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Comment by snowwrestler | Hacker News Reader

I don't know which model of iMac you have, but on the recent ones, replacing the HD requires removing the glass pane on the front, which is a very tricky operation. The pane is very thin and very large, which means if the force is applied unevenly, it can crack. Apple techs have a stiff aluminum frame with suction cups that they attach to the glass, then they use that to pull the glass off.

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It looks like as far back as the 2009 model, it does involve removing the screen. The recall notice I received was for models sold 2009-2011.

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iMac+Intel+27-Inch+EMC+2309+and+...

For the 2009 models you can remove the front glass with suctions cups. You can get the suction cups from Bed, Beth & Beyond. Removing the screen itself is trickier and requires undoing a lot of screws.

My dad replaced his iMac hard drive, with the whole glass removal thing, and didn't have any problem. Doing it safely just requires a tool like this: http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100119050/h_d2/Produ...

A lot of people find the process scary, but the risk of breaking the pane is pretty low.

Regardless of all the other issues here, that is a triumph of form over function. Consumer hard drives are not noted for their reliability (or they'd come with 5 year warranty like the enterprise version).

I agree with you on form over function. But I'm not aware of any independent study that validates the higher MTBF numbers that manufacturers claim for "enterprise" HDs. The better warranty seems to be mostly a convenience factor that some enterprises are willing to pay for.

The function of an iMac isn't to remove and replace hard disk drives.

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