From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

Integrated SSDs, the worst idea ever. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLMsVX1s77k> If Apple allowed for the
storage to be upgraded, we'd all happily buy base model MacBook Airs.
--
CrudeSausage
M4 MacBook Air
Matthew 7:15
John 14:6

--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On 8/15/2026 9:19 AM, CrudeSausage wrote:

Integrated SSDs, the worst idea ever. <https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=MLMsVX1s77k> If Apple allowed for the storage to be upgraded, we'd all happily buy base model MacBook Airs.

I think you're right, integrating storage into some unified central
place in the hardware simply makes it impossible to retrieve data and
repair the device.
--
Joel W. Crump

Zyprexa - It's not just for schizophrenics, anymore!
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On 8/15/26 9:19 AM, CrudeSausage wrote:

Integrated SSDs, the worst idea ever. <https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=MLMsVX1s77k> If Apple allowed for the storage to be upgraded, we'd all happily buy base model MacBook Airs.

As numerous YouTube videos have shown you can upgrade a MacBook SSD. Not
an easy plugin but not all that difficult either.

2025 M4 256m GB upgraded to 2 TB

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eajZtftXaGE

Just search YouTube for more.
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On 8/15/26 12:58 PM, Tom Elam wrote:

On 8/15/26 9:19 AM, CrudeSausage wrote:

Integrated SSDs, the worst idea ever. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=MLMsVX1s77k> If Apple allowed for the storage to be upgraded, we'd all
happily buy base model MacBook Airs.

As numerous YouTube videos have shown you can upgrade a MacBook SSD. Not
an easy plugin but not all that difficult either.

2025 M4 256m GB upgraded to 2 TB

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eajZtftXaGE

Just search YouTube for more.

Yep, but he sure had the tools and know how. Not sure the everyday Joe could do this.
--
Mint 22.3, Thunderbird 153.0esr, Firefox 153.0.4
Alan K.
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On Sat, 8/15/2026 9:19 AM, CrudeSausage wrote:

Integrated SSDs, the worst idea ever.

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLMsVX1s77k>

If Apple allowed for the storage to be upgraded,
we'd all happily buy base model MacBook Airs.

I think, generally speaking, the industry wants us to
find a new hobby :-)

Normally I would tell you to buy a backup drive and
be happy, but today, I can't even do that, because
of the doubling in HDD prices since January.

Paul
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On Sat, 8/15/2026 2:03 PM, Alan K. wrote:

On 8/15/26 12:58 PM, Tom Elam wrote:

On 8/15/26 9:19 AM, CrudeSausage wrote:

Integrated SSDs, the worst idea ever. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=MLMsVX1s77k> If Apple allowed for the storage to be upgraded, we'd all >>> happily buy base model MacBook Airs.

As numerous YouTube videos have shown you can upgrade a MacBook SSD. Not
an easy plugin but not all that difficult either.

2025 M4 256m GB upgraded to 2 TB

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eajZtftXaGE

Just search YouTube for more.

Yep, but he sure had the tools and know how.-a Not sure the everyday Joe could do this.

You need the know-how, when working with badly designed PCBs.

Nobody is going to make a "properly designed PCB" for you.
After all, they lobbied to make the product un-upgradable
in the first place. Why would they give a shit about
repairability criteria ?

Paul
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

Paul wrote:

Nobody is going to make a "properly designed PCB" for you.

I wouldn't say that...
--
"If Freedom is so important to people in COLA, why not move to a more
Free system?" - some thing, attacking the GPL and its supporters
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On Sat, 15 Aug 2026 17:19:06 -0400, Paul wrote:

You need the know-how, when working with badly designed PCBs.

YourCOre not suggesting that anything Apple does could *possibly* be
rCLbadly designedrCY, are you ... ?

Oh, the horror ...
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On 8/15/2026 8:06 PM, Lawrence DrCOOliveiro wrote:

On Sat, 15 Aug 2026 17:19:06 -0400, Paul wrote:

You need the know-how, when working with badly designed PCBs.

YourCOre not suggesting that anything Apple does could *possibly* be
rCLbadly designedrCY, are you ... ?

Oh, the horror ...

I wouldn't buy anything they made. It's overpriced to begin with,
they're selling ancient tech as if it's brand new, it's laughable.
People are that cozy with the macOS ecosystem? For what? Linux gives
you every bit as much of the Unix platform, without costing anything or requiring proprietary hardware. Only a true-blue fan could justify the ridiculous cost and sacrifices made.
--
Joel W. Crump

Zyprexa - It's not just for schizophrenics, anymore!
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On 2026-08-15 12:58 p.m., Tom Elam wrote:

On 8/15/26 9:19 AM, CrudeSausage wrote:

Integrated SSDs, the worst idea ever. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=MLMsVX1s77k> If Apple allowed for the storage to be upgraded, we'd
all happily buy base model MacBook Airs.

As numerous YouTube videos have shown you can upgrade a MacBook SSD. Not
an easy plugin but not all that difficult either.

2025 M4 256m GB upgraded to 2 TB

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eajZtftXaGE

Just search YouTube for more.

I've seen some of these before, but I'll ask: would you try to do it
yourself?
--
CrudeSausage
M4 MacBook Air
Matthew 7:15
John 14:6
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On 2026-08-15 2:47 p.m., Paul wrote:

On Sat, 8/15/2026 9:19 AM, CrudeSausage wrote:

Integrated SSDs, the worst idea ever.

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLMsVX1s77k>

If Apple allowed for the storage to be upgraded,
we'd all happily buy base model MacBook Airs.

I think, generally speaking, the industry wants us to
find a new hobby :-)

Normally I would tell you to buy a backup drive and
be happy, but today, I can't even do that, because
of the doubling in HDD prices since January.

Fortunately, I already have a few backup drives purchased over the
years. I have two 2TB hard disks I use externally, one 1TB NVMe used externally and a 1TB SSD used externally. I use the 1TB NVMe to store
whatever games I can play on the Mac since there is little to no
performance penalty loading from an external drive.
--
CrudeSausage
M4 MacBook Air
Matthew 7:15
John 14:6
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On Sat, 8/15/2026 5:59 PM, chrisv wrote:

Paul wrote:

Nobody is going to make a "properly designed PCB" for you.

I wouldn't say that...

People who work in an industry, can look at
a thing, and tell you what's wrong with it.
My layout people are excellent at this. A few of
them, managed to memorize a five inch thick book
of rules for PCB design, and they can quote you
chapter and verse on "preferred" ways to do things.
They do this, because that's their job and they
do that every day.

The staff at the factory, they inspect the design
package you send them, and they will provide copious
feedback about things that must change. If I have my
good layout person, the staff at the factory have
nothing to complain about. He speaks their language.

If you're making schlock, then it does not matter
what you do. Factory people will still complain, if
they're throwing away 3% of the items because "they don't work".
Your design quality must be good enough, to not shoot
yourself in the foot and rob your company of its profit margin.
You can screw the customer with your nasty designs,
as long as you're not screwing yourself. The product
has to be able to leave the factory, then it doesn't
matter what happens after that, at a schlock company.

And yes, I've seen commercial items that were unacceptable.
We expect the $5 transistor radios of yesteryear, to be full
of that sort of stuff (generally, bad soldering jobs, dry joints
and blobs). But when I bought a video card for $1000, I should
not be seeing bodges that not even a hobbyist would try, on
my $1000 item. Any hobbyist who looked at that layout, they could
immediately identify that as a "WTF is THAT". Even a civilian would
notice "hmmm, this thing is not the same as any of the
other things on this board". Fortunately, that company is
out of business, I don't know why... "Bad luck", I would guess.

If you use conservative design rules, you get better results.
The factory likes you. The customer likes you.

Paul
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On Sat, 8/15/2026 8:06 PM, Lawrence DrCOOliveiro wrote:

On Sat, 15 Aug 2026 17:19:06 -0400, Paul wrote:

You need the know-how, when working with badly designed PCBs.

YourCOre not suggesting that anything Apple does could *possibly* be
rCLbadly designedrCY, are you ... ?

Oh, the horror ...

There is a range of "aggression levels" you can use when making
material for the consumer market. You can set out to screw
the consumer, you can make that a priority. But you cannot
screw your own factory, because the game is rigged, and
if push comes to shove, the general manager at the factory
will see to it, that you're fired.

If you want to make electronics that are impossible to repair,
you can do it. A bunch of people who work with you, will be
signing off on what you're doing. They're all complicit, because
they're not stupid and they can see what you're doing.

We even had an ethics protocol at work. I didn't know what
this was, the first time this happened to me, but I can kinda
see how this behavior is essential.

Early DRAM designs, the chips did not like undershoot. If undershoot
was present, the contents of DRAM could be corrupted. This would
look like an "error floor". Many of you are familiar with how
some of your very early computers had a propensity to error on you.

OK, the next level of DRAM design at the time, was to place
a large quantity of those chips in an array. Like 64 chips or
128 chips. That violated transmission line rules, there are
reflections galore inside the array, some of the resulting
waveforms are undershoots.

So I locate a mature engineer one day, who has worked on that
array. As a newly minted engineer, I ask him "so how did you
whip together that array, and solve the -0.5V undershoot limit?".
I was expecting some techie type answer. Any sort of answer
would have done, such as "piss off".

Well, the engineer just stops talking. He makes neither hand
signals, a squidgy face, nothing. He just... stops talking.
Translation: "I am ethically challenged and I can neither
share the request I was given, nor the results with you."
And from this, you know that you as a young engineer,
should not be building a DRAM array... this week :-)
In retrospect, it's all pretty funny, but in terms
of "state machines for engineers", that's one of their
states. Speechless, no squidgy face.

I've also been in situations, where something naughty was
done, and the assembled engineers would freely discuss the
algorithm for how you manage such projects. The reason
they could do this, is management signed off on the issue
and the protocol for handling it. The thing that was done,
was just equipment binning for speed, similar to how
JEDEC says the expensive DIMM you just bought, really
only runs at DDR5-4800. The enthusiast RAM company cranked
it to DDR5-6400 and picked out all the ones that passed.
They also ran them at DDR5-6500 and proved they had a tiny
margin. Anyone who buys such memory, knows all this, and when
you buy, you are agreeing to this practice. This number
is expected to go to 10000, 11000 or maybe 12000, perhaps
next year. But you would not buy one, as it would be too
expensive. The form factor won't be a DIMM, either.
It might be a CAMM2 (you could charge more for one of those).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAMM_%28memory_module%29

"DDR5 on CAMM2 can reach a rate of 10000 MT/s at a CAS latency
(CL) of 52 cycles and a voltage of 1.45 V. This overclock was
reached in July 2025 using a modified ASUS Z890 Hero motherboard
with Intel Core Ultra 7 265K desktop processor. The CAMM2 used
was a 64GB Axxx module."

And they do that "for the numbers". You'd have to find the
right review article, to see whether that is actually advantageous.
It might not be. All they wanted there, was to make the number "10000".
The memory divider puts "stairsteps" in the performance plot, and
you have to know at what frequency the divider is set to change, to
profit from the extra speed.

Paul
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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On Sat, 8/15/2026 9:14 PM, CrudeSausage wrote:

On 2026-08-15 12:58 p.m., Tom Elam wrote:

On 8/15/26 9:19 AM, CrudeSausage wrote:

Integrated SSDs, the worst idea ever. <https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=MLMsVX1s77k> If Apple allowed for the storage to be upgraded, we'd all happily buy base model MacBook Airs.

As numerous YouTube videos have shown you can upgrade a MacBook SSD. Not an easy plugin but not all that difficult either.

2025 M4 256m GB upgraded to 2 TB

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eajZtftXaGE

Just search YouTube for more.

I've seen some of these before, but I'll ask: would you try to do it yourself?

The magic there, is the solder flux.

A wide piece of solder wick, is normally useless for tasks
like that. But once the wick is soaked in solder flux,
that could make a difference. I don't even stock the wide
solder wick, and only carry "angel hair" for its better
performance. The wide wick is being used to advantage in that
video, and a good flux is worth its weight in gold.

The tip temperature also isn't high enough to burn the flux.
A lot of fluxes, they leave blackened deposits when you do
stuff like that (the tip is too hot).

There is a fair amount of abrasion in that procedure. Many
passes of the wick, over the lands, to clean off the previous
solder. The PCB finish and the solder mask, have to withstand
that treatment, without damage. So while it may look to you like
the operator is "leaning" on the tool, the pressure applied isn't
that high.

Now one question, is what is around the periphery of those
chips. Are there RLC components, that the hot air tool could
melt ? Maybe there is more than one kind of solder on the board,
and the flash chips are using a lower melting point solder.
You would guess that is not 60/40 tin/lead.

You don't need more solder, as the solder balls on the bottom
of the flash chip, provide the solder. They are going to melt,
to the lands.

You only have to "align" the rotation of the chip, enough so that
the balls more or less are aligned with the lands. When the solder
of the balls on the flash melt, the surface tension pulls on the
chip and it "snaps to grid". There is no worry about a 1 degree rotation
of the chip, ruining the installation. It will correct itself
to 0 degree rotation when the solder melts. You will see the new chip
move a bit, as the solder melts. You do not want the chip to "jump"
a row or column -- visually check that the chip is still actually
over the array on the board.

The BGA ball count is small, that works in your favor. You would be
less casual, use better equipment, if changing out a CPU or a
PCH. You would also need underfill, if doing a CPU or a PCH
(stress relief for the balls).

The equipment doesn't have to be that expensive.

Presumably, the flash are from the same "family" as the original,
they used stacked die, and the new ones are eight die high (they're very thin and inside the plastic package). You want
them to be the same family, so that there are no issues with the
firmware that did not get addressed. The firmware is going to see
the same flash brand, and presumably a higher capacity limit. AND
the flash do not need any initial pattern stored in them, that
the firmware happens to be looking for.

Paul
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On 8/15/26 2:03 PM, Alan K. wrote:

On 8/15/26 12:58 PM, Tom Elam wrote:

On 8/15/26 9:19 AM, CrudeSausage wrote:

Integrated SSDs, the worst idea ever. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=MLMsVX1s77k> If Apple allowed for the storage to be upgraded, we'd all >>> happily buy base model MacBook Airs.

As numerous YouTube videos have shown you can upgrade a MacBook SSD. Not
an easy plugin but not all that difficult either.

2025 M4 256m GB upgraded to 2 TB

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eajZtftXaGE

Just search YouTube for more.

Yep, but he sure had the tools and know how.-a Not sure the everyday Joe could do this.

Add: Yep, not difficult if you have the tools and knowledge.

It is possible. Apple could have made that not so without replacing the
entire SoC by fully integrating the SSD instead of soldering it on.

Maybe they will in the future?
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

Joel W. Crump <joelcrump@gmail.com> wrote:

On 8/15/2026 8:06 PM, Lawrence DrCOOliveiro wrote:

On Sat, 15 Aug 2026 17:19:06 -0400, Paul wrote:

You need the know-how, when working with badly designed PCBs.

YourCOre not suggesting that anything Apple does could *possibly* be
rCLbadly designedrCY, are you ... ?

Oh, the horror ...

I wouldn't buy anything they made. It's overpriced to begin with,
they're selling ancient tech as if it's brand new, it's laughable.
People are that cozy with the macOS ecosystem? For what? Linux gives
you every bit as much of the Unix platform, without costing anything or requiring proprietary hardware. Only a true-blue fan could justify the ridiculous cost and sacrifices made.

I migrated to macOS because I was fed up of juggling both windows and linux systems. With a mac I get the benefits of each in one place. I can create
ppts and run my scientific scripts at the same time wherever I may be.

I still run windows at home for some gaming and for familiarity for my wife
as she's only ever used windows and is a bit of a technophobe.

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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On 8/15/26 2:47 PM, Paul wrote:

On Sat, 8/15/2026 9:19 AM, CrudeSausage wrote:

Integrated SSDs, the worst idea ever.

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLMsVX1s77k>

If Apple allowed for the storage to be upgraded,
we'd all happily buy base model MacBook Airs.

I think, generally speaking, the industry wants us to
find a new hobby :-)

Normally I would tell you to buy a backup drive and
be happy, but today, I can't even do that, because
of the doubling in HDD prices since January.

Paul

I have a 4 tb and a 2 tb both several years old.
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On 8/15/26 9:14 PM, CrudeSausage wrote:

On 2026-08-15 12:58 p.m., Tom Elam wrote:

On 8/15/26 9:19 AM, CrudeSausage wrote:

Integrated SSDs, the worst idea ever. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=MLMsVX1s77k> If Apple allowed for the storage to be upgraded, we'd
all happily buy base model MacBook Airs.

As numerous YouTube videos have shown you can upgrade a MacBook SSD.
Not an easy plugin but not all that difficult either.

2025 M4 256m GB upgraded to 2 TB

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eajZtftXaGE

Just search YouTube for more.

I've seen some of these before, but I'll ask: would you try to do it yourself?

No way, never said I would, just that is is possible and anybody who
knows how can.
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On Sun, 16 Aug 2026 12:42:55 -0000 (UTC), Chris wrote:

I migrated to macOS because I was fed up of juggling both windows
and linux systems.

Both Apple and Microsoft officially support hanging a Linux kernel as
a bag on the side of their respective proprietary OSes. For Microsoft
this is officially mandatory for AI development, and in general it is
pretty much mandatory for any kind of software development on Windows
nowadays.

Expect the Apple platform to go the same way, sooner or later.

With a mac I get the benefits of each in one place. I can create
ppts and run my scientific scripts at the same time wherever I may be.

You found Linux to be a pain, yet you happily put up with MicrosoftrCOs
walled garden??
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On 2026-08-15 06:19, CrudeSausage wrote:

Integrated SSDs, the worst idea ever. <https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=MLMsVX1s77k> If Apple allowed for the storage to be upgraded, we'd all happily buy base model MacBook Airs.

So don't buy a device that has one.

If a sufficiently large group of people does the same, manufacturers
will respond.

--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On 2026-08-16 05:18, Tom Elam wrote:

On 8/15/26 2:03 PM, Alan K. wrote:

On 8/15/26 12:58 PM, Tom Elam wrote:

On 8/15/26 9:19 AM, CrudeSausage wrote:

Integrated SSDs, the worst idea ever. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=MLMsVX1s77k> If Apple allowed for the storage to be upgraded, we'd
all
happily buy base model MacBook Airs.

As numerous YouTube videos have shown you can upgrade a MacBook SSD. Not >>> an easy plugin but not all that difficult either.

2025 M4 256m GB upgraded to 2 TB

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eajZtftXaGE

Just search YouTube for more.

Yep, but he sure had the tools and know how.-a Not sure the everyday
Joe could do this.

Add: Yep, not difficult if you have the tools and knowledge.

Actually, still quite difficult.

You think using enough heat to melt all the solder balls beneath one
component while making sure not to heat any other solder point to much
is easy?

You are the the living embodiment of the Dunning-Kruger Effect.

You watched a YouTube video and saw someone do it (and assumed that it
worked properly on their first try!) and just decided: "How hard can
that be?".
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On 2026-08-16 13:57, Tom Elam wrote:

On 8/15/26 9:14 PM, CrudeSausage wrote:

On 2026-08-15 12:58 p.m., Tom Elam wrote:

On 8/15/26 9:19 AM, CrudeSausage wrote:

Integrated SSDs, the worst idea ever. <https://www.youtube.com/
watch? v=MLMsVX1s77k> If Apple allowed for the storage to be
upgraded, we'd all happily buy base model MacBook Airs.

As numerous YouTube videos have shown you can upgrade a MacBook SSD.
Not an easy plugin but not all that difficult either.

2025 M4 256m GB upgraded to 2 TB

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eajZtftXaGE

Just search YouTube for more.

I've seen some of these before, but I'll ask: would you try to do it
yourself?

No way, never said I would, just that is is possible and anybody who
knows how can.

You said "not all that difficult" without having a single clue.

I'm sure you think it's just the same as soldering a connection on one
of your R/C planes.

<eyeroll>
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On 2026-08-16 8:18 a.m., Tom Elam wrote:

On 8/15/26 2:03 PM, Alan K. wrote:

On 8/15/26 12:58 PM, Tom Elam wrote:

On 8/15/26 9:19 AM, CrudeSausage wrote:

Integrated SSDs, the worst idea ever. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=MLMsVX1s77k> If Apple allowed for the storage to be upgraded, we'd
all
happily buy base model MacBook Airs.

As numerous YouTube videos have shown you can upgrade a MacBook SSD. Not >>> an easy plugin but not all that difficult either.

2025 M4 256m GB upgraded to 2 TB

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eajZtftXaGE

Just search YouTube for more.

Yep, but he sure had the tools and know how.-a Not sure the everyday
Joe could do this.

Add: Yep, not difficult if you have the tools and knowledge.

It is possible. Apple could have made that not so without replacing the entire SoC by fully integrating the SSD instead of soldering it on.

Maybe they will in the future?

The best hope there is for Apple to eventually stop soldering everything
are the right-to-repair laws in Europe. As it is, Apple's hardware is
not repairable.
--
CrudeSausage
M4 MacBook Air
Matthew 7:15
John 14:6
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On 2026-08-16 18:18, CrudeSausage wrote:

On 2026-08-16 8:18 a.m., Tom Elam wrote:

On 8/15/26 2:03 PM, Alan K. wrote:

On 8/15/26 12:58 PM, Tom Elam wrote:

On 8/15/26 9:19 AM, CrudeSausage wrote:

Integrated SSDs, the worst idea ever. <https://www.youtube.com/watch? >>>>> v=MLMsVX1s77k> If Apple allowed for the storage to be upgraded,
we'd all
happily buy base model MacBook Airs.

As numerous YouTube videos have shown you can upgrade a MacBook SSD.
Not
an easy plugin but not all that difficult either.

2025 M4 256m GB upgraded to 2 TB

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eajZtftXaGE

Just search YouTube for more.

Yep, but he sure had the tools and know how.-a Not sure the everyday
Joe could do this.

Add: Yep, not difficult if you have the tools and knowledge.

It is possible. Apple could have made that not so without replacing
the entire SoC by fully integrating the SSD instead of soldering it on.

Maybe they will in the future?

The best hope there is for Apple to eventually stop soldering everything
are the right-to-repair laws in Europe. As it is, Apple's hardware is
not repairable.

So how far do you want to take this?

You think the law should force Apple to make the SSD user-replaceable?

How about the RAM?

How about the Wifi and Bluetooth circuitry?

Battery too, I would assume?

Screen? Speakers? Peripheral ports?

And I guess that should apply to phones as well, right?

Do you suppose this might make the devices bigger and bulkier?
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On Sun, 8/16/2026 9:12 PM, Alan wrote:

On 2026-08-16 05:18, Tom Elam wrote:

On 8/15/26 2:03 PM, Alan K. wrote:

On 8/15/26 12:58 PM, Tom Elam wrote:

On 8/15/26 9:19 AM, CrudeSausage wrote:

Integrated SSDs, the worst idea ever. <https://www.youtube.com/watch? >>>>> v=MLMsVX1s77k> If Apple allowed for the storage to be upgraded, we'd all >>>>> happily buy base model MacBook Airs.

As numerous YouTube videos have shown you can upgrade a MacBook SSD. Not >>>> an easy plugin but not all that difficult either.

2025 M4 256m GB upgraded to 2 TB

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eajZtftXaGE

Just search YouTube for more.

Yep, but he sure had the tools and know how.-a Not sure the everyday Joe could do this.

Add: Yep, not difficult if you have the tools and knowledge.

Actually, still quite difficult.

You think using enough heat to melt all the solder balls beneath one component while making sure not to heat any other solder point to much is easy?

You are the the living embodiment of the Dunning-Kruger Effect.

You watched a YouTube video and saw someone do it (and assumed that it worked properly on their first try!) and just decided: "How hard can that be?".

Have you used a hot air station ?
It is $3K for the basic station.
It is $3K for *hoods*. The box of hoods, has
20-30 hoods of various shapes (for "standard" chip profiles).

The hoods are what prevents hot air from hitting
other components.

A *good layout* for a PCB, leaves room to fit the hood.
This is the best option. But at some point, you still
have to use hand held tools for some purposes.

And part of the ease of doing these projects, is
the robustness of the PCB. Obviously, in the video,
the board being worked on, is not from the low tech shop.
Only a good board, takes that much abrasive activity.
The coatings (solder mask) and the foils, are designed for rework.
You could cut the cost of the board blank in half...
if you agreed to just throw it away and never rework it.

That, and the solder flux being used, is just "fantastic".
If you've ever worked with fluxes, no conventional fluxes
ever behaved like that. I don't even consider buying "fat solder wick",
because it simply does not suck up solder. Not ever. With a
generous application of flux, you'll notice the fat wick
now works. It still takes quite a few passes across the
work though. That's because the individual did not cut
the fouled end off the fat wick, and use some wick with
no solder in it. However, if he had done that, he would
have to apply more flux to the work surface. The flux costs
money. The flux is not cheap. The individual then, keeps
working with the section of solder wick, because he is
balancing flux cost versus the extra passes the wick has
to make across the surface for the desired "flat level"
of the lands. You have to clean the board properly,
because the balls have a certain volume, the lands have
prescribed X-Y dimensions, and the solder is just enough
to do a good job. (The solder ball melts and forms a
flat section between the chip and the land. The solder mask
prevents bridges between balls, and the limited volume of the
ball, also limits the possibility of a bridge. That's part
of the magic of BGA soldering -- it's reliable as a method,
as long as you don't leave a little fleck of shit on there.)

And where that person is working, there should be directional
ventilation. You should not be working with those materials
in static air. Your exposure is too long there. You'll
fail your blood test in three months (techs take regular
blood tests, to catch heavy metal exposure before they
absorb too much). Some of that flux must be off-gassing.

So if you do this activity every day, don't forget to take
care of your health. If the lead level in your blood is
too high, you're struck off the soldering list and
you're not allowed to solder any more. The employer
does not want to be sued for negligence, even though
the employer is typically negligent.

There are many many different solder alloys. In the old
days, 60/40 tin/lead was excellent stuff. But, you had the
lead in it, to slowly poison the person doing the soldering.
The solder composition changed, several times, after the
tin/lead era. There is likely to still be some heavy metal
component to it. Some of the solders with four metals,
those melt at lower temperatures. None of the solders are
particularly "structural", so you should not use solder
to hold up a heavy assembly and resist gravity. The solder
will eventually fail mechanically if you do that.

Paul
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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On Sun, 8/16/2026 9:23 PM, Alan wrote:

On 2026-08-16 18:18, CrudeSausage wrote:

On 2026-08-16 8:18 a.m., Tom Elam wrote:

On 8/15/26 2:03 PM, Alan K. wrote:

On 8/15/26 12:58 PM, Tom Elam wrote:

On 8/15/26 9:19 AM, CrudeSausage wrote:

Integrated SSDs, the worst idea ever. <https://www.youtube.com/watch? >>>>>> v=MLMsVX1s77k> If Apple allowed for the storage to be upgraded, we'd all >>>>>> happily buy base model MacBook Airs.

As numerous YouTube videos have shown you can upgrade a MacBook SSD. Not >>>>> an easy plugin but not all that difficult either.

2025 M4 256m GB upgraded to 2 TB

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eajZtftXaGE

Just search YouTube for more.

Yep, but he sure had the tools and know how.-a Not sure the everyday Joe could do this.

Add: Yep, not difficult if you have the tools and knowledge.

It is possible. Apple could have made that not so without replacing the entire SoC by fully integrating the SSD instead of soldering it on.

Maybe they will in the future?

The best hope there is for Apple to eventually stop soldering everything are the right-to-repair laws in Europe. As it is, Apple's hardware is not repairable.

So how far do you want to take this?

You think the law should force Apple to make the SSD user-replaceable?

How about the RAM?

How about the Wifi and Bluetooth circuitry?

Battery too, I would assume?

Screen? Speakers? Peripheral ports?

And I guess that should apply to phones as well, right?

Do you suppose this might make the devices bigger and bulkier?

You can do it.

This is why you have engineers. And researchers, to back those engineers.

These projects are team efforts. You have an extended team working for you.

Just say the word, and the team can make it happen.

I can talk like this, because the team always came through for me.
One guy for example, he worked for months on a problem. The
personal cost to him, is most of his hair fell out. But,
the solution worked. That's what dedication to your work looks like.
I still have my hair, because that guy lost his...

Paul
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