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Upgradeable Macs Gone Forever?
- Thread starter Rizzm
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How are they more disposable then before? Or compared to other laptops? RAM - upgrades here generally make less sense then few years ago (I have written a lot about the reasons in this very thread). RAM failures are so unlikely that we don't even need to talk about that. As a rule, CPU/GPU/other components are not easily reparable/upgradeable in a laptop. Battery is not a concern, Apple will gladly provide you with a new one.
The only valid criticism as far as I am concerned is the SSD storage. Still, as Apple has announced that storage in the new Mac Pro is user-upgradeable and it looks as if the modules are exactly the same as ones used in the rMBP, I guess we will see some market availability of such storage modules in the future.
I get what you're saying and it rubs me the wrong way too. I've used Macs for nearly three decades and have always eventually maxed out the memory on every one that I've owned.
When something goes against a lifetime strategy, it's easy for it to rub you the wrong way. That said, it doesn't really matter that much when looking at today's offerings. The difference between standard configuration and maximum potential for today's models is only 100% and the price for that upgrade constitutes only a small fraction of the total investment.
Ten years ago, it would have been a much bigger deal. Standard configuration was 256MB and maximum potential was 2GB, an 800% difference.
Even when you compare this to our early 2011 purchases (I have one too), it's a much different animal. The difference between standard configuration and maximum potential was 400% and maximum potential didn't even become available until later that year. When they did become available, a pair of 8GB modules would cost between $1000 and $1500. I don't recall that they were offered as a BTO option even on the late 2011 models, but I imagine that Apple would have charged the higher end of that range, more than doubling the total investment.
I'm not good at predicting the future and I suppose it's possible that we could see a similar dilemma at some point--A MBP refresh that's launched with unfortunate timing in relation to the availability and price of newer memory. For today's offerings, though, I wouldn't let this alone hold me back from buying one if I wanted one. It's not that much extra to max it out at time of purchase.
And you'd have to agree, that a differentiation is best when it provides a useful or necessary feature - that's why some differentiating features die.
I also agree with your notion that products in general should meet consumers' needs.
I'd also contend that someday, consumers won't need to "upgrade" their machines as in the current paradigm.
Apple is in a unique position to be able to afford to drag people kicking and screaming into new technology paradigms. Time will tell if someday today's kickers and screamers become quiet in the luxury of non-needs.
If there is, it will probably going to cost like half the price of a brand new MBP anyway.
The fact of the matter is most people don't upgrade parts beyond their initial configuration. On MacRumors, a lot of people talk of upgrading this or that, but beyond this (and so called computer aficionados), people don't really upgrade. You think my parents ever considered upgrading their computer memory? Not the slightest! For most people, either the computer works or it doesn't. If it's a little slow, people will live with it.
Apple is making a lot of money now. Why would they want people to upgrade their own machine and not get any money from those upgrades?
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I can change the CPU , RAM , HDD (or SSD) , WiFi card , battery , etc. on my Fujitsu Lifebook T5010 easily. It is now over 5 years old and it works so well that most people don't realize how old it is.
Honestly, eventually majority of our local and mobile computing needs will be cloud based and it won't matter. We will be discussing which service has the best processing power. Not which manufacturer. Upgrades will be done on the fly real time on remote servers. Our only Achilles heel will be the limits of our individual internet speeds.
I hope not. The last thing I want is a thicker, heavier laptop with a spinning drive to crash and a non Retina screen. Talk about a step backwards!
That's fine if you use you 'pro' machine primarily for cloud based email and Facebook. For those of us with more demanding jobs spinning drives are still necessary.
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It takes 1-2 weeks to download 1tb on most common internet connections. That just isn't going to cut it. The cloud is fine for Facebook and light email, not for real work.
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I bet Apple has researched this & decided that for most people the sacrifice of not being able to upgrade provides:
A.) a way of allowing devices to be thinner which makes them more high tech & cutting edge looking.
B.) a way of making consumers buy new Macs/iPads/iPhones more frequently.
My guess is B has as much to do with A!
A.) a way of allowing devices to be thinner which makes them more high tech & cutting edge looking.
B.) a way of making consumers buy new Macs/iPads/iPhones more frequently.
My guess is B has as much to do with A!
Absolutely, that's great for Apple shareholders, not good for the minority of people who still need a pro laptop.
Dang, didn't know that. Now I may look at them less and find a MBP lol
Good to know, thanks!
The only Macs that have upgradeable RAM is the 27" iMac, the Mac Minis, the non-retina 13" MBP and Mac Pros.
All others are soldered.
Dang, that sucks... honestly the non-retina MBP's are fairly thin for what they are. Anything thinner than that and I personally worry about how much of a beating they'll take.
LOL. That's the point - you can't upgrade the RAM or the drive in the MacBook 'Pro' either any more...
Even leaving price aside, I just don't see this happening. While it's true that soldering is not rocket science, it's also true that there is no substitute for experience. The same, of course, holds true for many things in life--From welding to performing heart surgery to shooting a basketball from the free-throw line to grilling that exactly perfect steak. I just don't see anything coming along that would provide consistent results to a novice who only does it once every few years.
The most sophisticated equipment available today is still only as good as the person who is operating it.
I do agree that there could some limited potential for OWC to play a role in offering mail-in services. The same could be true for those remaining local independent shops that still do board level work.
Well they have virtually the same build, so I can see them feeling about the same. I was moreso saying that the thinner laptops are, the more i'm worried about banging them around. Not necessarily even having to do with the build, it just worries me a bit.
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I was saying one of the pre-retina ones
There's a pretty big difference, my retina is ~30% thinner then my 2010 MBP and there's a bunch of other changes too. If you pinch them in the front corner with the lid open the retina feels just a sturdy if not more so, harder to twist too.
Simple: something gets damaged and you need a new computer. Just wait for the warranty to run out and you need a new Mac.
Having a Mac ment to have a very powerful personal computer, nowadays you are stuck with whatever combination you can configure from the get go and it is not possible to upgrade afterwards or repair it. Apple RAM and Drives are very expensive when compared with the market prices.
A Mac isn't only a laptop.
Anything you buy for more than $1,000.00 should last more than 3 years.
When you get into the "higher end" models we are talking about $2,000 and $3,000 or even more.
In addition to the limitation by the recent designs of glueing and soldering components, the manufacturing quality is terrible.
The only thing that gives me hope is that the old powerbooks and the early MBPs were really hard to upgrade the hard drives on. There was such a lot of pushback that ultimately the design of the later MBPs allowed for easy replacement. I can only think that ultimately market forces will correct this - right now the rMBPs are selling like hot cakes, but in 2-3 years when people start to realize what lemons they are I'm hoping there will be the same pressure to produce more sensible laptops.