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---
title: "Openable Laptops"
category: "hardware"
abstract: wishing for return of laptops one can actually open and fix
date: 2023-02-10T10:40:12+01:00
year: 2023
draft: false
tags:
- thinkpad
- lenovo
- apple
- hp
---
I'm considering getting a small, light laptop for ultraportable use. Ideally, no X-window is needed, just a terminal with Emacs. Just to do some writing on the go or even at home without the distraction of YouTube just two clicks away. My first thought was [ThinkPad X220](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ThinkPad_X_series#X220), often called the last great ThinkPad. It's small (12'') and cheap (30-50USD). Unfortunately, it's as heavy as my X1 Extreme, so it's not perfect.
But what has completely blown me away was its expandability and repairability. Apple has completely broken the computer business, as even opening a laptop seems strange now. But you can easily disassemble the X220 in just a few minutes. The internet is flooded with replacement parts. Ever tried to replace the palm rest on a modern MacBook? Me neither.
{{<youtube "T0Wvi7V3nnQ" "How to upgrade X220">}}
There's still hope, though. The [Framework Laptops](https://frame.work/) are designed to be as repairable as possible from the start. The company even sells upgrades for a motherboard with newer chipsets. They, however, have yet to sell outside of North America, so it's a no-go for me. Also: it's a modern computer; therefore, it's expensive. Recently, HP [also joined the game](https://www.ifixit.com/News/30195/hp-makes-the-modern-repairable-devices-you-might-have-forgotten-existed).
Even Apple, in the pre-Coook pre-unibody era, advertised hardware accessibility!
{{<youtube "VJIdIrtC0jc" "Steve Jobs shows how to open a MacBook.">}}
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