The brand-spanking new Google Nexus 7 is arguably the biggest non-Apple tablet announcement since Amazon debuted the Kindle Fire. With a starting price of $200, the Nexus 7 isn’t really intended to be an iPad killer, although Google wouldn’t mind cutting out a piece of Apple’s pie.
The guys at iFixit recently tore down the Google Nexus 7, and their findings revealed that a one millimeter difference in thickness makes Google’s tablet infinitely more repairable than Apple’s iPad.
The iPad weighs in at 9.4 mm, while the Nexus 7 clocks in at 10.4 mm. The size difference wouldn’t be noticeable to most, but iFixit has concluded that one millimeter is “the difference between being able to open a device and service all of its internals, and not.” The little bit of extra space Google included makes opening the retaining clips around the device’s perimeter “like cutting through butter.”
The extra space Google included in the Nexus 7 is the “negligible difference between extending the life of your device through repair, as opposed to tossing it in a landfill,” according to iFixit. “And most of all, nobody will complain about that one millimeter difference in day-to-day use, but the user-serviceability it brings will make all the difference when the device breaks.”
A veteran brain surgeon would likely have trouble cracking open the iPad. Apple makes it nearly impossible — or at least counter-productive — to try and remove the iPad’s display with suction cups and putty knives. And that’s why you buy AppleCare. Instead of fixing it yourself, you take it to the Apple Store and get a new device.
Would you prefer to have a device that you can easily repair yourself, or is it a non-issue in most cases?
Source: iFixit
Via: Ars Technica
Alex Heath is a journalist who works for Tech Insider. He’s the former co-host of The CultCast. He has been quoted by the likes of the BBC, KRON 4 News, and books like “ICONIC: A Photographic Tribute to Apple Innovation.” He lives in Lexington, Kentucky. If you want to pitch a story, share a tip, or just get in touch, additional contact information is available on his personal site. Follow him on Twitter.
