Cracking Open

Archive: 03-2012

• Apple TV 2012 Teardown: Upgraded processor, wireless chip

  From the outside, the 2012 Apple TV looks like its predecessor, but on the inside it has a better processor and upgraded wireless chip.

  Posted by Bill Detwiler | March 29, 2012, 7:00 PM PDT

• Haptic feedback touchpads and ultra-thin keyboards revealed in Apple patent applications

  Apple patent applications reveal two features of future iPads, iPhones, and Macs–haptic feedback interfaces and ultra-thin keyboards.

  Posted by Bill Detwiler | March 29, 2012, 10:19 AM PDT

• Apple iPad 2012 Teardown: Bigger battery, better GPU, more RAM

  The 2012 Apple iPad is a solid incremental upgrade that offers a brilliant display, bigger battery, better GPU, and more RAM.

  Posted by Bill Detwiler | March 22, 2012, 1:39 PM PDT

• Larger iPads put more money in Apple’s pockets

  2012 iPad hardware cost breakdown reveals that Apple charges a hefty premium for the 32GB and 64GB models.

  Posted by Bill Detwiler | March 19, 2012, 3:01 PM PDT

• Apple iPad 2012 Teardown: Amazing display, difficult to repair

  The 2012 Apple iPad is a solid upgrade and its Retina display is amazing. But as Bill Detwiler discovered, it’s still difficult to open and repair.

  Posted by Bill Detwiler | March 16, 2012, 2:09 PM PDT

• 2012 iPad has 1GHz CPU and 1GB of RAM

  Apple doubled the amount of RAM in the 2012 iPad and added a quad-core GPU, but left the CPU clock speed unchanged at 1GHz.

  Posted by Bill Detwiler | March 13, 2012, 11:02 AM PDT

• HP Spectre Teardown: Eye-catching, but overpriced ultrabook

  The HP Envy 14 Spectre has solid hardware and a stylish design, but it’s significantly more expensive than other ultrabooks.

  Posted by Bill Detwiler | March 8, 2012, 1:52 PM PST

• 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.

  Posted by Bill Detwiler | March 7, 2012, 1:48 PM PST

• 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.

  Posted by Bill Detwiler | March 1, 2012, 11:53 AM PST