The Case of Apple's Mystery Screw 845
Pickens writes "Network World reports that in the past if you wanted to remove the outer case on your iPhone 4 to replace the battery or a broken screen, you could use a Phillips screwdriver to remove two tiny screws at the base of the phone and then simply slide off the back cover. But now Apple is replacing the outer screw with a mysterious tamper-resistant 'pentalobular' screw across its most popular product lines, making it harder for do-it-yourselfers to make repairs. What about existing products in the field? Pentalobular screws might find their way into them, too. 'Apple's latest policy will make your blood boil,' says Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit. 'If you take your iPhone 4 into Apple for any kind of service, they will sabotage it by replacing your Phillips screws with the new, tamper-resistant screws. We've spoken with the Apple Store geniuses tasked with carrying out this policy, and they are ashamed of the practice.' Of course, only Apple-authorized service technicians have Pentalobular screwdrivers and they're not allowed to resell them. 'Apple sees a huge profit potential,' says Wiens. 'A hundred dollars per year in incremental revenue on their installed base is a tremendous opportunity.'"
Re:Yay! (Score:5, Funny)
I forgive them, because the word "pentalobular" is hilarious to say.
I also don't own an iPhone, so it's all academic to me anyway. :D
Apple bashing just reached a new low. (Score:4, Funny)
We're complaining about their choice of screws now?
Re:Yay! (Score:5, Funny)
*sings*
Cellular, Modular, screws are Pentalobular.
Bonus points to who gets the reference
Re:Yay! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Yay! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:A quick google search (Score:5, Funny)
Thanks, your request to get my post modded down got me a +5. You really should have asked for them to mod me up.
Re:Yay! (Score:5, Funny)
first they pentalobed the iphone users ;-)
and i didn't speak out, because i wasn't an iphone user...
Re:Yay! (Score:5, Funny)
They're called iScrews.
Re:Yay! (Score:5, Funny)
I think in this case they moved the extraneous vowel to the end, they're called ScrewU's
Re:Yay! (Score:5, Funny)
"Yeah, I know, you came up with memory-stick. But that was years ago. Look at this! This is state of the art non-standardization!".
Re:Yay! (Score:5, Funny)
It's the "logical next step" in all the "break this sticker with a screw hidden underneath and void your warranty" crap.
And of course, it's got 90% of the consumer population so fucking scared that they won't break that sticker even when they need to repair a device that's 5 years old and 4 years, 9 months out of the stupidly short 90-day warranty.
It's the same kind of brainwashing crap you get with expiration dates on bottled water [fda.gov] (also found on non-expiring foods/spices such as honey and salt) and stupidly short expiration dates [medscape.com] on medicines.
Pop Sci still runs a great "void your warranty [popsci.com]" column. I recommend reading it on a regular basis and learning to say "fuck it, void the warranty, I'm going to improve/repair my own fucking property" whenever possible!
Re:A quick google search (Score:4, Funny)
Jobs, you missed it! (Score:5, Funny)
Toobular Pentolobular Joy (Score:5, Funny)
With apologies to the folks of MST3k for shamelessly stealing one of their best ideas [youtube.com]:
Tom: Hey, fellas, this sure is a screwey screw in this device, isn't it?
Mike: It sure is!
Crow: Yet despite all the goofyness of the thing, I just can't come up with a word that describes it
Tom: Well I can
Mike: You can?
Tom: Why, sure!
Tom: Oh, it's stupid-alubulal, annoya-nonpractical pentular lobular fun!
Mike: Aggravata-maximal irrita-scam-ulal?
Tom: Right-o, that's the one!
Crow: Is it frustrate-orificcal, butt-in-your-face-ical screwya from morning 'til night?
Tom: Well you're rip-off fantastical purloin-irascable Stevejobs-an-ass-hola right!
All: It's a swindle-a-boobulal rip-you-off-obulal Toobular Pentalobular joy!
An expososular-buttular humped without lubular fun for girl and boy!
An Apple-fantastical scamu-lal job-ulal financial-al steal-it-all ball
Crow: the most defraud-o-riffical
Mike: Fleece-yer-customeral
Crow: con-game-el-fuck-you-lar
Tom: Jobs-u-big-crook-ular
All: Screw job off them all!
Re:Yay! (Score:5, Funny)
The very first thing I do on newly acquired devices is to rob them of their virginity by breaking the seal. The sooner it's over and done, the better. It also seems to make them more resilient too.
Re:Yay! (Score:5, Funny)
I hope you never have children......
Re:A quick google search (Score:4, Funny)
I think this is it:
http://www.stevesonian.com/museum/desktop/iMac/downloads/pictures/iMac_5up_flower.jpg [stevesonian.com]
Re:Yay! (Score:4, Funny)
The bottle had its own expiration date
Didn't you know we're sending out edible bottles now? That was the shelf life where the bottle itself was still safe to eat ;)
Re:Yay! (Score:3, Funny)
Re:A quick google search (Score:5, Funny)
I suppose it's the nearest substitute for the much-needed "-1 Too Informative".
Re:Sue Them (Score:4, Funny)
Take a picture of your laptop or device, carefully documenting the screws. Take it in for service Tell them not to change the screws If they change the screws, ask them to put the old ones back. Document change in screws Take it to your states AG, and start a criminal investigation.
ITS YOUR COMPUTER, if they change it against your will, we have laws to protect you. It is illegal for them to do this without your permission.
SCENE: Office of local Attorney General
..."
CAST: mlwmoohawk, Secretary
DIALOG:
mlwmoohawk: (Shaking, agitated) "They took my Phillips head screws out of my iPhone and replaced them with pentalobular torx!"
Secretary: "What?"
mlwmoohawk: (Shaking, agitated) "I demand an investigation! I want legal redress!"
Secretary: "What?"
mlwmoohawk: (Hands Secretary grossly normal appearing iPhone) Here! Look!
Secretary: (Studies grossly normal appearing iPhone, turns it on successfully, plays 'Angry Birds") "Seems to work OK
mlwmoohawk: (Shaking, agitated) "You don't understand! The screws! They've been changed! It's different!"
Secretary: (Edges away from mlwmoohawk, picks up phone to call security)
I think MTV could start a series....
Re:Yay! (Score:5, Funny)
They should have made the screw hole in the shape of the Apple logo.