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The Wii Disassembled

mrmcgeeber writes "There are two ways to take apart the Wii. The first, as demonstrated by Popular Science, involves breaking the Wii open due to a lack of tools. The second method is a more formal Wii disassembly guide, which is provided by InformIT.com. Either way, you can see some detailed pictures of the internals of the Wii and how the parts are laid out. The InformIT.com version also includes an eight minute teardown video."

160 comments

  1. People froze their ass off to get one!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What are you going to say to someone who waited a cold night in line, didn't get one and sees you disrespecting the Wii? You insensitive clods!

  2. Wii alive! by BadAnalogyGuy · · Score: 5, Funny

    No disassemble! No disassemble!

    1. Re:Wii alive! by Instine · · Score: 4, Funny

      Reassemble Stephany? :(

      --
      Because you can - or because you should?
    2. Re:Wii alive! by johansalk · · Score: 1

      Can someone explain? Second time I hear of this stephany/stephanie meme. Who is it about?

    3. Re:Wii alive! by arkhan_jg · · Score: 2, Informative

      It's probably just referring to something Johnny 5 says in 'Short Circuit' - he's imitating a grasshopper and accidentally squashes it.
      "Reassemble Stephanie?" is where he asks for it to be brought back to life; when it's explained that it can't be, that death is permanent, Johnny links 'his' being disassembled to a permanent end, thus leading to his resistance throughout the film to being disassembled by Nova. Johnny 5 is alive, after all!

      I'll go shut up now :)

      --
      Remember kids, it's all fun and games until someone commits wholesale galactic genocide.
  3. Forgot another method of Disassembly by LiquidCoooled · · Score: 5, Informative

    smashmywii.com!

    Its full of craptastic goodness.

    --
    liqbase :: faster than paper
    1. Re:Forgot another method of Disassembly by gEvil+(beta) · · Score: 4, Funny

      Hey, keep your BDSM fetish sites to yourself!

      --
      This guy's the limit!
    2. Re:Forgot another method of Disassembly by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Pfft...that is not even an experiment. If they were smashing a PS3, now thats a whole different ballgame.

    3. Re:Forgot another method of Disassembly by LiquidCoooled · · Score: 3, Interesting

      smashmyps3.com

      Theres more as well..

      I haven't a clue why people would want to do this, but its their money being wasted.

      --
      liqbase :: faster than paper
    4. Re:Forgot another method of Disassembly by heffeque · · Score: 1

      It doesn't play DVDs... it doesn't double up as a cooking machine... it doesn't withstand a sledgehammer... what's next?

    5. Re:Forgot another method of Disassembly by GeffDE · · Score: 1

      Not as much space as a Nomad either. It's lame. Just ask Taco.

      --
      It has been a nervous year, with people beginning to feel like Christian Scientists with appendicitis.
    6. Re:Forgot another method of Disassembly by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      To see the look of horror on the faces of obsessive fanboys who have nothing better to do with their lives than camp outside a shop for a couple of days because they absolutely cannot wait a few more weeks until things calm down and you can just walk into the shop and get one with no hassle.

      And it wasn't their money they were wasting, they took donations (and the people donating knew exactly how the money was going to be used beforehand).

      I personally find this a useful public service in teaching obsessive fanboys the importance of a sense of perspective.

    7. Re:Forgot another method of Disassembly by aplusjimages · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      So they cracked it open and found a gamecube inside. Not shocking.

      --
      Can I bum a sig?
    8. Re:Forgot another method of Disassembly by badspyro · · Score: 1

      i think he dust protest too much

    9. Re:Forgot another method of Disassembly by MindStalker · · Score: 1

      Whats really cool about that is the completly different audience reception.

      On Smashmyps3.com video the people in line were horrified, they almost cried. The people in the Wii line were excited and said "Thats awesome!"

    10. Re:Forgot another method of Disassembly by stunt_penguin · · Score: 1
      --
      When the posters fear their moderators, there is tyranny; when the moderators fears the posters, there is liberty.
    11. Re:Forgot another method of Disassembly by MindStalker · · Score: 1

      I meant to say the people in the Wii line were excited about the smashing of the Wii. They might have been excited about smashing a PS3 as well. Who knows! :)

    12. Re:Forgot another method of Disassembly by FictionPimp · · Score: 1

      I woke up at 6:45am, got in car, drove to target, stood in line for 10 minutes, got a ticket, came back at 9am and picked up my wii, 2 games, SD card, and extra controler. Man I'm a dork hu?

    13. Re:Forgot another method of Disassembly by paeanblack · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I haven't a clue why people would want to do this, but its their money being wasted.

      Yes, using a game console for entertainment is clearly a waste of money.

    14. Re:Forgot another method of Disassembly by HappySqurriel · · Score: 2, Insightful

      On Smashmyps3.com video the people in line were horrified, they almost cried. The people in the Wii line were excited and said "Thats awesome!"

      Thats because very few people who were buying a Wii were planning on spending this month's rent on a get rich quick scheme; also, as I noticed on Sunday, most of the people who didn't get a Wii were pretty optimistic about getting one before Christmas so there isn't the panic that the PS3 had about it.

    15. Re:Forgot another method of Disassembly by The+MAZZTer · · Score: 1

      Wrong, they take donations and use THAT to buy the consoles.

    16. Re:Forgot another method of Disassembly by MindStalker · · Score: 1

      Though I did notice a HUGE (19 closing in the next 30 minutes).
      number of Wii (system)'s on ebay. Personally I'm hoping these dummies get stuck with extras and start selling them at loss!!!!

    17. Re:Forgot another method of Disassembly by stretchsje · · Score: 1

      Actually, I'm quite curious if the pin counts of the chips are the same or even similar. The CPU looks rather large for a shrunken Gamecube processor (the original hardware rumor). Is the chip actually more closely related to the newer G5, perhaps IBM's low-power (laptop) version of the chip?

    18. Re:Forgot another method of Disassembly by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      In that case, the people in the PS3 line should have been more enthusiastic about seeing one smashed -- it increases the value of all the others (assuming they managed to get one)!

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    19. Re:Forgot another method of Disassembly by squiggleslash · · Score: 2, Interesting

      A few years ago, shortly after the release of the PowerMac G5, someone posted a website about how they'd been given an unwanted PowerMac G5, and because it didn't run Windows, they posted a step-by-step article on how to remove the guts, and replace them with an Athlon motherboard (not even a particularly powerful CPU either) and all the relevent trimmings. Even the case wasn't unscarred by the process.

      At the time, with the PowerMac G5 generally considered the machine absolutely everyone wanted, the results positively put some geeks in shock, and generated an unbelievable amount of outrage. The author ended up confessing he'd been given the PowerMac G5's case, not the entire machine.

      I see these stunts as a not terribly impressive attempt to do much the same thing. The PS3 is a much desired (albeit by a small hard-core) and unavailable, expensive, computer. To get one and then break it into pieces is going to upset that group of wanters greatly.

      A better option might be to put the Gamecube's guts into a PS3 case, posting step-by-step instructions and being generally dismissive of the PS3's own hardware. Bonus points for cutting holes in the elegant PS3's case so you can plug the controllers and memory cards in.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    20. Re:Forgot another method of Disassembly by aplusjimages · · Score: 1

      Here is the gamecube specs and the wii specs. Both IBM chips.

      --
      Can I bum a sig?
    21. Re:Forgot another method of Disassembly by recursiv · · Score: 1

      Lucky you. If you got to the East side Target in Madison, WI after 3:00 AM, you'd have been out of luck. They had 111 consoles. I got there at midnight and I was number 93 for the 8:00 opening.

      --
      I used to bulls-eye womp-rats in my pants
    22. Re:Forgot another method of Disassembly by pedalman · · Score: 1

      The video is about smashing his Wii, not smashing his WiiWii. No BDSM here. :p

      --
      Friends don't let friends line-dance.
    23. Re:Forgot another method of Disassembly by Macthorpe · · Score: 1

      Think of it as a lesson in perspective.

      --
      "It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him." - Tolkien
    24. Re:Forgot another method of Disassembly by ayden · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I'm waiting for smashmyH2.com. I'd cheer and even donate cash to take a few whacks with the sledgehammer myself.

      Yes, I know the site exists, but it's not what I hoped it would be.

      --
      "I'm The Bounty Bear. I will find him anywhere. I'm searching."
  4. Re:So? by Xest · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Many consoles employ ways of ensuring you can't disassemble them without causing breaking warranties. Even without that being someone who's spent time repairing various laptops I know first hand that it can be tricky figuring out how to take electronic devices apart without damaging them by snapping a piece of plastic or some such.

    The news isn't just that it can be taken apart, that'd be silly, pretty much everything can be taken apart some way or another. The news is that someone has provided an article to do it properly and some people like to see what's inside without taking their own system apart also. It's a guide for people who like modding their systems which is a hobby many people enjoy, particularly amongst those of us who like to see what makes things tick.

  5. Other Method by FFFFHALTFFFF · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Wheres the hammers method?

    1. Re:Other Method by Barny · · Score: 1

      As another poster pointed out (and you could have noticed)

      http://smashmywii.com/

      --
      ...
      /me sighs
    2. Re:Other Method by FFFFHALTFFFF · · Score: 1

      Incredible! Some people are donating for the project. Really, I cant believe.

    3. Re:Other Method by revlayle · · Score: 1

      Don't you mean the *Hammer Brothers* method? O SNAP!

  6. Excellent by Tainek · · Score: 1

    I have my wii coming on december the 8th (UK)

    have been waiting for this so i can work out how to Mod my console, looks to be nice and simple

    1. Re:Excellent by Jaruzel · · Score: 1

      How likely is this to be? I'm not a Nintendo-owner, however I do have a modded xbox - would the modding of the Wii be in the same vein ?

      -Jar.

      --
      Together, We Can Make Slashdot Better. I Do NOT Mod ACs. - Check Me Out
  7. It surely is a very cheap CPU... by ratboot · · Score: 1

    It's made in Canada!

    1. Re:It surely is a very cheap CPU... by tomstdenis · · Score: 1

      Them are fightin words, I say, I say sir, put up yer dukes!

      I'm sure your comment makes a lot of sense right after we figure out that most processors are designed outside of the USA. And the ones that are done in town are by import engineers.

      Tom

      --
      Someday, I'll have a real sig.
    2. Re:It surely is a very cheap CPU... by gauntlet420 · · Score: 1

      I doubt it. IBM doesn't operate a fab in Canada.

      In all likelihood, the chip is being fabricated at IBM's facility in East Fishkill, New York, and is only being packaged at their Bromont, Quebec packaging facility.

      Disclaimer: IAAC (I am a Canadian)

    3. Re:It surely is a very cheap CPU... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      I'm sure your comment makes a lot of sense right after we figure out that most processors are designed outside of the USA. And the ones that are done in town are by import engineers.


      Import engineers educated in the US along with quite a few indigenous engineers. So we've got the Core series designed in Israel and ARM in the UK.. there's still quite a bit in the US.

      And while we're on the topic, exactly how many notable VLSI design programs are there in Canuckistan? Didn't think so. Your software is allright (as long as you're talking about Waterloo) but the rest is pure crap. Most decent engineering coming out of Canada is done by UK ex-pats.
    4. Re:It surely is a very cheap CPU... by tomstdenis · · Score: 1

      Um we have several IC labs in Canada. We also have quite a few hardware engineers (hint: I work at a hardware crypto firm) who design things that get licensed into other designs and eventually taped out.

      I wasn't trying to condemn the states, merely point out that "oh designed in Canada, means it sucks" is a fairly odd remark given the state of engineering in the states. It's not significantly better than what we do in Canada, or the rest of the world for that matter.

      And btw, many weapons that the US military uses are developed here in Ontario. So we must be doing something right :-)

      Tom

      --
      Someday, I'll have a real sig.
  8. Re:So? by SenorCitizen · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It might not be news, but seeing the internals of new hardware is always interesting. At least, on a geek site it usually is. I thought it looked pretty neat... looks like it will be as quiet and cool as the GC. I hate the noise the PS2 and the Xbox make.

  9. The article title was pretty accurate. by DeadCatX2 · · Score: 1

    So? SO? I don't know about you, but I consider this news. I mean, the Wii is new isn't it?

    Really, it's not like this article title was misleading. If seeing the Wii disassembled isn't news to you, then why on earth would you click the link, let alone post in the discussion?

    --
    :(){ :|:& };:
    1. Re:The article title was pretty accurate. by TheVelvetFlamebait · · Score: 2, Funny
      If seeing the Wii disassembled isn't news to you, then why on earth would you click the link, let alone post in the discussion?
      I'll give you five letters: K-A-R-M-A

      He obviously hates it.
      --
      You know, there is a difference between trolling and pointing out the flaws in your reasoning. Just saying.
  10. Controller by Yvanhoe · · Score: 0

    I would be more interesed to see a controller opened. Does it really have a video camera inside ? can we get the specs / reference of it ?

    --
    The Wise adapts himself to the world. The Fool adapts the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the Fool.
    1. Re:Controller by gEvil+(beta) · · Score: 3, Funny

      I would be more interesed to see a controller opened.

      Why do I have a funny feeling that you didn't bother to RTFA?

      --
      This guy's the limit!
    2. Re:Controller by Mike89 · · Score: 3, Insightful
      Why do I have a funny feeling that you didn't bother to RTFA?
      Wait, wait, I know this one.. Is it because the controller IS opened in the article? Is it? Am I right?!
    3. Re:Controller by JAppi · · Score: 1

      It's actually very easy to tell how it works just by playing wii sports. Opening it up will just show you all the cheap components they used.

    4. Re:Controller by gEvil+(beta) · · Score: 1

      You're a pretty sharp one there, Mikey. I predict big things for you!

      --
      This guy's the limit!
    5. Re:Controller by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Heh heh heh. You guys are all assholes. :)

  11. Re:It's not news, it's nerd porn by Psykechan · · Score: 1

    Sooner or later, all sought after consumer electronics have a nerd porn thread where the device gets undressed down to the bare components. This is /. where nerds congregate so you should not only accept these types of stories but also expect them.

    Heck, It'd be news if there wasn't someone taking apart the Wii.

    The term "nerd porn" taken from the Apple Product Cycle although it may have originated elsewhere.

  12. Re:So? by pryonic · · Score: 2, Insightful
    It's not news that it can be disassembled, but it's certainly of interest to many geeks just what is inside. I enjoyed many an hour as a child taking electronics apart and putting them back together, it satiated my curious nature and helped me learn about how devices worked.

    Would you begrude the same people who like to tinker in their car's engine or even people who enjoy cooking?

    It's also worth nothing that not all of the hardware specs had been released, and the article fills in the gaps in what Nintendo released. It may not be of interest to you personally but you can't say it's not news.

    --
    Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.
  13. Look at the "revolutionary" technology by InsaneLampshade · · Score: 0

    http://www.informit.com/content/images/art_fogie_i nsidewii/elementLinks/wiifig26.jpg

    Image from inside the motion sensor, i now see why it was codenamed the "revolution", i can imagine it took them many many years of research and development to come up with that!

    1. Re:Look at the "revolutionary" technology by DrXym · · Score: 2, Informative

      The sensor is in the wiimote. It probably has some kind of low-res ccd that detects the light from the sensor bar and uses it to figure out its orientation. Pretty clever stuff though I expect it would be easy to confuse the hell out of it with strip lighting or sunlight.

    2. Re:Look at the "revolutionary" technology by Mathinker · · Score: 3, Insightful

      And if you opened the case of your next (working) computer and only found a few LED's I suppose you would be equally dismissive, eh?

      Sometimes the revolution is about what isn't there, not what is there.

    3. Re:Look at the "revolutionary" technology by LordKronos · · Score: 3, Informative

      Yes. To be more accurate...the article has it backwards. It says the bars on the TV are IR detectors and the Wiimote has an IR output. In reality, the bars on the TV are nothing more than IR emitters, and the detector is in the Wiimote (like you said...a ccd)

    4. Re:Look at the "revolutionary" technology by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Perfection is not reached when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away."

    5. Re:Look at the "revolutionary" technology by h4ck7h3p14n37 · · Score: 1

      The sensor is in the wiimote. It probably has some kind of low-res ccd that detects the light from the sensor bar and uses it to figure out its orientation.

      The Wii remote uses additional mechanisms to detect its orientation besides the infrared emitters. For example, to play ExciteTruck you hold the controller horizontally with the IR detector pointed away from the sensor bar. Tilting side to side steers and tilting forward and back moves your truck's front-end down and up.

      Pretty clever stuff though I expect it would be easy to confuse the hell out of it with strip lighting or sunlight.

      Indeed it is. If you go into the Wii options menu and select the sensor bar, you can adjust its sensitivity to IR light. A box is displayed on the screen that shows what the Wii remote is "seeing"; you should only see two dots from the sensor bar. If you then point the remote at an infrared light source such as an incandescent bulb, or the sun, you'll see it appear on-screen.

  14. "Sensor array" is not a sensor array by Matz+L.E. · · Score: 4, Informative

    It's not a sensor array, it's just LEDs emitting infrared light.
    The sensor is in the Wiimote.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTGSkYRDpWY

  15. Grr - triwing screws by Alioth · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I hate the way some companies use oddball screws to try and stop people taking the device apart. It doesn't work - those who really want to take it apart will find the tool or improvise, and it merely annoys them. Those who don't want to take it apart wouldn't even if you used screws that could be undone with the tip of a steak knife.

    It's like a wall-wart I have at home - I want to get the case off it to salvage the transformer for other projects, yet they use these nasty 'interrupted flathead' screws (two slots opposite each other on the screw head) which now means I have to buy or make a special tool *just* for this one device. Grrr. Eventually the tool will become common (just like Torx bits have become common, that was the last shenanigan they tried to stop people from taking something apart) and they will change to another infuriatingly uncommon screw type.

    1. Re:Grr - triwing screws by Tainek · · Score: 1

      but it does work, it wont prevent anyone who really wants to get in, but it does stop 90% of the casual population from opening it up just to have a look, me and my brother would have opened our gamebodys when we were younger if they had standard screws, im glad we didnt

      (of course my DS is custom now, i know better)

    2. Re:Grr - triwing screws by jonwil · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Part of it is to make it harder for kids to disassemble it (being that it doesnt use screws that can be opened with stuff kids are likely to find around the house). Remember that the Wii (and also the Wall-Wart mentioned in the parent post) are quite likely to be in environments where kids are around.
      Also, it may be the case that in order to get the various certifications (that CE mark or whatever it is) you need to make it so it cant be easily diassembled (I have no idea)

    3. Re:Grr - triwing screws by Alioth · · Score: 1

      Being hard to get into has nothing to do with CE marks - all our PCs are CE marked and they are designed to be EASY to get into - all our PCs here can be almost completely stripped without any tools. Even the power supplies can be totally disassembled with a normal Phillips screwdriver.

    4. Re:Grr - triwing screws by Jessta · · Score: 1

      The fact that it has annoyed you is proof that it's working.
      If it's annoying enough to open up your wii then less people will try.
      If it was easy then every man and his dog would attempt to 'fix' their wii.

      --
      ...and that is all I have to say about that.
      http://jessta.id.au
    5. Re:Grr - triwing screws by Schraegstrichpunkt · · Score: 3, Informative
      Also, it may be the case that in order to get the various certifications (that CE mark or whatever it is) you need to make it so it cant be easily diassembled (I have no idea)

      That's doubtful; That's what the separate power brick is for.

      I think the rule is that anything that has more than 60 Volts RMS going into it has to be certified. Electronics companies avoid having to re-certify their entire devices every time they make a change by using separate, generic power adaptors.

    6. Re:Grr - triwing screws by eltonito · · Score: 5, Interesting

      In case you really were interested- Torx bits weren't designed to keep end users from accessing the internals, they were designed to make assembly more efficient. Flathead and Phillips screws require the operator to line the bit up with the slots, the Torx design lines up much more quickly and is less likely to pop out of the socket once it is engaged. Supposedly torx improve production times.

      At least, this is what was explained to me by the Craftsmen rep when I complained about having to buy a crapload of torx bits to work on my car, which seemingly has nothing but torx.

    7. Re:Grr - triwing screws by muffen · · Score: 3, Informative
      I hate the way some companies use oddball screws to try and stop people taking the device apart. It doesn't work - those who really want to take it apart will find the tool or improvise, and it merely annoys them. Those who don't want to take it apart wouldn't even if you used screws that could be undone with the tip of a steak knife.
      ... like the xbox360, where you can "make" your own tool by cutting some hard plastic, delays the opening-the-xbox360-process by an entire 5 minutes, and requires one additional tool, scissors.

      I completely agree, the only thing this does is stops "kids" from opening the console, which really has no effect in the end. I guess what they are worried about is people hacking the console, which will happen sooner or later one way or another, and the people hacking it couldn't care less about the screws or even if they have to break the plastic.

      With the internet, it takes just one person to show how its done, and thousands will follow. For the xbox360, there is a company selling the special tool you need, I think the going rate is around $10.
    8. Re:Grr - triwing screws by MindStalker · · Score: 1

      Strangely enough there may be some legal precedent as well. I'd bet if it came with normal screws you could argue in court that like a computer it was end-user serviceable and that you aren't voiding your warranty by taking it apart.

    9. Re:Grr - triwing screws by walt-sjc · · Score: 1

      Just get yourself a Security Bit Set (search google) and those silly screws won't cause you any more problems.

    10. Re:Grr - triwing screws by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The original, initial-launch Game Boy did use standard Philips-head screws.

    11. Re:Grr - triwing screws by ubercam · · Score: 1

      Or if your product is not destined for Canada, use Robertson screws. This wonderful screw type has been around for almost 100 years now and according to the Wikipedia article, about 85% of screws sold in Canada are Robertsons, so don't try using them for a security screw in Canada because everybody and their dog has at least a couple Robertsons in their tool collections. Anywhere else in the world I'm sure it would be fine though.

      Cam

    12. Re:Grr - triwing screws by Lost+Phoenician · · Score: 1

      Car Manufacturers have done it for years, Ford is a pitb for it - the number of times you see 'Removal of this components requires Ford Special Tool number #3641531318 ' or similar in workshop manuals..... Its the modern annoyance equivalent to 'Geneneral Protection Fault in Module XXXXXXX' .

      In modern fords there practically nothing you can take off with a tool made before 1990, including human tools.........

      --
      Its later than you think.....your watch has stopped.......
    13. Re:Grr - triwing screws by JeepFanatic · · Score: 1

      At least you don't have to use a putty knife like I did to put ram in my MAC mini. The first time you "crack" one open is a little disconcerting to say the least.

    14. Re:Grr - triwing screws by RackinFrackin · · Score: 1

      Square-head screws are quite common in the USA.

    15. Re:Grr - triwing screws by q-the-impaler · · Score: 1

      A little history nugget... in 1905 Robertson originally used the round slot instead of the square slot. Due to limited popularity, it was scrapped and switched to the more ubiquitous square slot. And that's where the usage of "square" meaning normal and boring originated.

      Cheers!
      Cliff Clavin

      --
      Sierra Tango Foxtrot Uniform
    16. Re:Grr - triwing screws by Animaether · · Score: 3, Informative

      You are also less likely to kill
      - the screw head
      - the screw driver

      while being able to apply a great amount of force, or a set amount of force with factory tools.

      For more info, see:
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_10664

      Btw - see related topics on the Wiki.. there are a LOT of screw heads out there.

      There is one common property to them, though - if you have a good quality flat screw driver, you can open all but the dotted ones (Spanner Head in the wiki, and a crazy 3-dotted one I encountered once in a greek microwave >_ we ended up drilling those out and replacing them with philips heads on a repair. ha.)

    17. Re:Grr - triwing screws by Politburo · · Score: 1

      Why would Nintendo not want this? A home "fix" voids the warranty, meaning another possible sale for Nintendo....

    18. Re:Grr - triwing screws by Lehk228 · · Score: 1

      i got a set of security bits off overstock that has everything but the 5 lobed TORX-Plus which i can even get a set of those but i don't want to spend $100 just to cause trouble when the 6 lobed TORX security bits are far more common

      --
      Snowden and Manning are heroes.
    19. Re:Grr - triwing screws by Lehk228 · · Score: 1

      because nintendo would rather do the in-warrantee fixing themselves the first time and have a happy customer than have to refuse warrantee service to a bunch of people who wanted to look inside and broke something.

      --
      Snowden and Manning are heroes.
    20. Re:Grr - triwing screws by ubercam · · Score: 1
      A little history nugget... in 1905 Robertson originally used the round slot instead of the square slot. Due to limited popularity, it was scrapped and switched to the more ubiquitous square slot. And that's where the usage of "square" meaning normal and boring originated.

      Hah! So, let me get this straight...

      He used a ROUND slot on a screw? How exactly would that allow you to turn the screw and get any torque? I would guess that the popularity of such an asinine, half-baked invention was limited, and rightly so. I suppose in his infinite shame at having invented the most pointless thing ever, Robertson had a moment of wisdom and came up with the square headed screw & driver.

      Are you sure you read that little "history nugget" correctly?

      Cam
    21. Re:Grr - triwing screws by heson · · Score: 1

      Its about preventing lusers from trying to fix their stuff (breaking), users compentent to fix are competent to open.

    22. Re:Grr - triwing screws by q-the-impaler · · Score: 1
      Cheers!
      Cliff Clavin
      Wooosh!!!!

      See Cliff Clavin
      --
      Sierra Tango Foxtrot Uniform
  16. Re:So? by Nicaboker · · Score: 1

    I wouldn't begrude anyone for doing something they enjoy (to certain limitations) I just didn't see how it would be front page. I guess the comments so far leave me standing corrected. Hell I still enjoying taking electronics apart. Whether or not they work right afterwards makes no difference, as long as i figured out what makes them work.

    --
    So many choices, so little tolerance.
  17. Re:It's not news, it's nerd porn by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    where the device gets undressed down to the bare components

    We know it's you Bender !
    Go advertise your nasty peep-show elsewhere !

  18. hardware elegance by walshy007 · · Score: 1

    I haven't seen a hardware design this well thought of since the gamecube, everything is nice and tightly packed, and not generating heat so much that the compactness kills it. one thing I find interesting is the neatnesss of the board, not that many visible traces. accustomed to so many lines that the mind gets boggled and yet the mobo looks so clean, even though there's so much attached. are they just hiding them or did they come up with something to reduce complexity?

    1. Re:hardware elegance by jrmiller84 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I'm not an electronical engineer but I do believe that traces are layered. Typical PCB's in production hardware like computer motherboards have I think at least 3 layers. Although this is all up to the complexity of the hardware as well as who designed it. I know they can have less and I dont see why they couldn't have more layers. Some of the more intricate traces may be hidden. Either that or Nintendo has received hardware specifications from aliens ;)

      --
      I will forever be a student.
    2. Re:hardware elegance by PipsqueakOnAP133 · · Score: 1

      Multi-layered boards have been used everywhere for the last couple decades. But in this case, the reason they're able to achieve the cleanliness you speak of is simply because most of the stuff they need is integrated into modules or chips, and they're able to be more flexible in routing because of the lower clock speeds.

      Consider the two wireless modules, all the messy-looking stuff is actually hidden under the shielding.
      Additionally, the compactness and the reduced heat generation is simply because they're not pushing Ghz's like the PS3 and Xbox360. For the same reason a PentiumPro/P2/P3/PentiumM/Core/Core2 PC can be compacted down easier than a P4, the Wii runs cooler than the competition. (In fact, the GameCube and the Wii both use a chip very similar to the PPC750 aka the PowerPC G3, which is very efficient and cool)

      Another benefit of using lower clocked circuits is that routing is easier. If you've got lines that have high frequencies, they actually cause lines running in parallel to have fluctuations in voltage (whether by inductance or capacitance, I forget the details), so you have to do weird-looking routing patterns and computer analysis to make sure your signals actually get there without being jumbled up completely. They don't even have to distance them as much, so they could indeed hide it inside the inner layers, which helps make it harder for people who are trying to hack it and make mod chips.

      There's a lot of factors in designing a board. From my perspective, cleanliness is just a side effect.

  19. Re:So? by Dunbal · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The fact you can disassemble the Wii is news how exactly?

          Would you rather read about the latest Google acquisition? Or how about yet another evolution/ID troll? Oh I see let's talk about the RIAA again...

          THIS my friend, is news for nerds. Someone took apart their Wi, and you can see the porno-grade pics. Who else on this planet, apart from nerds, would be interested in THAT?

    --
    Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
  20. Re:So? by Dunbal · · Score: 4, Funny

    I enjoyed many an hour as a child taking electronics apart and putting them back together

          I used to do the same to small animals. They never worked properly afterwards though - they'd just sit there and pretend to be asleep. Dumb animals...

    --
    Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
  21. Everybody knows that... by Kadin2048 · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's made in Canada!

    Of course ... Canadian chips have better cooling.

    --
    "Ladies and gentlemen, my killbot features Lotus Notes and a machine gun. It is the finest available."
  22. Re:urgent qstn by Dunbal · · Score: 1, Funny

    an angry gibbon randomly mashing the keyboard

          What? More than Roland Piquepaille?

    --
    Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
  23. Links for all consoles by alexhs · · Score: 4, Informative
    Where are the "related stories" ?

    And for those who don't have time, motherboards photos :
    • XBox 360 (sorry not directly the JPEG, seems they rely on referer tag. Motherboard pic to the bottom of the page)
    • PS3
    • Wii
    --
    I have discovered a truly marvelous proof of killer sig, which this margin is too narrow to contain.
    1. Re:Links for all consoles by Dr.+Spork · · Score: 1

      Dude, it looks like you know a bit too much about where to find game console disassembly pics. Wanna talk about it?

    2. Re:Links for all consoles by alexhs · · Score: 1

      Sure !

      Google for 'XBox360 disassembled' and 'PS3 disassembled', et voilà :)

      --
      I have discovered a truly marvelous proof of killer sig, which this margin is too narrow to contain.
  24. Re:So? by KDR_11k · · Score: 1

    Okay, now that the groundwork is laid I'm waiting for a 1541 II casemod.

    --
    Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
  25. Re:So? by Nicaboker · · Score: 1

    you make good point... I'll go back to nerd 101 classes and sit ashamed.

    --
    So many choices, so little tolerance.
  26. Re:So? by EinZweiDrei · · Score: 1

    I don't know. I thought King Missile had thoroughly addressed this issue years ago.

    --
    Perhaps life really is full of possibilities.
  27. I never thought I'd say this, but... by infestedsenses · · Score: 1

    I really feel sorry for the thing. Poor Wii. :(

    1. Re:I never thought I'd say this, but... by Jace+of+Fuse! · · Score: 1

      The Wii? I hope there weren't any Mii trapped in there. :(

      --

      "Everything you know is wrong. (And stupid.)"

      Moderation Totals: Wrong=2, Stupid=3, Total=5.
  28. Many hours taking things apart... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I enjoyed many an hour as a child taking electronics apart and putting them back together

    I also enjoyed many an hour taking things apart...but I wasn't terribly good at putting them back together. It was pretty clear I'd never become an engineer. So now I'm a system administrator.

  29. DVD drive? by fuct000 · · Score: 1

    He refers to it as a DVD drive, is this correct or has he got mixed up?

    --
    Free continuous multi-player strategy http://www.holy-war.com/
    1. Re:DVD drive? by BenjyD · · Score: 2, Informative

      It is a DVD drive, it just doesn't play DVD movies because the Wii software/firmware support isn't there.

    2. Re:DVD drive? by Akaihiryuu · · Score: 3, Informative

      They called it a DVD drive because it is a DVD drive. It's pretty much the same thing as the DVD-ROM in your computer. Just putting a DVD drive in your computer isn't going to give you the ability to play DVD movies, you'd have to have some sort of DVD player software. You can read the files off of the disk, but if you don't have an MPEG2 decoder, they're just going to be files. I personally don't see the need to have the Wii be able to play DVD movies. It's a game console...if I really want to play DVD movies, the local grocery store has progressive scan DVD players for $28, and these will be better for movies than any game console. It's not like it is when the PS2 first came out, when DVD players were still relatively expensive (and thus having DVD playback on the PS2 was helpful).

    3. Re:DVD drive? by C0rinthian · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Doesn't this give N an opportunity to save money on the systems shipped, since they have to pay a lisence for the decoding capabilities? This way, they can sell the DVD software seperately via the marketplace, and only have to cover the lisence for those who actually plan to watch DVD's on the system.

      The original Xbox was like this as well, requiring an additional purchase to unlock DVD playback.

    4. Re:DVD drive? by basotl · · Score: 1
      The Wii will get DVD playback in 2007. It appears Nintendo decided to save money for the initial consoles. Sonic Solutions, makers of Roxio CD- and DVD-burning software will be making the software to enable DVD playback on the Wii.

      Link to the article.

      --
      HTC EVO 4G LTE w/ CM 10.2 | NookColor w/ CM 10.2 | Samsung Epic 4G w/ CM 10.1
    5. Re:DVD drive? by MojoStan · · Score: 1
      I personally don't see the need to have the Wii be able to play DVD movies. It's a game console...if I really want to play DVD movies, the local grocery store has progressive scan DVD players for $28, and these will be better for movies than any game console.
      Maybe you don't see the need, but many people don't have any more S-video or component inputs left on their television for that seperate DVD player. Playing DVD movies through your Wii will allow you to use its high-quality video cable.

      Of course, if you have the extra high-quality input, it's a no-brainer to opt for a seperate DVD player. But in this age of seperate cable/satellite tv set-top boxes, DVRs, VCRs, and multiple game consoles, it's easy to run out of decent video inputs. Isn't that why DVD/VCR combos are still somewhat popular?

      --
      TO START
      PRESS ANY KEY

      Where's the 'ANY' key? I see Esk, Kitarl, and Pig-Up...

    6. Re:DVD drive? by Akaihiryuu · · Score: 1

      This is easily solved with a decent audio/video amplifier ($200 for a good one, you can get better of course but $200 these days will get you something that can do Dolby Digital EX and Pro Logic II). These cost a fraction of the cost of a good TV, and less than any game console. In my case, even that's not enough...I have to have 2 switch boxes too (1 for video/s-video, one for component). If you want to forego the amp, you can get decent video/S-video switch boxes for around $30 and decent component ones for around $60-$70. Although, if you want to have something better for sound than the speakers on your TV, you'll need the amp anyway. Being able to hook lots of devices up to it is just a bonus.

    7. Re:DVD drive? by Akaihiryuu · · Score: 1

      Apparently the software will not be an option to download, as Nintendo said that more than just a firmware update would be required to utilize it (no idea why, the Wii is certainly fast enough to handle software playback). They're going to release a second, more expensive version of the console that will be DVD-video enabled alongside the normal one. This is a good idea, but it would've been better to do it at launch, that way the people that want DVD in their Wii but also wanted to get one at launch won't feel shafted. I'm personally not really interested in using my Wii for DVD playback...even the best software DVD players aren't that great, and are easily bested in quality by a $28 progressive scan player by an order of magnitude.

    8. Re:DVD drive? by basotl · · Score: 1

      ...Looks under T.V. and notices a $27.99 Progressive DVD player. Yeah I know what you mean.

      --
      HTC EVO 4G LTE w/ CM 10.2 | NookColor w/ CM 10.2 | Samsung Epic 4G w/ CM 10.1
  30. Supprise Supprise by pklong · · Score: 1

    A circuit board and an optical drive. Wop de do.

    --

    Philip

    Signatures are broken

    1. Re:Supprise Supprise by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, at least it proves to the Nintendo fanboys that their consoles aren't powered by fairy dust.

      (stolen joke - from joystiq.com I think)

    2. Re:Supprise Supprise by Meatloaf+Surprise · · Score: 1

      Could someone define the word 'supprise' please? I've never seen this word before and since he said it twice, I assume it wasn't a typo.

    3. Re:Supprise Supprise by SenorCitizen · · Score: 1

      It probably has something to do with a suppressed feeling of surprise.

    4. Re:Supprise Supprise by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's when Peggy Bundy cooks you dinner.

  31. Curious by whoop · · Score: 1

    Does the classic controller work with Gamecube games? Or do you need both a classic and a Gamecube controller for the various Virtual Console and Gamecube games?

    1. Re:Curious by Meatloaf+Surprise · · Score: 1

      From what I've heard, the classic controller can only be used for VC games, and the GC controller can only be used for GC games.

    2. Re:Curious by mrb000gus · · Score: 1

      You can use a cube controller for most stuff, but classic controller only works with virtual console games not cube games.

    3. Re:Curious by DDLKermit007 · · Score: 3, Informative

      GC games require the GC controller as far as I know. Virtual Console games however all work with the Classic controller plus the GC controller and depending on the game the Wiimote can be used (mainly NES and some Genesis games). Back to Zelda!

    4. Re:Curious by Maul · · Score: 1

      I haven't bought anything from the store yet, but I browsed it.

      From what it looks like, when you look at the information from the store, it tells you what controllers will work with that game. Most of the NES games look as if they support the Classic Controller, the GCN controller, and the Remote.

      --

      "You spoony bard!" -Tellah

    5. Re:Curious by Daetrin · · Score: 2, Insightful
      From what I've heard, the classic controller can only be used for VC games, and the GC controller can only be used for GC games.

      That's not true at all. Although the chart doesn't say anything about whether the classic controller can be used for gamecube games. Given that you can use both the gamecube and classic controller for most of the same VC games i'd be surprised if the classic controller didn't work for gamecube games. In fact, hold on....

      Ok, i stand corrected, i can't get the classic controller to work with Star Wars Lego 2. In fact the remote doesn't work at _all_, meaning there's no way to get back to the Wii menu once you've started a gamecube game without manually reseting the system as far as i can tell. Hopefully both of those issues will be fixed by a patch at some point.

      --
      This Space Intentionally Left Blank
  32. I really should just create an account... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Here's a comprehensive video from EETimes (c/o Semiconductor Insights):

    http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jht ml;jsessionid=W3LH3HBXTZ2ESQSNDLSCKHA?articleID=19 4500278

    They take apart the controller too.

    1. Re:I really should just create an account... by sponga · · Score: 1

      These guys found out another way to dissasemble one also.
      http://media.wii.ign.com/articles/745/745202/vid_1 742357.html

      There have been several incidents of the remote strap breaking also and it does not seem like a durable piece of line.
      http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/wiimote-strap-b reaks-controller-destroys-tv/

  33. Oops by kilo_foxtrot84 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Uh... does anybody have a link to the reassembly page?

    1. Re:Oops by TheDreadSlashdotterD · · Score: 1

      Reverse disassembly?

      --
      I have nothing to say.
  34. Re:So? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hi Ken, why the cold shoulder? Barbie.

  35. Re:So? by The+Benefactor · · Score: 1

    Ahh, king missile, how they make me laugh.

    Their song about cheesecake delivery is great.

    --
    To err is human, to arr is pirate.
  36. The obvious question is .... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Wii?

  37. Re:So? by Joebert · · Score: 1

    A goat with dentures ?

    --
    Wanna fight ? Bend over, stick your head up your ass, and fight for air.
  38. Naked Women by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 1

    I actually view the internal parts of geeky electronics like seeing a woman without her clothes. An exceptionally well designed electronic goody is much like a exceptionally well put together lady undressed. On the other hand, some hacked together POC is like that 300lb tub naked ... eeewwwwww Put your clothes back on!

    --
    Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
  39. Good Old Gramps by Joebert · · Score: 1

    If gramps was still around to day, he'd slap me upside the head & say "There boy, let's see your fancy video game console do that !".

    Then I'd wait untill he went to sleep and superglue the controller to the side of his head.

    --
    Wanna fight ? Bend over, stick your head up your ass, and fight for air.
  40. Re:urgent qstn by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And yet, still no Shakespeare.

  41. Re:playing with my wii? by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 1

    "Bob: I'm fascinated by my wee! I played with it all night!"

    Ugh. That joke is over 6 months old. Sorry.

    I did hear an unexpected outburst at the office yesterday, though. Last week, my coworker Richard told everybody how he was going to get a Wii over the weekend. Monday came. Anxious to find out if he had succeded, I heard somebody blurt out from across the cube-farm: "Dickie! How's your Wii??!"

    I wish I could have seen the look on female coworkers' faces.

    --

    "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

  42. Smash it by Virtual+Karma · · Score: 1

    If you ask me this is the best way:
    http://fuvoo.com/FuvooPermaLink.aspx?PostID=93

  43. You can't judge a book by it's cover. by MaWeiTao · · Score: 1

    You can't judge a book by it's cover, or in this case, internals. But the PS3 certainly looks a lot more impressive inside than the Wii.

    1. Re:You can't judge a book by it's cover. by CityZen · · Score: 1

      Well, the PS3 certainly looks much more expensive than the Wii.

      The Wii looks impressive because it does so much with so little.

  44. Re:urgent qstn by Knuckles · · Score: 2, Informative

    Your nickname might have been temporarily banned, possibly because you posted 4 postings within 4 days since creating your account and all 4 were sweet but useless. They were consequently moderated to -1, and some automatic Slashdot script took you for a troll and banned you. If you want to clear things up you might want to do what the message you received tells you, and email the Slashdot staff at posting@slashdot.org. Include "Mipoti Gusundar" in the email subject.

    By the way the, judging from your signature you still have problems comprehending what "offtopic" means although I already told you here. I believe you just have some problems adapting to Slashdot (or the world?) plus I have a few ties to Chennai, and so I will assume for now that you are genuine and not a very clever troll. Email me if you want to ask questions, you can find my email address on my user page.

    On the other hand, the website URL on your user page has a typo ("instatute") but even after fixing it I cannot find the server. I did however find these postings of yours where you also failed to enter the URL correctly (plus failed to make a useful posting in the first place). Hmmm, what's up with you?

    --
    "When I first heard Daydream Nation it quite frankly scared the living shit out of me." -- Matthew Stearns
  45. Re:So? by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

    If you were a nerd you'd understand. You might not appreciate it but you'd understand. You are not, so it would be nice if you would go away and not come back. There have been dissections on the front page of slashdot as long as I can remember and they've always been some of my favorite features. How can you not be interested in seeing what's inside these systems? Didn't you take apart everything you could reach as a kid? And if not, what makes you think you have anything to say that will be interesting to anyone on a geek news site?

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  46. Multi-layer PCBs by PeterBrett · · Score: 2, Informative
    Typical PCB's in production hardware like computer motherboards have I think at least 3 layers.

    PCBs tend to have multiple layers, typically multiples of two. Often they are made by starting off with a sheet of PCB with copper on both sides, which is etched. Another layer of resin is added to each side, followed by copper plating of both sides, which is then itself etched. Wash, rinse, repeat (literally).

    PC motherboards most certainly have multiple layers, often twelve to sixteen. This is so that the extremely large number of components required can be placed very close together and yet still be routed successfully (routing is the process whereby traces are laid out to connect components together). Indeed, on some motherboards I've seen none of the routing other than the most trivial is on the outermost layers of the PCB.

    1. Re:Multi-layer PCBs by jrmiller84 · · Score: 1

      Wow, I didn't realize they had that many. I remember back in an electronics class I had in HS the professor always told us that they had multiple layers but I was never sure how many. Of course that was a few years back as well. That's the world we live in, always more than before and smaller yet.

      --
      I will forever be a student.
  47. Re:So? by Overly+Critical+Guy · · Score: 1

    It's news for nerds. This is (or used to be) a tech site, remember?

    --
    "Sufferin' succotash."
  48. 802.11g? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I couldn't get the Wii to connect to my WAP until I switched from G-only to mixed mode. I think the Wii only does 802.11b (which is what the DS maxes out at). Neither the manual or Nintendo's website specifically say 802.11G support. It sucks switching back to mixed mode since G-only gives me a more consistent throughput on my other components in the house. Anybody else able to use Wii's WiFi in G-only mode?

  49. Erm guys... by Unique2 · · Score: 1
    PopSci.com:
    The broken optical drive was what caused this whole mess in the first place. It's connected to the main board with a single ribbon.


    Informit.com:
    There are two wires that need to be disconnected before you can safely remove the DVD unit. One is a plug type of connector that only requires a little tug. The other is a circuit strip connector that requires you to lift the brown catch, which will release the pressure holding the strip in place (Figure 9). Do not break this!


    I think I know why your Wii is broke!
    --
    No trees were harmed in the posting of this message. However, a great number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
  50. STOP FEEDING THE TROLL! by mmell · · Score: 1

    That is all.

  51. Re:"Sensor array" is not a sensor array by BeBoxer · · Score: 1

    It's not a sensor array, it's just LEDs emitting infrared light.
    The sensor is in the Wiimote.


    Yeah, that's pretty funny he made that mistake. Even a casual glance at his picture of the the sensor bar shows that it's just LED's. First, there are the LED's. Plus, there just aren't enough traces/wires for their to be any meaningful sensor data someing out of it. The wiimote picture of the "LED emitter" reveals just the opposite. It looks nothing like an LED, and has something like 10 leads going into it.

  52. Wake me up... by rholland356 · · Score: 1

    Please wake me up when Leisure Suit Larry is released for the Wii, 'cuz that new controller offers real possibilities...

  53. Re:So? by Nicaboker · · Score: 0

    Read another reply of mine and you'll see that yes I did take things apart as a kid and still do.

    --
    So many choices, so little tolerance.
  54. Triwing screwdrivers by evilsofa · · Score: 1

    First hit on google: a kit of 100 obscure bits, including a triwing bit: http://www.action-electronics.com/ezpower.htm