Cracking Open
TechRepublic Head Technology Editor Bill Detwiler dissects the latest business tech products and analyzes the internal components in order to help IT leaders make smart hardware purchasing and depl
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DIY desktops are dead in business and dying in the home
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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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DIY desktops are dead in business and dying in the home
Declining PC sales, fewer discrete components, and the proliferation of mobile devices are pushing the homebrew PC market into obscurity.
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Samsung Galaxy S4 teardown reveals redesigned interior, easier-to-fix phone
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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Five must-crack-open devices from CES 2012
From tablets to TVs, Bill Detwiler counts down the five devices from CES, he most wants to crack open.
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Amazon Kindle Touch (2011) teardown: Replaceable battery, Neonode touch screen
The Kindle Touch is a definite step up from Amazon's base model Kindle. But, the Touch's hardware specs are very similar to another popular e-book reader.
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Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet teardown: Upgraded, improved Nook Color
The Nook Tablet is nearly identical to the Nook Color, both inside and out. This Android tablet also shares hardware with its chief rival--the Kindle Fire.
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Five ways manufacturers make devices hard to repair
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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Teardown reveals Chromebox Series 3 isn't your average desktop
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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Cracking Open Live at CES: Samsung Galaxy Nexus
Bill Detwiler and Jason Hiner crack open the Samsung Galaxy Nexus live on the CNET stage at CES 2012.
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Nokia Lumia 800 Teardown: Skip it, wait for the Lumia 900
Nokia's Lumia 800 is a solid Windows Phone 7.5 handset. But with the Lumia 900's release on the horizon, Bill Detwiler thinks you should skip the 800.
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Boogie Board Rip Teardown: Overpriced and a few features short
The Boogie Board Rip is a solid e-writer, but two missing features and a relatively high price keep it from being a perfect pen and paper replacement.
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2012 iPad gets dual-core A5X with quad-core graphics
Apple's 2012 iPad has a dual-core A5X system-on-a-chip, not the quad-core A6 many expected. Bill Detwiler looks at what's likely inside the A5X SoC.
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Kindle Fire HD teardown reveals repair-ready tablet with minor annoyances
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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Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 teardown shows rigid, repair-friendly design
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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MacBook Air 11-inch (2012) teardown reveals upgraded hardware, same battery/internal design
Bill Detwiler tears down the 2012, 11-inch MacBook Air and shows you how Apple upgraded its hardware without changing the internal design.
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iPhone 5 lacks killer feature, still impresses
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.