re: GPU sealed - I suppose if they could component-ize some kind of module they could swap, people could send it back and have it upgraded or something like that. But, most likely, people would just pass them to another computer when they get the next version.
I'm not the typical company, but for example, if I need more GPU power, I'll just buy the 'pro' or wait until they (hopefully) update it. Then I'll sell my current one or pass it on to my son for his laptop, etc. I could see the same happening within a production studio, where some people need the most power, but others could still use a boost over the base GPU. I mean, it's going to be like car (or computer for that matter) in that when you sell it it wouldn't be worth anywhere new, but you've gotten the productivity out of if all that time, so that's kind of moot/expected.
re: internal storage - some eGPUs do that, I think. I guess that is nice in terms of keeping a neat desk, but yeah, you're better off putting storage on a different TB3 controller, as the GPU (when pushed) takes up most of one. (BTW, in case people don't know, that's the advantage of an iMac Pro or Mac Pro in that they have more TB3 controllers. For example, my mini has 4 ports, but 2 controllers. So, pairs of ports use the same controller... you have to keep that in mind when deciding how to plug in your stuff. An iMac Pro, I think, has 4 ports with one controller for each port.)
I think it actually has a TB3 controller (in fact, the best kind with capability to run an XDR, which most can't), but that doesn't help you much if the channel is saturated. I didn't buy a high-end solution to expand my storage (just a Samsung T5), but I wouldn't hang that off my Blackmagic. I put that on the other TB3 controller, and then I hang most other peripheral stuff off the Blackmagic.
re: pricing - I guess my point is that they are priced like pro equipment. That's OK to an extent, as it is a pro product. But, I wonder if they might help themselves by trying to bring it down a bit more into prosumer pricing to up their quantities. That's a call every company has to make I guess, but if there is a problem (we're assuming), then that could be a fix.
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It is interesting to look into that. Barefeats did a bunch of testing a few years ago (and some other site). When you're REALLY pushing the highest-end GPUs, you can actually saturate TB3 and in that case, you lose just a bit of performance over having the GPU internally in a machine.
But, on the other hand, in a lot of more real-world use, there isn't much difference between internal/external. And, I'd imagine even if you did put your storage, peripherals, and eGPU on a single controller, most of the time, most people wouldn't even know. It's more about theoretical maximums and conditions that do actually push things 100%... that just doesn't happen most of the time.
I wonder if some version of TB will get out ahead of this? If they doubled TB3, I think that would solve the current situation pretty much. But, the internal stuff keeps speeding up too, I guess. That said, TB2 clearly wasn't enough, but now TB3 (real-world) is quite a usable solution.
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