improperly installed, or have a screw banging around, the repair of resulting failures will not be covered by your warranty!

Similar Posts

  • iMovie for iPad – Overview

    iMovie for iPad was announced at Apple’s media event Wednesday. The new app—which draws substantially from its OS X and iPhone 4 counterparts—takes…

  • Avoid Accidental Damage! Why Protection Is Important

    With many schools and colleges back in session, we are seeing the usual and predicable spike in accidental damage repairs in our service facilities. It’s very important to remember that a dropped computer, one with a broken screen, or one with any type of liquid damage–no matter how new–has no warranty coverage.

    Small Dog has a ton of products to protect your Mac or iPod from impact and liquid damage. Keep in mind, though, that you still should avoid dropping your laptop or drinking anything near it. Here are my favorite protective products for Apple laptops.

    “Speck cases”:http://www.smalldog.com/search/?find=speck are hard shells that are form-fitted for a precise and tight fit to your laptop. Available in many colors and textures, they are the best-selling and best-performing protection against impact damage.

    The second part of protecting your laptop is a well-padded laptop bag like “those from Timbuk2.”:http://www.smalldog.com/search/?find=Timbuk2 These messenger-style laptop bags have lots of storage, look good, and provide great protection. If you prefer a sleeve-style laptop case, know that they provide less protection, but are still better than carrying around a naked computer. My favorite is the new “Hammerhead line,”:http://www.smalldog.com/search/?find=hammerhead named for CEO Don Mayer’s bulldog.

    Jeremiah Johnson, assistant manager of the South Burlington store, likes the Incipio Feather line of cases, and has a review a little later in this issue of Best in Showroom.

    The third element of a good protection plan is a keyboard cover. “KB Covers”:http://www.smalldog.com/search/?find=kb+cover makes a line of form-fitting super-thin plastic covers that’ll save your bacon if you spill a small amount of liquid on your keyboard. It only takes a drop of water to make it through your keyboard and onto complex (and very expensive) circuitry below. If you must drink near your laptop, you owe it to yourself to get a keyboard cover.

    If, despite your best efforts to protect your machine (or if you didn’t protect it), your computer is dropped or spilled in, it is best to discontinue use immediately to prevent more damage. A dropped computer should have its hard drive preemptively replaced in most cases, and a computer that’s been spilled in should have a thorough inspection by a good technician. Our Technical Service team can often revive a damaged computer for hundreds, or even over $1,000 less than the same repair at an Apple store.

  • Top Ten Favorite Paid Mac Apps

    As promised last week, here is my list of favorite paid applications for Mac. While these are my own personal favorite apps, many…

  • Notice for Boot Camp Beta Users

    BOOT CAMP BETA LICENSE EXPIRES 9/30/07; REQUIRES UPDATE. Important: This notice does not apply to customers using the latest versions of Boot Camp…