Introduction Teardown

To begin, decide what you want to take apart. Some examples of things not to take apart include:

• Your pet poodle.
• Grandpa's pacemaker.
• Any device containing plutonium.
• Optimus Prime.

Next, make your way to the store to pick up your new device. We prefer eco-friendly leg power, but to each their own.

Enter the store to find what you are looking for. If necessary, camp outside the store to be the first in line. Bonus points if you mumble incoherently and ask for spare change.

Next, find your device of choice in the store. Try not to tackle the 70 year-old woman who just took the last one off the shelf.

Don't forget to pay for the product. Contrary to what men residing in their parents' basement will tell you, Jedi mind tricks do not work on security guards.

After checkout, marvel at your empty pockets while pondering how you will pay for food this week. Thanks, corporate America!

Make your way safely home to begin fiddling with your new gadget. Now is not the time to get into an accident triggered by giddy anticipation.

Now that you're safely home, unbox your new beauty and bask in its technological superiority. If you watch closely enough, you can witness your device depreciating.

Make several unsuccessful attempts to read the instruction manual, then promptly throw it away. Proceed to scream obscenities at the writers when you plug the batteries in the wrong way. "THEY DIDNT SAY TO...Oh. Where's my receipt?"

With your new device up and running, its time to actually enjoy your new purchase. Remember: water + electronics = shattered dreams.

Make sure to keep track of all the appropriate tools.

Use extreme caution when disassembling the device, unless your intention is to show the destruction of a device. In that case, proceed as planned.

Most important of all, make sure to have fun!

It's now time to setup the photo room environment.

Lighting is essential for good photographs. Set up lamps and focus the light near your work area.

We recommend attaching a portable lamp to a tripod to aid in precisely focusing light.

With all the proper equipment set up, you can now move on to the actual disassembly of the device.

During disassembly, document all your steps with notes and pictures to share your knowledge with the iFixit community.

You can place a sheet of white paper beneath your workspace for better pictures.

Included is a teardown shot taken under our professional lighting setup. Actual results may vary.

Now it's time to share your knowledge with the world by indulging in one of the most honored traditions of all time: writing.

Invoke your imagination and unleash your writing ability upon the iFixit community.

Now that your work is published on iFixit, it's time to sit back and relax and enjoy the sweet satisfaction of having created a teardown guide.

This calls for an iPod dance party!