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---
title: "Openable Laptops"
category:
- blog
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](/2022/month_without_apple/), 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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