Ultimately, it comes down to how many people actually bother with upgrading their RAM. If the number is small enough, soldered RAM isn't a problem. If a significant number of people want to upgrade their RAM, there could be some backlash.
However, given the modest price for the upgrade to 16 GB, I would simply get the higher RAM from the start and it should be sufficient for most people for the life of the computer. Heck, I'm currently still stuck at 3 GB and lots of people are using even less.
I agree with you, It's really the HD video and high end photoshop users that needs the big memories. We crave it it like a drug addict! I suddenly had a flash back to my Mac II fx and lovingly looking at the 8 MB of RAM (when most folks thought 512K or 1MB was rocking) and thinking OMG I'll never need more that this! / smile
The SSD is my main concern. I was really hoping Apple would come up with dual drives in the flagship model. An HD and an SSD with easy access to upgrade the HD to SSD when prices fall. The bench mark on my early 2010 MBP i7 is pathetic next to current models so I want to upgrade but my user folder is over 750 GIGS so I need a TB at least in drive space! Yes i have the ability to off load stuff to externals but that would be a pain. Even now I have to put up with a slow drive as no 7200 RPM 2.5 TB drives existed when I upgraded it, not even sure they exist now. So 1TB of SSD is out of the question at present and that's not going to be affordable for a year or two I suspect. I could modify a 2012 MBP by removing the optical and adding SSD but no Retina that way. No easy answer other than returning to a next gen Mac Pro, oh that means waiting till 2013... . /sigh
I guess I will start off loading 50% that user folder today ...
Moral of the story: Get AppleCare if you're going to keep the laptop beyond the one year warranty period. You can wait until the year is almost up to purchase AppleCare. There isn't any real benefit to buying it when you buy the Mac.
Reliability also happens if people installed Third Party RAM after they buy the product since Third Party RAM can be flaky depending on the supplier. For laptops, it's best to never have to dive in and replace things for users to do it.
Yes the avoidance of cheap, flaky third part RAM is probably a compelling motive for this move. I can imagine a lot of Apple support energy is wasted on that.
Moral of the story: Get AppleCare if you're going to keep the laptop beyond the one year warranty period. You can wait until the year is almost up to purchase AppleCare. There isn't any real benefit to buying it when you buy the Mac.
<div id="user_ynano_hooks_page" style="display:none;">
<div id="user_callsToClient_page" style="display:none;"> </div>
Not sure about this ... but even if you waited till the last day of the 1 year coverage wouldn't the three years of the extended be dated from date of purchase still?
Cost : Why would it be lower ? Support/replacement is more expensive
Look at the arrangement of the RAM chips. They're not all in groups of four, next to each other. There's a cost to engineer the logic board to have space for the connector and RAM in a specific place that is user accessible.
As the Soup Nazi might say. "No Retina Display for YOU! NEXT"
While I'd love to have one for the cool factor, I am having trouble understanding the practicality of retina display on a notebook. Right now i'm sitting about 32" from a 17" 1920x1080 display and there's no way to see individual pixels. It makes a little more sense for a phone or a tablet (since you hold those much closer to your eyes), not so much otherwise.
Glad I went for the 16Gb option. Debated 8Gb until I saw the (comparitively to previous costs) cheaper upgrade option and went for it without knowing it was soldered on. Had I ordered the 8Gb and then found about the soldering I'd definitely have cancelled & reordered 16.
I chose not to bother with SSD premium as I'd rather spend the £400 difference on Thunderbolt options (the seagate adapter rocks!) When it boils down to it, the difference between 512Gb & 768Gb is a couple of decent CF memory cards capacity only so I simply won't be storing huge amounts of data locally, only a "working set".
And to do a BTO build with maximum memory. I mean 8G should be enough for MOST average users, but if you doing ANY content creation or possibly gaming (audio, video, graphics, gaming) 16G IS the way to go.
maybe Mountain Lion has more memory requirements as the entire line got memory bumps......
Glad I went for the 16Gb option. Debated 8Gb until I saw the (comparitively to previous costs) cheaper upgrade option and went for it without knowing it was soldered on. Had I ordered the 8Gb and then found about the soldering I'd definitely have cancelled & reordered 16.
I chose not to bother with SSD premium as I'd rather spend the £400 difference on Thunderbolt options (the seagate adapter rocks!) When it boils down to it, the difference between 512Gb & 768Gb is a couple of decent CF memory cards capacity only so I simply won't be storing huge amounts of data locally, only a "working set".
actually, on an SSD, more Gb is better for perfomance reasons too.....
Glad I went for the 16Gb option. Debated 8Gb until I saw the (comparitively to previous costs) cheaper upgrade option and went for it without knowing it was soldered on. Had I ordered the 8Gb and then found about the soldering I'd definitely have cancelled & reordered 16.
I chose not to bother with SSD premium as I'd rather spend the £400 difference on Thunderbolt options (the seagate adapter rocks!) When it boils down to it, the difference between 512Gb & 768Gb is a couple of decent CF memory cards capacity only so I simply won't be storing huge amounts of data locally, only a "working set".
My first thought was Apple should make it very, very clear it's not upgradable for the very reason you mention.
I put 32GB of DDR3 in my laptop for less than the cost of the 16GB upgrade for the RMBP. If you want to look at 8gb as a "gift from apple due to lower prices", well then, enjoy the blinders.
I put 32GB of DDR3 in my laptop for less than the cost of the 16GB upgrade for the RMBP. If you want to look at 8gb as a "gift from apple due to lower prices", well then, enjoy the blinders.
I'd agree as long as you get top quality product, however It's not like there is such a choice with the new MBP though. BTW am I right that only the latest MBPs can take the 32? I think I read that 2010 models can't which is what I have.
I have a 2009 MacBook Pro and even though the RAM is easily upgradeable, I'm still using just 2GB after all these years. I don't find it a problem at all running Snow Leopard and the applications I use. I believe that in order for Apple to make this new MacBook Pro as thin as it is, there is going to be a tradeoff of component accessability and as long as I know it beforehand, I'll buy a model with more RAM and hope I can get four years comfortable use out of it. I'm not mourning the loss of upgradeable RAM at all but then again I'm not a power user. I don't know if I'm the typical user or not but I don't think most consumers will bother to upgrade RAM at all. I make sure I always get AppleCare so I'm also not concerned about user-friendly replacement parts. Soldered RAM will not stop me from buying an Apple MacBook Pro.
Comments
EWWWWWWWWW
SAMSUNG PARTS???!!!
NOT GONNA BUY!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Neo42
Ouch, soldered ram. I much prefer the 4 slots/32GB in my asus bricktop.
As the Soup Nazi might say. "No Retina Display for YOU! NEXT"
I agree with you, It's really the HD video and high end photoshop users that needs the big memories. We crave it it like a drug addict! I suddenly had a flash back to my Mac II fx and lovingly looking at the 8 MB of RAM (when most folks thought 512K or 1MB was rocking) and thinking OMG I'll never need more that this! / smile
The SSD is my main concern. I was really hoping Apple would come up with dual drives in the flagship model. An HD and an SSD with easy access to upgrade the HD to SSD when prices fall. The bench mark on my early 2010 MBP i7 is pathetic next to current models so I want to upgrade but my user folder is over 750 GIGS so I need a TB at least in drive space! Yes i have the ability to off load stuff to externals but that would be a pain. Even now I have to put up with a slow drive as no 7200 RPM 2.5 TB drives existed when I upgraded it, not even sure they exist now. So 1TB of SSD is out of the question at present and that's not going to be affordable for a year or two I suspect. I could modify a 2012 MBP by removing the optical and adding SSD but no Retina that way. No easy answer other than returning to a next gen Mac Pro, oh that means waiting till 2013... . /sigh
I guess I will start off loading 50% that user folder today ...
Quote:
Originally Posted by sleepy3
EWWWWWWWWW
SAMSUNG PARTS???!!!
NOT GONNA BUY!!!
sorry, they were all out of parts made from unicorn eyelashes
Moral of the story: Get AppleCare if you're going to keep the laptop beyond the one year warranty period. You can wait until the year is almost up to purchase AppleCare. There isn't any real benefit to buying it when you buy the Mac.
Yes the avoidance of cheap, flaky third part RAM is probably a compelling motive for this move. I can imagine a lot of Apple support energy is wasted on that.
Not sure about this ... but even if you waited till the last day of the 1 year coverage wouldn't the three years of the extended be dated from date of purchase still?
Quote:
Originally Posted by mausz
Cost : Why would it be lower ? Support/replacement is more expensive
Look at the arrangement of the RAM chips. They're not all in groups of four, next to each other. There's a cost to engineer the logic board to have space for the connector and RAM in a specific place that is user accessible.
Quote:
Originally Posted by drblank
As the Soup Nazi might say. "No Retina Display for YOU! NEXT"
While I'd love to have one for the cool factor, I am having trouble understanding the practicality of retina display on a notebook. Right now i'm sitting about 32" from a 17" 1920x1080 display and there's no way to see individual pixels. It makes a little more sense for a phone or a tablet (since you hold those much closer to your eyes), not so much otherwise.
Glad I went for the 16Gb option. Debated 8Gb until I saw the (comparitively to previous costs) cheaper upgrade option and went for it without knowing it was soldered on. Had I ordered the 8Gb and then found about the soldering I'd definitely have cancelled & reordered 16.
I chose not to bother with SSD premium as I'd rather spend the £400 difference on Thunderbolt options (the seagate adapter rocks!) When it boils down to it, the difference between 512Gb & 768Gb is a couple of decent CF memory cards capacity only so I simply won't be storing huge amounts of data locally, only a "working set".
Quote:
Originally Posted by drblank
And to do a BTO build with maximum memory. I mean 8G should be enough for MOST average users, but if you doing ANY content creation or possibly gaming (audio, video, graphics, gaming) 16G IS the way to go.
maybe Mountain Lion has more memory requirements as the entire line got memory bumps......
Quote:
Originally Posted by pjapk
Glad I went for the 16Gb option. Debated 8Gb until I saw the (comparitively to previous costs) cheaper upgrade option and went for it without knowing it was soldered on. Had I ordered the 8Gb and then found about the soldering I'd definitely have cancelled & reordered 16.
I chose not to bother with SSD premium as I'd rather spend the £400 difference on Thunderbolt options (the seagate adapter rocks!) When it boils down to it, the difference between 512Gb & 768Gb is a couple of decent CF memory cards capacity only so I simply won't be storing huge amounts of data locally, only a "working set".
actually, on an SSD, more Gb is better for perfomance reasons too.....
My first thought was Apple should make it very, very clear it's not upgradable for the very reason you mention.
The same RAM type and performance?
I'll have to go back and check but I assume the SSD is replaceable in the future as higher capacities arrive and priced fall?
Quote:
Originally Posted by mausz
Cost : Why would it be lower ? Support/replacement is more expensive
Reliability : Maybe, because you won't have badly seated ram, but wat happens when at QC you find a bad memory chip....
Performance : No difference between soldered/non-soldered
Compact design : The only plausible reasong in my opinion.
Cost: At least 2 less parts in the entire assemble (the connector and the daughter board)
Reliability: One less over all connection prone to work loose.
Performance: I don't get that one either.
Compact Design: a given
I'd agree as long as you get top quality product, however It's not like there is such a choice with the new MBP though. BTW am I right that only the latest MBPs can take the 32? I think I read that 2010 models can't which is what I have.
Quote:
Originally Posted by digitalclips
I'll have to go back and check but I assume the SSD is replaceable in the future as higher capacities arrive and priced fall?
i dont see that option in the pics above....
I have a 2009 MacBook Pro and even though the RAM is easily upgradeable, I'm still using just 2GB after all these years. I don't find it a problem at all running Snow Leopard and the applications I use. I believe that in order for Apple to make this new MacBook Pro as thin as it is, there is going to be a tradeoff of component accessability and as long as I know it beforehand, I'll buy a model with more RAM and hope I can get four years comfortable use out of it. I'm not mourning the loss of upgradeable RAM at all but then again I'm not a power user. I don't know if I'm the typical user or not but I don't think most consumers will bother to upgrade RAM at all. I make sure I always get AppleCare so I'm also not concerned about user-friendly replacement parts. Soldered RAM will not stop me from buying an Apple MacBook Pro.
"RAM is soldered onto the logic board and cannot be upgraded, and that the proprietary solid-state drive memory was supplied by Samsung."
RAM = memory
drive = storage