The 'no upgrades' path and Apple, what does this mean for recycling?

[bb_mac]

I was just musing on another thread about my trusty old macBook Pro 2012 model, that I use in the morning when having breakfast.
I upgraded this most awesome machine with more RAM and *two* SSD drives - as it is vanishingly easy to slap an SSD where the superdrive is.

It got me thinking about how sad it is that, for some time now, Apple are producing computers that cannot be upgraded.
It has culminated in the ... admittedly "Wowzer" Apple silicon entry level offerings so many are excited by - nothing at all can be upgraded. Nada. Nix. Zilch.

I was reeled in - got the mini - and I'm not unhappy.. but ... but ... for the past decade I've been upgrading all the macs I've owned as time goes by. I've kept them going, kept them current, as best I can, through the years.

I finally hit that point - as I guess many have - that Apple silicon changes everything. Those days of upgradability are going or gone.
Gone are the days when I could keep on souping up my cheesegrater 2010 mac pro 5.1 - smiling to myself, as I see it is still kicking ass in geekbench tests, despite using the same amount of power as a small third world country.

But what of recycling? - and I mean, re-use really - selling on old mac?
Will a MacBook Air/Pro, Mac mini M1 still be useable in 10 years and MORE?

I can't see how - because you cannot upgrade them.

Although I've sold my old 5.1 now - or on the cusp of doing so - I expect those rigs will possibly get another 5 or 6 years of life - that is *incredible* in anyones book. That a 15 year old computer could still be capable?
But then it is so compelling to buy something a fraction of the size, at such a low price point, that consumes less power and *kicks the ass to the moon and back* of what you had before. It seems a no-brainer. But then, you are on an upgrade path of a *new* computer every few years, rather than being able to upgrade - effectively to recycle what you have. Sad times.

But then we get onto that power consumption - and I guess it is here where the pedal hits the metal - it may not be that 'green' to produce computers you cannot upgrade, but when the power consumption is ... heck, a tenth of computers from a decade ago? That's pretty good, right?

But you have to question why Apple are going down this route? Is making such magical power with such a low power consumption the reason? Does soldering RAM, CPU and SSD's to the mainboard improve performance to such a degree? Or is it a walled garden with the walls growing ever higher? - you *WILL* buy another Mac in 5 years from now.

I suspect it is a bit of both - there's some serious protectionism going down here along with ... a miniaturisation, advancement and enhancement of the component parts of a computer.

Interested to see what other people think.
Ramble over, out.

 

[Tech198]

To be fair, its most just Apple doing the non-repairing. although they get the most flak for tightening it up.

Apple does things and despite all odds, back-lashes against them calling them out for not doing it, but y company does, those same companies usually follow after.. which resembles the whole procedure back and fourth non-valid anyway.

Apple's probably seen as the most stricter, by iFix it and others, against just about anything you could name, but its not like other companies are paved as better always... What they make up for, Apple does better at

DIY stuff on Apple devices and non-repairabiliy, is gonna stick out the most.. Further hampered by lack of CPU upgrades of M1 Mac's.

But there is really no point anymore, What kind of app would take advantage of it an upgraded 7-Core CPU? eg MBA M1

There is a reason to upgrade CPU where it matters, like graphics design, but if you already have a fast CPU, the reason makes it non-issue, other than "We had this method in the past, so why not"

Apple's obviously proving these are the best machines by not offering CPU upgrades. If they are soo confident in that, then they better make it stick 100%