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Had to pick between a full board swap or a microsoldering fix on a MacBook Air
The customer's 2018 Air had a dead backlight circuit. I could replace the whole logic board for $350 or try to replace the tiny filter caps myself. I went with the microsoldering, and after about an hour under the scope, I got it working for just the cost of the parts. Anyone else faced this kind of call on a tight deadline?
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evanschmidt6mo ago
Ever think about how much e-waste you're saving with a microsoldering fix? @sarah_hart's port IC story is a perfect example. That's a whole board kept out of a landfill.
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sarah_hart6mo ago
Nice save... I had a similar call on a 2020 Pro with a shorted USB-C port. Swapping the whole board felt like giving up, so I spent a sweaty afternoon replacing the port IC. The look on the customer's face when it booted was worth the stress.
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henderson.oscar6mo ago
The look on the customer's face" is the real payoff. I used to see board swaps as the only safe bet, but pulling off a tricky fix like that changes your whole view on the job. It stops being just a repair and feels more like a proper win.
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