14 DAY TRIAL // One of the most unsatisfying aspects concerning the MacBook Air is, without a doubt, the lack of a user-replaceable battery. Of course, that can change, since AppleInsider claims that you don't need any special tools (or knowledge) to do the swapping yourself.
More than that, it can be done in a matter of minutes using a size-0 Philips screwdriver, while the entire process of replacing the battery is described in the following manner:
Once flipped upside down, the MacBook Air's bottom cover is easily unscrewed and removed, providing immediate access to the battery cavity. From there, the battery can be unscrewed from the chassis with the same screwdriver and unplugged from the circuit board with a simple tug - it's not soldered to the board.
The fact that the battery isn't soldered to the board doesn't come as a surprise one bit. In fact, it would have been strange if had it been soldered to its connectors. Thus, all that remains for the MacBoook Air user to do is to buy a new battery and replace it with the old one, carefully putting the screwdriver to work again, this time for closing "the patient" up.
It has also been hinted that this may just inspire consumer electronics companies to begin selling batteries separately. If that turns out to be the case, we'll probably be witnessing a flood of "Air-compatible" batteries released into the wild.
Now, bear in mind that Apple's Battery Replacement Program for the MacBook Air isn't a scam, although it pretty much sounds like one since they'll take 5 business days and $129 to get the job done for you. Nevertheless, it's still the safest way to go if one should opt for a battery replacement on the new laptop from Apple.
Softpedia doesn't encourage that you crack open your MacBook Air for any other reason either, just so we're clear on that.