Is the MacBook Air's Battery Easy to Replace?

One of the biggest criticisms lobbed at the ultra-thin Air laptop is that because of its slim, sealed case, you can't replace the battery (short of sending it in to Apple, that is). But reports are coming in that swapping out the Air's battery is, in fact, a relatively simple process.

AppleInsider, one of the more reliable Mac blogs, is reporting that replacing the Air's battery requires little more than a standard, "size-0" (or 2.5mm) Phillips screwdriver and a steady hand. According to AppleInsder's tipsters, all you have to do is flip over the Air, unscrew and remove the bottom cover, unscrew the battery (which isn't soldered to the Air's circuit board) from the laptop's chassis, and—with "a simple tug"—remove the battery itself. (Click through to AppleInsider for a close-up of the Air's back cover.)

Interesting...and if true, the whole process sounds quite a bit easier—and less destructive—than the various iPod and iPhone battery replacement kits that are floating around (although it's probably impractical for swapping in a fresh battery during, say, a long plane flight). It also sounds like an attractive alternative to Apple's upcoming, $125 Air battery replacement program, which could leave you without the services of your laptop for days, if not weeks.

Of course, here's the question (as AppleInsider wisely points out): will replacing the battery yourself void the Air's warranty? No word on that yet, although by the time a given Air's battery wears out, you'll probably be out of warranty anyway.

So, if replacing the Air's battery is, in fact, this easy, would you be more likely to snap one up?

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Sources: MacBook Air battery replacements take only minutes [AppleInsider]