{"id":2344,"date":"2022-03-26T14:37:10","date_gmt":"2022-03-26T14:37:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/03\/26\/honey-i-decapitated-the-macbook\/"},"modified":"2022-03-26T14:37:11","modified_gmt":"2022-03-26T14:37:11","slug":"honey-i-decapitated-the-macbook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/03\/26\/honey-i-decapitated-the-macbook\/","title":{"rendered":"Honey, I decapitated the MacBook"},"content":{"rendered":"

Source: https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/22965732\/macbook-decapitation-slabtop-mod-mac-studio-event-rumor-keyboard-computer-diy<\/a>
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People had a lot of questions when I pulled out my M1 MacBook Air at a party over the weekend: \u201cWhat is that?\u201d \u201cWhat happened to your laptop?\u201d \u201cIs that the new Mac?\u201d This was to be expected, as there certainly was something different about mine. See, my MacBook Air doesn\u2019t have a screen \u2014 and I made it that way.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t worry \u2014 it\u2019s not broken. All I did was take apart my laptop without, you know, re-attaching the display. It has now been simplified into just its bottom half: an aluminum slab with an embedded keyboard and trackpad. I\u2019m calling it a \u201cslabtop\u201d now. And I kind of like it.<\/p>\n

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Behold! I present to you my slabtop.<\/em><\/figcaption>Photo by Umar Shakir \/ The Verge<\/cite><\/p>\n

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It\u2019s a whole-ass computer inside a keyboard, not unlike PCs of yesteryear like the Apple II and Commodore 64. But this M1-powered slabtop is different from those relics; it\u2019s got a trackpad, a long-lasting battery, and it has AirPlay.<\/p>\n

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The Apple IIe. Even Woz likes a good slabtop.<\/em><\/figcaption>Photo by \u00a9 Roger Ressmeyer\/CORBIS\/VCG via Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n

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It sounds silly, but I swear a slabtop is more fun to use than a laptop. It\u2019s freeing at a party where you can wirelessly connect to a TV with the keyboard in your lap \u2014 your hands freely flailing without smacking your screen during a Drawful game session with friends.<\/p>\n

What inspired me to decapitate my Mac was Apple\u2019s patent published last month<\/a> for a Mac embedded inside a keyboard. Rumor had it we would see a Mac like this at Apple\u2019s event last week, but instead, we got the externally boring but actually amazing<\/a> new Mac Studio. I must say, I was a bit smitten by the raw performance Apple was promising and began slapping my wallet nervously in my palm \u2014 but instead of choosing consumerism, I chose violence.<\/p>\n

Look, I\u2019m not crazy \u2014 I don\u2019t go around looking at laptops and wondering how they would look with their heads chopped off, but I\u2019ve probably replaced over a hundred display clamshells during my time as an Apple \u201cGenius,\u201d and I\u2019m comfortable with it. I also had an itch to nix my Mac\u2019s clamshell because screenless MacBooks have been trending on Twitter<\/a> and discussed on Reddit<\/a> ever since that patent was published. Someone even made a slabtop with the forsaken Touch Bar<\/a>, retaining at least one screen on their lap.<\/p>\n

You do lose some functions when you delete the screen; hopefully, you\u2019ll never need to fix your computer because you can\u2019t see the recovery mode screen on an external monitor. Also, if you want to wirelessly stream to your TV, you\u2019ll need to first physically plug the slabtop into a display to get to the AirPlay controls. You\u2019ll also lose the built-in webcam, so if you\u2019re doing any Zoom sessions, you\u2019ll need an external one.<\/p>\n

You could also<\/em> lose access to Wi-Fi on certain older MacBook Pro models from 2008\u20132010 because the AirPort card and antennas were embedded in the display hinge. Thankfully, many of those models still have built-in Ethernet jacks from the era before Apple started taking away ports. (Ports are back, BTW<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

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Bless my cousin\u2019s heart for straight trusting me.<\/em><\/figcaption>Image: Umar Shakir \/ The Verge<\/cite><\/p>\n

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If you have a MacBook, you know, just sitting around, chillin\u2019, happy as a clam…shell… you could make your own slabtop! Or you could be me and volunteer your cousin\u2019s 2009 15-inch MacBook Pro while they aren\u2019t around to supervise it. <\/p>\n

But if your cousin isn\u2019t as forgiving as mine, perhaps the eBay route is your best bet. I found recently sold listings for broken Touch Bar MacBook Pros going for around $400, either because they had cracked screens or a problem with the flexible display ribbon cables<\/a>. But, hey, who needs flex cables anyway when we\u2019re dropping dead weight?<\/p>\n

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You can find plenty of MacBooks on eBay that have broken screens but are otherwise completely functional.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Before we get started, make sure you have a toolkit with all the needed screwdriver bits: a pentalobe P5 to open up most MacBooks made 2012 or later, a Phillips 00 to open up most MacBooks 2012 or earlier; either way, you\u2019ll want a full Torx set sizes 3-8 for various internal parts. You might also want a tri-wing Y1 driver to remove many 2010\u20132012 MacBook batteries (to avoid accidentally turning on your MacBook while working) or, in the case of the 2009 MacBook Pro, a pentalobe P6. It\u2019s also nice to have a nylon pry tool and tweezers to safely pluck connectors and collect screws, or you could just grow your nails out for a few days as a substitute.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll also need to have a monitor or TV to use your slabtop and a means to physically connect them. If your Mac only has USB-C ports like my M1 MacBook Air, get a USB-C to HDMI cable or a USB-C hub \/ dock that has a video output. But if your Mac is a bit older like that 2009 MacBook Pro, you\u2019ll need a cable that goes from mini DisplayPort to whatever your external monitor uses, such as HDMI, full DisplayPort, maybe even DVI.<\/p>\n

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Here\u2019s my cousin\u2019s 2009 MacBook Pro plugged into monitor using a mini DisplayPort to HDMI cable.<\/em><\/figcaption>Photo by Umar Shakir \/ The Verge<\/cite><\/p>\n

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While I took apart the computers using sheer instinct<\/em>, I did find a very good M1 MacBook Air display removal guide<\/a> at iFixit and another one<\/a> for the 15-inch 2009 MacBook Pro. If you\u2019re opening up a different MacBook or maybe even another laptop entirely (heck, you could make a Chromebox from a Chromebook if you wanted to), you should look for a guide online on how to take it apart \u2014 or be like me and don\u2019t, that\u2019s up to you! Please be advised: I take no responsibility for any damage or injury caused by your attempt.<\/p>\n

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2009 MacBook Pro: The fan started spinning because I accidentally turned the computer on during surgery. Don\u2019t forget to disconnect the battery.<\/em><\/figcaption>Photo by Umar Shakir \/ The Verge<\/cite><\/p>\n

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For the past decade\u2019s worth of MacBooks, the first step is to open the bottom case. Flip the MacBook upside-down and remove all the bottom screws (as many as 10) with either the pentalobe or Phillips driver, depending on the model. Be sure to note where each screw goes since some are longer than others, and the wrong ones could cause damage.<\/p>\n

You may still need to pry slightly before it opens \u2014 with my M1 MacBook Air and the 15-inch 2009 MacBook Pro, I just needed to grab the aluminum base at the back edge near the vents and pull \u2014 you\u2019ll feel a couple snaps from clamps holding them together, but don\u2019t worry, it comes off easily. Most other MacBook models released come apart the same way \u2014 except for one major anomaly in the 12-inch Retina MacBook. That model has its battery and logic board attached to the bottom case with sensitive ribbon cables connected between the slabs. For that, I would recommend following this guide<\/a> closely to avoid damage to the cable or battery.<\/p>\n

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Disconnecting the M1 MacBook Air\u2019s battery is as easy as flipping up the metal pull tab and pulling up.<\/em><\/figcaption>Photo by Umar Shakir \/ The Verge<\/cite><\/p>\n

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The second step is to disconnect the battery. I made the mistake of skipping this step on the 2009 MacBook Pro and accidentally turned it on during surgery \u2014 better on my cousin\u2019s MacBook Pro and not my MacBook Air, am I right? Anyway, for the 2009 MacBook Pro, I removed three pentalobe screws (tri-wing for the next few model years up), lifted the battery halfway up with its handy pull tab, then disconnected the battery.<\/p>\n

The 2011 MacBook Pro\u2019s battery is much easier to disconnect; you don\u2019t even need to take the battery out. Ditto the M1 MacBook Air\u2019s battery: all it takes is a flip-up and pull of the metal locking handle of the battery connector. (See image above.)<\/p>\n

The third step is to disconnect and remove anything that comes in the way of getting to the display hinge screws, including internal video connectors, antenna connectors, and \u2014 in the case of my M1 MacBook Air \u2014 even the antennas themselves. Don\u2019t worry \u2014 after the display is removed, you can put the antenna back and still keep Wi-Fi connectivity for your slabtop, unlike my cousin\u2019s machine. Removing all these parts can be tricky, so you might want to follow an online guide for your particular model.<\/p>\n

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Disconnecting the antenna cables in the M1 MacBook Air. Don\u2019t worry \u2014 these will go back when we finish up so you can keep Wi-Fi.<\/em><\/figcaption>Photo by Umar Shakir \/ The Verge<\/cite><\/p>\n

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I removed a metal shield to reveal this display connector. Disconnect it and be mindful of it when taking out the antennas.<\/em><\/figcaption>Photo by Umar Shakir \/ The Verge<\/cite><\/p>\n

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The fourth step is to remove the display clamshell. For my M1 MacBook Air: with the display cable disconnected and the antennas out of the way, I pick up the laptop and open the clamshell to <\/em>its widest point, maybe 130 degrees. I then place the laptop upside down with the keyboard slab fully on the desk\u2019s top and the display clamshell hanging down and off the edge of the desk like a wing. Hold it so it doesn\u2019t slide off the table while you perform the next steps!<\/p>\n

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Clamshell and antenna array removed from the M1 MacBook Air.<\/em><\/figcaption>Photo by Umar Shakir \/ The Verge<\/cite><\/p>\n

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With the Air, there are six Torx screws holding the clamshell to the keyboard slab \u2014 three on each side \u2014 I removed two from each side and then only removed the last two screws after I was sure I could keep the lid from falling. The screen won\u2019t necessarily pop off, though. You\u2019ve got to dislodge the hinge from the frame first, and my trick is basically just to push the laptop screen as if I\u2019m closing it while it\u2019s upside down on the desk. It should pop out when the lid is nearly perpendicular to the base.<\/p>\n

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2009 MacBook Pro: Small pieces were returned so the bottom case can be reinstalled.<\/em><\/figcaption>Photo by Umar Shakir \/ The Verge<\/cite><\/p>\n

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By the way, that step is a bit easier on the 2009 MacBook Pro. I kept the display open at a 90-degree angle off the desk instead of fully opening it, removed the screws, and then lifted the display straight up and off without any pushing or sliding.<\/p>\n

The slabtop is almost ready, but you\u2019ll need to put a few pieces back in if you want to close it up again and have Wi-Fi. With my M1 Air, all the non-display parts, including the antenna and its connectors, went back in. I even put the display hinge screws back in for safekeeping. I then reconnected the battery and firmly pressed the bottom case cover back on, and it gave a satisfying snap. Now I\u2019m only 10 screws away from the final product \u2014 my new slabtop!<\/p>\n

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