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iFixit Moves Into Console Repair
sk8pmp writes with news that iFixit, a website known for Apple gadget teardowns and repair guides, is expanding into the game console market, launching a series of troubleshooting and repair guides to help gamers fix their own machines. They're also starting to sell replacement parts and the tools necessary to work on them.
"Right now there are repair guides for 24 gaming consoles, including 206 repairs and upgrades. Some of these fixes deal with major issues, such as the infamous Red Ring of Death from the Xbox 360, but others are simpler. For instance, right now there is no easy way to clean out the fans inside your console. 'I think this is probably the number one cause of overheating these days now that manufacturers have mostly gotten their act together,' Wiens said. 'This is routine maintenance, and it's mind-boggling that the manufacturers don't provide people with an easy way to open the case up and blow it out.' You'll also learn how to replace broken LCD screens on your portables, replace the motherboard on your PlayStation 3, and do just about anything else you might want to do to these systems, from the simple to the harrowing."
It's the sound of continuity/anti-tamper sensors being added to the external housings of the next generation of consoles...
Mostly obsolete in consumer electronics, where small is a big selling point and "user-serviceable" is "not user-friendly".
Pop open just about any but the absolute cheapest and nastiest of servers, say, (which is usually a toolless operation, unless you've locked the provided lock) and you'll see the fans right there. Often in convenient hot-swap mounts, no less.
That's a stroke of luck, as my brother gave me a broken Playstation 3 yesterday. It's an original "fat" model suffering from the flashing red light of death, which means I'll need to replace the power supply, and the iFixit site has a guide for doing just that.
Maybe its mind boggling to those of us who expect a quality long lasting product for a reasonable price... An idea that seems fairly obsolete these days. :(
Modern electronics are so miniaturized that everything is pretty packed in. And people want it that way, they want "slim" devices. Your "easy to service" products are going to be a lot bigger and cost a lot more. People want cheap and small.
Also, having the average person open up their devices is ultimately going to result in screw-ups and an increased volume of customer support requests, which is expensive.
I don't think it's some kind of conspiracy to make your products break. It's just the result of economics and demands of modern technology. If you want long-lasting quality products, you'll usually pay more. But when has that ever not been true for most things?
... and then they built the supercollider.
Not as packaged as iFixit sounds, but I've found the Badcaps Forums a great place to learn about LCD monitor repair and electronics operation.
it's mind-boggling that the manufacturers don't provide people with an easy way to open the case up and blow it out.'
I do not think that word means what you think it means. Or your mind is defective.
You can blow most game consoles out by spraying them with compressed air. There's two strategies for this that I know of. One is to do it in the reverse direction of flow, with the system turned off. The other is to do it in the direction of flow, with the system turned on. I could see doing the reverse and then the forward. Use a can of air, or turn the regulator way down on your compressor. You do have a regulator, right?
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
I must have been absent the day it was put to a vote that we want "slim" devices that cannot be serviced.
When it comes to consumer products, people want what they're told to want by the marketers (or maybe "marketeers" as in "racketeers").
You are welcome on my lawn.
I must have been absent the day it was put to a vote that we want "slim" devices that cannot be serviced.
you were there, you were simply outvoted.
I would far prefer sealed slab style electronics (heat-conductive epoxy FTW) that don't have so many problems, but we're not there yet for most devices.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
I suspect that most of their business will be on stuff that's out of warranty anyway. I've used iFixit for years and years when I've had or inherited an Apple product that needed repair. It has always been old stuff because if the product is under warranty, it's quicker and easier for the user to send it to the manufacturer (well Apple anyway, not sure about how well console manufacturers honor their warranty). iFixit comes in when the product is old and out-dated, or you've voided your warranty by e.g., spilling liquid on it, or some other user behavior that's not covered. So I doubt the console manufacturers will care very much.
All in all, this is good news. I think that we're starting to reach that point now that electronics aren't improving so rapidly that old products are completely obsolete before their hardware fails. So it's good to see people like iFixit encouraging a culture of repair and reuse, especially for electronics which are 1) made from some heavy metals that are in limited supply, and are toxic to mine, 2) completely awful for water quality and human health to throw out and/or recycle because of all the heavy metals (children that live in recycling town in China grow up with elevated levels of Cadmium in their blood).
Gentlemen! You can't fight in here, this is the war room!
I must have been absent the day it was put to a vote that we want "slim" devices that cannot be serviced.
So, let's see... which would you prefer to use?
The Floppy drive is easy to service. Big parts, you can fix the mechanics and solder the components. On the other hand, you are not going to be able to fix your 8GB Flash memory if something internal goes wrong.
Same with things like motherboards and components. Would you rather a machine with discrete transistors or vacuum tubes, or would you rather something with surface-mount devices and microchips? There's a massive difference in performance.
... and then they built the supercollider.
Not true! This drive was run over by a car and the chip (containing the only copy of someones PHD thesis) was broken off. It was later soldered back on ad the data was successfully removed. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3417/4566207262_201cbabeaf_b.jpg
That depends, do I get a 3.5" Floppy drive that can store 8GB of data, so that we're actually talking size/form factor and not asking whether you'd rather have a thimble of distilled water or a gallon of tap to drink for the day?
Don't change the subject.
I'd rather a box with 4 screws that I could open up and service instead of one that's glued shut.
This story is about servicing game consoles that have been designed specifically not to be serviced, not whether or not those consoles should use microchips or vacuum tubes.
You are welcome on my lawn.
Also, having the average person open up their devices is ultimately going to result in screw-ups and an increased volume of customer support requests, which is expensive.
How ever will the watchmakers deal with such a flood of customer support requests?
Whatever would someone do if they opened up their watch, and crushed a gem or lost a screw? If they went complaining to their neighbor, do you think they would get any sympathy? "Oh no, I just bent that escapement. How dare WATCHCOMPANY allow me to make such a mistake. I will now demand a refund or replacement."
Stick a warranty seal on it and be done with it.
Out of modpoints but really liked a post? 1BDkF6TtmmeZ3yqXbz9yhdYVqRYnwFoXDj
How do they get around ban's from swapping parts?
yes M$ likes to ban you for swapping the HDD (some times) and the DVD?
I like this. Video game console repair and mod tutorials are scattered all over the internet. It will be nice to have them all in one place. The PDF download option is a bonus.
My question is, who owns the contributions? If I write up a guide to fix a console, what's to stop iFixit from taking that and locking the best features (like PDF download) behind a paywall like Instructables did?
Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
It isn't that difficult, with a little Googling. The one questionable item (which you can find on the Internet) is that drive signature file. But I did it all recently in about 5 minutes. Bought an XBox360 Arcade with no hard drive. Bought an hd case from DealExtreme, a HD from newegg. Run a simple command-line utility, pointing it to the signature for the right size hd (up to 250GB). Put the drive in the hd case, put it on your Xbox, and you're done. Connect to the net, install updates, you want, etc. The core Dashboard is in the Xbox, but perhaps just updates are on the HD. Backing up an existing drive takes some time, but this was my first Xbox, so I had nothing to backup.
Wow, I'm glad I found out about this place. This reminded me that Nintendo was completely useless in repairing my DS (one shoulder button wasn't working, sent it in, got it back and the broken shoulder button somehow switched sides). I just hope they have a how-to for keeping dust from getting under the screen - my house is FAR too dusty...
...one reason it's cheap is it's disposable.
Me lubs MilSpec equipment, but would hate to pay that much for rugged repairability when not required.
"This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
'This is routine maintenance, and it's mind-boggling that the manufacturers don't provide people with an easy way to open the case up and blow it out.'
Really? It seems pretty simple to me:
1. Build product.
2. Make product so that it's life is artifically gimped by not being able to do the easiest of things like 'blow it out'.
3. When product dies early, customer spends more money to replace originaly gimped product.
4. Rinse, repeat.
Seriously, they seem to build most 'consumer electronics' to die on a predetermined schedule. If they built them to last, then the companys would not get any extra money from multiple purchases...and well...they can't have that now can they.
The above AC is talking about the original Xbox, not the 360. Changing the drive on an original Xbox at the least requires softmodding, so you can get the EEPROM key. Then you connect the new drive to a PC running Xbox HDM, build the filesystem, and lock it with the original EEPROM. It's easy, but not a 5 minute job unless you have a hard modded system which can disable drive locking entirely.
Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
I like the idea of putting all this info in one place. I see this more as being a place to put info about repairing older hardware, though. Since not everyone has the know-how and tools to work on today's super-small electronics. If I find the time, I shall endeavor to consolidate all my NEO-GEO arcade hardware repair knowledge and add it to the wiki. It'd be cool to see them including usability mods too, if they haven't already. Like RGB video mods for older consoles, to compliment the regular repair info.
Friend: "The NIC is misconfigured..." Me: "No prob, I'll just telnet in and fix it." *Silence*
Maybe it's a generational thing. I don't trust what I can't open to get a peek at the noodles.
You are welcome on my lawn.
That depends, do I get a 3.5" Floppy drive that can store 8GB of data
No, you don't. You don't get such high data densities and get to service them by hand. That's the point. Progress relies on miniaturization, which relies on industrial processes and tools beyond the individual's means.
... and then they built the supercollider.
Actually most Xbox failures result in warranty replacement. Also there is not a new console out. The New version of the 360 doesn't add anything useful.
Don't change the subject.
I'm not.
I'd rather a box with 4 screws that I could open up and service instead of one that's glued shut.
But that's not what's being discussed. Would you want your laptop designed that way? Because that's going to be one huge and heavy laptop. Nobody is gluing these things shut. They are just complex and difficult to work with because that's the only way to get so much power in a small space.
This story is about servicing game consoles that have been designed specifically not to be serviced,
No it's not. You're just reading that into it. The consoles are serviceable - how else do you think the companies' technicians service them?
... and then they built the supercollider.
I wouldn't exactly call that fixing the "internal components." That's just fixing the external connectors, not the Flash memory itself.
... and then they built the supercollider.
Think about that statement.
Tell me that the only way to "get so much power in a small" iPhone was to build it so that the battery could not be changed by the owner.
Tell me that the only way to "get so much power in a small" game console was to build it so that dust could not be cleaned out of cooling ducts.
Tell me that the only way to "get so much power in a small" iPod Touch or MS Zune(or pick your favorite MP3 player) is to build it so that the audio jack could not be replaced when it inevitably gets a short and one side of the stereo output goes out.
I understand that you're trying to deny that "planned obsolescence" or even "planned breakage" is fundamental to the design of most consumer electronics, but if you talk to someone who designs consumer electronics or someone who works in what used to be called "quality assurance" you will learn that you're wrong.
I'm not trying to pick on Apple, in case that's what caused your hackles to become erect.
You are welcome on my lawn.
You're right, we don't have complete information on how to deal with the drive firmware yet. We would absolutely love help writing up an authoritative document on how to deal with this. The easy approach is to swap in the board from your existing drive, but that only works if you are installing the same (ish) drive. This is a little bit of a tricky area for us (as a legal entity) to document because of the piracy implications, but there is no issue at all with you posting what you know. I don't think it would take too much effort to gather all the drive compatibility / firmware information in one place-- and you clearly know what you're talking about, so we'd appreciate the help!
We are not big and public, and never will be. And if you don't trust us, fork the content and go build your own manual. We need one place for repair information, and it doesn't have to be iFixit. We've chosen to sell parts rather than ask for donations like Wikipedia, but our approach is otherwise quite similar.
Because that's going to be one huge and heavy laptop.
My OLPC likes to disagree, that thing is easy to open up, in fact so easy that children can do it with a single screwdriver. It also comes with a few additional unused screws in the case, in case you lose some.
The consoles are serviceable - how else do you think the companies' technicians service them?
With special training and equipment. Just look at a disassembly of an Xbox 360 Slim, that thing is way more complex to disassemble then it would need to when properly designed.
If the Ph.D. student only had one copy on their thesis, which was on a USB stick, and they broke the USB stick, they deserves to fail.
All of my work gets archived twice on 2.5inch USB hard drives, one taken off site, a copy put online where it is stored at a data centre, and I also send copies via email. It's not hard work, and relatively cheap.
Tell me that the only way to "get so much power in a small" iPhone was to build it so that the battery could not be changed by the owner.
Right. To add a removable battery, you'd either need to use a smaller battery (less battery life) or have a bigger and heavier device.
Tell me that the only way to "get so much power in a small" game console was to build it so that dust could not be cleaned out of cooling ducts.
But dust can be cleaned out of the cooling ducts. This article has a link to a site that tells you how to do it. (or you could just blow it out without opening the device.
Tell me that the only way to "get so much power in a small" iPod Touch or MS Zune(or pick your favorite MP3 player) is to build it so that the audio jack could not be replaced when it inevitably gets a short and one side of the stereo output goes out.
Not sure what you're talking about there.
I understand that you're trying to deny that "planned obsolescence" or even "planned breakage" is fundamental to the design of most consumer electronics,
It may or may not be, but none of your arguments or examples support that conclusion. If planned obsolescence is built-in, then why is it that so many of my devices that are 3,5 and even 10 years or more old are working just fine? I haven't had a single piece of electronics die (except for hard drive failures) in the last decade.
I'm not trying to pick on Apple, in case that's what caused your hackles to become erect.
When did I mention Apple?
Apparently, you're ignorant of technology. As it progresses, it gets beyond just needing a screwdriver and soldering iron to fix. If you're so against gluing things shut, then I assume your computer's processor can be opened with four screws so you can fix a faulty logic gate? No? Then why aren't you outraged about that?
... and then they built the supercollider.
My OLPC likes to disagree, that thing is easy to open up, in fact so easy that children can do it with a single screwdriver. It also comes with a few additional unused screws in the case, in case you lose some.
And it is very underpowered. Thanks for making my point. And what can you do once it is open? Not much.
With special training and equipment.
Apparently not. Did you even read the slashdot summary? It links to a site that shows you how to do it.
Just look at a disassembly of an Xbox 360 Slim, that thing is way more complex to disassemble then it would need to when properly designed.
So, instead they should should make it a huge beast so tiny percentage of users can conveniently open it? People mocked the 360 on release because it was so huge - what do you think the reaction would have been if it was 50% larger in volume?
... and then they built the supercollider.
And what can you do once it is open? Not much.
Replace the LCD backlight for example, the display hinge or the keyboard or whatever else is broken. You can't take the motherboard apart, but pretty much everything else on the OLPC.
Apparently not. Did you even read the slashdot summary? It links to a site that shows you how to do it.
That's what I called "special training", you are not going to take these things apart without damage unless you already know what to expect. And of course you might need to grab an unusual triwing screwdriver or torx security bit or whatever, which basically serves no other purpose then making disassembly harder.
So, instead they should should make it a huge beast so tiny percentage of users can conveniently open it?
The by far smallest piece of electronic I have is my wrist watch and I can take that apart by simply unscrewing four screws. On a device the size of an Xbox360 there would be tons of room for some proper screws, instead of all those snap-in plastics stuff.
But while violating the warranty.
You are welcome on my lawn.
Only if you want to play Crysis on your laptop.
The OLPC is not underpowered for its intended purpose.
You are welcome on my lawn.
How does blowing the dust out from the outside violate the warranty?
I'm sorry, but your whole notion that manufacturers deliberately make their products to break is absurd. Yes, there are many easy to break items, but they are that way because consumers want cheap things, so they use cheaper components to meet that demand. A company that makes products to fail deliberately is not going to last in the market for very long.
Also absurd is your notion that the design of modern products is deliberately intended to remove accessibility. That is simply a byproduct of their function and form factor. They consist of hundreds of tiny components in a small space. How can you assemble something like that without it being complex? Do you think they do it for shits and giggles?
Maybe if your way is so much better, you should start up a company and make these amazing advanced products that are also simple in construction and easy to take apart by the end user. You could make a lot of money. But I'm guessing you don't know the first thing about it.
I mean, some of your examples are completely backwards. The removable battery thing for one. That decreases longevity, and adds points of failure, creating a product that fails sooner. How often have you seen phones and laptops where the battery retaining latches have failed long before the end of life for the battery? And removing the complexity of a battery bay and casing allows for greater structural integrity, again, increasing the chance the product will last longer.
You also forget that we're talking about (in consoles and phones) cheap consumer appliances here, not rackmount servers or tower computers.
... and then they built the supercollider.
No, but you could get a lot more power into something that size. Again, do you not understand that there are tradeoffs between price, power, quality of construction and form factor?
... and then they built the supercollider.
Maybe it's a generational thing. I don't trust what I can't open to get a peek at the noodles.
If it's cheap and it has a bunch of surface-mount stuff that I'm not going to service anyway, then I don't care. If it is wickedly expensive and has components I am likely to service, I care. So far I own no hardware like that. I used to when I could barely rub two pennies together to buy an Amiga 2000, but now you can get machines that make it look like a palm pilot for free out of dumpsters.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
You can service an optical drive, and an optical drive can handle those kinds of capacities. You specifically chose an example that encourages "You can have something effective and tiny, or something accessible and potentially fixable, but not both" while leaving out the accessible, potentially fixable, but not tiny option.
Why would you choose an optical drive over solid-state technology, just because it's "potentially fixable"? It's also a lot more breakable with all those moving parts and scratchable media surfaces. Not to mention a lot slower in transfer speeds.
Also, an 8GB optical drive is in the realm of the surface mount device, with finely tuned lasers. It takes a lot more skill and precision to fix than an old floppy drive. Just not practical for the average tinkerer.
... and then they built the supercollider.
The other big advantage of torx is it either fits or it doesn't.
There are at least two types of cross head screws common in the west (philpps and pozi) and afaict there is a japanese standard that is different again. Bits from one family will sort of fit in the others and bits the wrong size from the same range will also generall sort of fit.
Screwdrivers that appear to fit but don't fit very well are a BAD thing, they lead to damaged screwheads which in turn can make it virtually impossible to dismantle a device.
note: i'm known as plugwash most places but i screwd up registering that here somehow in the past and now can't register
Just to make a point (if late), an 8GB optical drive is a DVD drive (dual layer) and isn't *that* difficult to fix.