Whether they are studying the latest software or hardware, I think it’s a safe assumption that IT professionals possess a keen interest in learning how things work. Often, the examination involves a simple installation and hands-on testing, but what happens when you want to dig a little deeper? Before you break out the screwdrivers and pliers, let us do the dirty work. We’re happy to put our budget and disassembly skills on the line. The following galleries give you a glimpse at the inner workings of game consoles, iPods, hard drives, and more.

Cracking open the Nintendo Wii Remote
Much has been written, speculated, and conjectured about the Nintendo Wii Remote. As a follow-up to our disassembly of the Wii, we decided to crack open the Wii Remote to see for ourselves.

 

Cracking open the Nintendo Wii
After taking it for a test drive, we began the painstaking and somewhat frustrating disassembly process. Come along as we go inside the Wii and see the hardware that makes Nintendo’s console tick.

 

Cracking open the Sony PlayStation 3
Sony’s latest game console was surprisingly easy to disassemble. Come along as we go inside the PS3 and see the hardware that makes Sony’s $599 console tick.

 

Crack open the Xbox 360
Crack open the Xbox 360 and see the hardware that runs Microsoft’s next-generation console.

 

Cracking open Sony’s PlayStation 2 (slim case)
Released in 2000, the PlayStation 2 (PS2) was Sony’s second game console. Many consider the PS2 to be the most successful game console to date. See what’s inside the redesigned, slimline PS2.

 

Cracking open the Nintendo GameCube
Released in 2001, the GameCube was Nintendo’s fourth video game console and a significant step forward. With the GameCube, Nintendo moved away from cartridge-based games to 1.5-GB 8-cm disks–similar to miniDVD.

 

Xbox anatomy
Crack open the Xbox’s black shell and see the motherboard, hard drive, and CPU that run Microsoft’s first game console.

 

iPod anatomy
This iPod anatomy photo gallery gives you an inside look at the hardware that makes the Apple iPod Mini, iPod Shuffle, and iPod Photo sing.

 

Anatomy of a failed hard drive
This disk ran everything from Windows 2K to Red Hat Linux. Following the failure of a well-used hard disk, we decided to dissect the drive.

 

Anatomy of a failed CD-ROM drive
Grab a sideline seat for this autopsy of a broken 40x Compaq CD-ROM drive.

 

 

Have a specific piece of hardware you would like to see us crack open?Let me know. Click the hyperlink on my name to access my TechRepublic profile page. Then, contact me via the “Send private message” link.

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