DIYPad: iFixIt iPad real-time teardown

IFixIt has gotten their hands on an iPad and are tearing it down as we speak. In-process pics on the their site.

Some highlights discovered so far:
* This machine is absolutely gorgeous inside. There’s clear symmetry that is there for aesthetics alone.
* The rear case is CNC machined from a solid block of aluminum, using the same process as the MacBook Pro.
* Apple has used more epoxy to secure chips to the board than we’ve seen before. This indicates that it is designed to be even more rugged than their laptops.
* The battery isn’t soldiered onto the motherboard. That means replacing the battery *is* feasible for users who do not want to give up their precious for a week. (And then get back someone else’s iPad!)
* This unit is different from the FCC photos. Toshiba DOES NOT have the flash memory in the production units! Instead, Samsung has secured a major win.

They’ll be putting up more pics and analysis as they go. They have eight computer and manufacturing engineers analyzing the device! And speaking of their obsessive, geek detective work, here’s a recent Reuters piece on them: Special Report: iPad striptease: It’s what’s inside that counts.

iPad Teardown