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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Nokia Lumia 900 teardown reveals mediocre hardware, reasons for great price
Nokia's Lumia 900 is an attractive Windows Phone handset, but TechRepublic uncovers hardware that's a step behind the Galaxy Nexus and iPhone 4S.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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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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Cracking Open the iPad 3 processor mystery: Dual-core A5X or quad-core A6
Does an online photo show the Apple iPad 3 with a dual-core A5X processor, instead of a quad-core A6 chip? Bill Detwiler considers the evidence.
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Droid Razr Maxx Teardown: Impressive battery life in a sleek package
Offering 20 hours of talk time, Motorola's Droid Razr Maxx may be the answer for those who fear smartphones with non-removable batteries.
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Zenbook teardown: Blatant copy of MacBook Air
The Zenbook is a solid, Windows alternative to the MacBook Air. But, it's also a near mirror image of Apple's ultra-thin laptop, both inside and out.
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Don't blame Motorola for not wiping returned Xooms
Consumers must take responsibility for protecting their personal data and stop relying on manufacturers or retailers to wipe returned devices.
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Asus Transformer Prime Teardown: Solid tablet, but not without flaws
The Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime is a solid Android tablet, but its case is tricky to open and quality control during assembly needs improvement.
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Apple iPhone 4S Teardown: Old design, new hardware
Bill Detwiler cracks open the Apple iPhone 4S and finds a design nearly identical to that of the iPhone 4, but also significant hardware updates.
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Galaxy Tab 7.7 teardown reveals lots of Samsung's homegrown hardware
Bill Detwiler cracks open the Galaxy Tab 7.7 and finds an Android tablet packed with Samsung's own hardware.
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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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Toshiba Thrive teardown: Most laptop-like Android tablet
The Toshiba Thrive's full-size ports make it a very laptop-like device, but they also risk making it too big and heavy for some tablet users.
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Evo 4G LTE teardown reveals differences, similarities with HTC One X
Despite being Sprint's version of the HTC One X, Bill Detwiler's teardown of the Evo 4G LTE reveals several important differences.
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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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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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Google charges hefty premium for 16GB Nexus 7 storage
Nexus 7 hardware cost breakdown shows that Google charges a $50 premium for $7.50 worth of extra storage.
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Nook 2011 cracking open analysis: Battery replaceable, same processor as Nook Color
Bill Detwiler cracks open the 2011 Nook and discovers that the reader has an easily-replaceable battery and the same processor as the Nook Color.
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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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Drobo B800i SAN storage device teardown: Proprietary motherboard with Marvell processor
The Data Robotics Drobo B800i iSCSI SAN storage device is easy to work on, but the manufacturer will likely be your only source for the proprietary hardware.
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Motorola Xyboard 10.1 Teardown: Overpriced, soon to be outdated
The Motorola Xyboard 10.1's excellent build quality and decent hardware are overshadowed by its high price and quad-core tablet competitors.
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Cracking Open an ultrabook from 1999, the Compaq Armada M300
Ultrabook may be a new term, but thin, light laptops aren't a new. Bill Detwiler cracks open an ancestor of the ultrabook--the Compaq Armada M300.
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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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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.