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Will new Macbook Pro using Air design not be upgradable?

W

walkingabout

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 2, 2012
3
0
If the following is true. Will this mean that new Macbook Pros will not be able to have their memory upgraded, like the Air? I.E. Only able to upgrade at time of purchase to Apple’s officially supported level of RAM and only using Apple branded RAM?

Rumors have persisted that Apple is working on ultra-thin models that may represent a complete overhaul of some of the MacBook Pro models, making them more Air-like in design.
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https://www.macrumors.com/2011/12/06/ivy-bridge-mobile-cpus-for-next-macbook-air-and-pro-models-due-around-may/
 
no one is to say until they actually release them. However, I would be doubtful of it, since apple seems to have a fairly large niche of power users who need to upgrade their RAM (sometimes even more than apple offers- 16 GB anyone?) and so they don't want to anger this niche of their market.
 
Hmmmm. How large is that niche though? And do Apple care anymore?

I wonder how many users even bother upgrading to 8GB RAM? Maybe 5%? Most probably walk out of the shop with a shiny screen, standard HD and RAM setup. OK, for 17” users the percentage of customisation may be more? But I wonder what percentage of Apple’s profit this now encompasses?

They are clearly opting for the consumer electronics no user serviceable parts approach.

I’m thinking of going for the highest spec of the most recent MBP, just so that I can stuff it with 16GB RAM without breaking the bank. This should easily last me three years and I can always upgrade the hard drive along the way also.
 
walkingabout said:
I’m thinking of going for the highest spec of the most recent MBP, just so that I can stuff it with 16GB RAM without breaking the bank. This should easily last me three years and I can always upgrade the hard drive along the way also.
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you say three, but I think 6 or 7 haha
 
The RAM would most likely have to be upgradeable. I feel that there are too many users (like myself) who purchase a computer with a certain amount of RAM, and realize they need more later. Or, they just don't want to pay apple's premiums, and they buy their own RAM to install.
 
Only time will tell. By all indications this far, Apple's eager to move down market. First it was non removable batteries, then other consumer focused, non technical easy peasey iOS simplicity. With fat profits from high margins, there's little incentive for Apple to show the same loyalty to their customers as they've enjoyed.
 
Obviously no one knows until the new version is announced. However, having a MacBook Pro without the ability to add RAM would be a very bad move. More and more people have moved to notebook computers over the years, and a lot of those people are using them professionally. 4GB of RAM is fine for basic users, but for anyone doing video editing, a lot of photo editing, etc. having 8GB of RAM has pretty much become a necessity. Some people (though admittedly not very many) even need 16GB.

You're right that most people do walk out of the shop with the stock 4GB of RAM, but I'd be surprised if the number of people upgrading on their own wasn't far above the 5% you guessed at. People aren't going to be willing to pay Apple's extremely high RAM prices, and most serious users won't be willing to get a computer that they can't upgrade at all. It would push those users out of Apple's notebook line. Then what do they have left? An iMac, or a very old Mac Pro.

None of us can say for sure what they'll do, but if they get rid of the user-upgradeable parts of the MBP I personally think it would be a huge mistake.

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ixodes said:
Only time will tell. By all indications this far, Apple's eager to move down market. First it was non removable batteries, then other consumer focused, non technical easy peasey iOS simplicity. With fat profits from high margins, there's little incentive for Apple to show the same loyalty to their customers as they've enjoyed.
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Changing to non-removable batteries is quite a lot different than changing to non-upgradeable RAM. You don't upgrade a battery; it gets replaced when it wears out. And yes, Lion is more consumer-focused, but it's hardly to the point where it's non-functional for serious users.
 
sweetbrat said:
Changing to non-removable batteries is quite a lot different than changing to non-upgradeable RAM. You don't upgrade a battery; it gets replaced when it wears out. And yes, Lion is more consumer-focused, but it's hardly to the point where it's non-functional for serious users.
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I simply meant it started with the battery, which matters to those of us that travel.

I used to be able to buy a new PowerBook AND an extra Battery for use on transcontinental flights. A trip I make five times each year. Therefore the ability to quickly & easily swap out a battery is of high priority for me.

Then, yes, the next move towards Apples consumer only focus was the fixed ram in MBA's and pentalobe screwed cases

While Lion is very useable with no major takeaways (yet) it's not looking good for us long time pro users.

Don't get me wrong, I'm NOT bashing Apple just recounting some of the moves they've made as an indicator of the apparent direction they seem to be headed.
 
If Apple wants to market both the Air and the Pro separately, it makes no sense for them to slice the Pro thinner and lighter closer to Air levels. I mean, they would be cannibalizing their own sales and confusing their customers by positioning both product families too close to each other.

If that's the way they're headed, shouldn't they simply blend both product families?
 
GuitarG20 said:
you say three, but I think 6 or 7 haha
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Not really. I work with huge image files and, as camera megapixels get higher, I’ll use all the RAM and processor speed I can get.

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KohPhiPhi said:
If Apple wants to market both the Air and the Pro separately, it makes no sense for them to slice the Pro thinner and lighter closer to Air levels. I mean, they would be cannibalizing their own sales and confusing their customers by positioning both product families too close to each other.

If that's the way they're headed, shouldn't they simply blend both product families?
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Well yes, I can see that happening unfortunately.
 
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