So: no option to ever replace or upgrade the memory or SSD and the battery is glued in place. Keyboard is still questionable for longevity.
Extending the useable life of these will not be what Macs were once known for. (Speaking as a Mac owner since 1992).
If one’s expectation is to replace your laptop every 3-4 years, I guess that is ok, but a distinctive of the Macs of the past was their usable life.
The fact that you've been using Macs since 1992 doesn't mean you are representative of the user base. As someone has already pointed out, the percentage of people who open up their Macs is microscopic. The 99% of users who couldn't care less about upgrading should not compromise for the sake of upgradability for a few users. Apple is simply listening to its customers.
Banging away furiously at your keyboard on forums won't change anything. If you don't like, there's always the plastic Windows alternatives from Dell et al.
Making a Mac impossible to just replace a stick of ram, battery, and storage is not “listening to customers.” Nor is making crappy keyboards that can’t handle a little bit of dust. Having to throw away a computer due to failed memory or SSD that otherwise could be readily fixed or upgraded affordability by the user or 3rd party repair shop is a waste.
Anand estimates that the power draw of the bridge board is 700 mW. In other words...meaningless.
The power and size delta of an external nvme drive enclosure is extremely small. Your objection is stupid.
In any case, most that need more space than what comes internally on a MBP use external drives anyway. Video takes TB...the SSD in my camera is 2TB. A single event will burn through 0.5 TB using ProRes. For work, our scientific datasets are also a TB in range. And I need more than one so I have an assortment of larger 4TB+ HDD drives and smaller 1TB SSD.
I just glanced at Anand’s article. He stated the the USB power draw idled at about 1.1w and peaked at 3.9w. It depends on use of course, but assume the average is about 1.5w. The MBP has a 58 watt-hour battery and gives a 10 hour battery life, or 5.8 watts average consumption. Adding 1.5 watts to that increases the consumption by 25%. Hardly trivial, and the issue of the convenience of carrying around extra equipment applies regardless.
The “Pro” designation no longer applies to the MacBook line. They’re all student computers now.
If you'r talking about the entry-level 13" MBP with the 1.4Ghz processors, I would tend to agree. Not so with the rest of the MBP lineup.
The design and engineering reversal (for the better) that Apple made with the Mac Pro needs to happen throughout the MacBook Pro line. More connections, more expandability.
The current MacBook Pro has more connections than any other Mac laptop ever released. And, nobody really cares about upgrading their Mac except the .00001%.
Care to back up that number with a source or did you pull it out of thin air in a vein attempt to make a point?
The sources I’ve seen show that the average replacement cycle for desktop have doubled to 6 years while laptops increased to 4.
What this means is that most folks replace rather than update laptops so while 0.0001% number may be hyperbolic your objection is stupid. The need to update your laptop in a 4 year average replacement cycle is very minimal.
Part of the reason many people purchase Macs is because of their long useful life. I’m just now retiring an old MacBook Air, and only because the LCD screen is giving out. From the comments here and from observation of friends/coworkers, I’m not alone. The 4 years you quote is an average, including cheap, low-end machines, so quoting it and using it to justify an undersized drive on the MBP is flawed logic.
In the real world, consumers buy products that fit their needs. If the only manufacturer of Mac hardware doesn’t make such products that suit the needs of s significant number of people, it’s perfectly valid to ask why
Since they make MBPs up to 4 TB are we talking about greater than 4,000 GB of internal storage on a Mac notebook, or Apple offering 128 for their entry-level 13" Mac notebook for those that don't need a lot of internal storage? The issue with the complainer on this thread seems not to be with the ceiling for internal storage, but that Apple doesn't give them double the capacity for the same price as 128 GB model, but if Apple found that there weren't enough buyers for the 128 GB MBP do you think they would double storage at their expense or increase the price to keep their profit margins inline?
The “Pro” designation no longer applies to the MacBook line. They’re all student computers now.
If you'r talking about the entry-level 13" MBP with the 1.4Ghz processors, I would tend to agree. Not so with the rest of the MBP lineup.
The design and engineering reversal (for the better) that Apple made with the Mac Pro needs to happen throughout the MacBook Pro line. More connections, more expandability.
The current MacBook Pro has more connections than any other Mac laptop ever released. And, nobody really cares about upgrading their Mac except the .00001%.
Care to back up that number with a source or did you pull it out of thin air in a vein attempt to make a point?
The MBP has 4 FOUR Thunderbolt 3 ports. Since TB3 means that's it's not limited to a VGA, DVI, or other video-limited port it means there are 4 ports that can do video. It also means there are 4 ports that can do power, 4 ports that can do data, and on and on. If you really don't know what Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C are capable of you really should read up on it. We're living in the future it's quite glorious compared to lamenting about the days of data types never having to share. I certainly don't miss the days of ADC and parallel. These notebooks are the most versatile Mac notebooks Apple has ever created, not to mention having the fastest I/O, both internally and externally.
No, I meant the silly claim "nobody really cares about upgrading their Mac except the .00001%." Saying it as a statement of fact doesn't make it so and I learned a long time ago that people who pump out random percentage numbers are only trying to backup a claim they are unsure of or just trying to sound smart.
But, yes to you. I'm well aware of the ports & I/O on the MBP - I'm typing on a high-spec'd 15" right now.
Jesus Christ....of course it's an exaggeration but if you think for even the slightest moment the bulk of Mac users (or computer users in general) want to fuck around with the internals of a computer than you're completely off your rocker. Stop being stupid! You know god damn well what I meant and just wanted to make an argument out of nothing.
The “Pro” designation no longer applies to the MacBook line. They’re all student computers now.
If you'r talking about the entry-level 13" MBP with the 1.4Ghz processors, I would tend to agree. Not so with the rest of the MBP lineup.
The design and engineering reversal (for the better) that Apple made with the Mac Pro needs to happen throughout the MacBook Pro line. More connections, more expandability.
The current MacBook Pro has more connections than any other Mac laptop ever released. And, nobody really cares about upgrading their Mac except the .00001%.
Care to back up that number with a source or did you pull it out of thin air in a vein attempt to make a point?
The MBP has 4 FOUR Thunderbolt 3 ports. Since TB3 means that's it's not limited to a VGA, DVI, or other video-limited port it means there are 4 ports that can do video. It also means there are 4 ports that can do power, 4 ports that can do data, and on and on. If you really don't know what Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C are capable of you really should read up on it. We're living in the future it's quite glorious compared to lamenting about the days of data types never having to share. I certainly don't miss the days of ADC and parallel. These notebooks are the most versatile Mac notebooks Apple has ever created, not to mention having the fastest I/O, both internally and externally.
No, I meant the silly claim "nobody really cares about upgrading their Mac except the .00001%." Saying it as a statement of fact doesn't make it so and I learned a long time ago that people who pump out random percentage numbers are only trying to backup a claim they are unsure of or just trying to sound smart.
But, yes to you. I'm well aware of the ports & I/O on the MBP - I'm typing on a high-spec'd 15" right now.
Jesus Christ....of course it's an exaggeration but if you think for even the slightest moment the bulk of Mac users (or computer users in general) want to fuck around with the internals of a computer than you're completely off your rocker. Stop being stupid! You know god damn well what I meant and just wanted to make an argument out of nothing.
Again, no proof to backup your claim. You were called on it and now the insults fly. This seems to happen whenever anyone walks in this forum and wants an upgradable Mac. "No one wants that". "You're crazy." Funny how it keeps happening for such a minuscule number.
The “Pro” designation no longer applies to the MacBook line. They’re all student computers now.
If you'r talking about the entry-level 13" MBP with the 1.4Ghz processors, I would tend to agree. Not so with the rest of the MBP lineup.
The design and engineering reversal (for the better) that Apple made with the Mac Pro needs to happen throughout the MacBook Pro line. More connections, more expandability.
The current MacBook Pro has more connections than any other Mac laptop ever released. And, nobody really cares about upgrading their Mac except the .00001%.
Care to back up that number with a source or did you pull it out of thin air in a vein attempt to make a point?
The MBP has 4 FOUR Thunderbolt 3 ports. Since TB3 means that's it's not limited to a VGA, DVI, or other video-limited port it means there are 4 ports that can do video. It also means there are 4 ports that can do power, 4 ports that can do data, and on and on. If you really don't know what Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C are capable of you really should read up on it. We're living in the future it's quite glorious compared to lamenting about the days of data types never having to share. I certainly don't miss the days of ADC and parallel. These notebooks are the most versatile Mac notebooks Apple has ever created, not to mention having the fastest I/O, both internally and externally.
No, I meant the silly claim "nobody really cares about upgrading their Mac except the .00001%." Saying it as a statement of fact doesn't make it so and I learned a long time ago that people who pump out random percentage numbers are only trying to backup a claim they are unsure of or just trying to sound smart.
But, yes to you. I'm well aware of the ports & I/O on the MBP - I'm typing on a high-spec'd 15" right now.
Jesus Christ....of course it's an exaggeration but if you think for even the slightest moment the bulk of Mac users (or computer users in general) want to fuck around with the internals of a computer than you're completely off your rocker. Stop being stupid! You know god damn well what I meant and just wanted to make an argument out of nothing.
Again, no proof to backup your claim. You were called on it and now the insults fly. This seems to happen whenever anyone walks in this forum and wants an upgradable Mac. "No one wants that". "You're crazy." Funny how it keeps happening for such a minuscule number.
Because people have been whining about Mac expandabilty since before the iPhone. Every cycle expandabilty has been reduced and apple has become more successful but nope...apple obviously is making a mistake in not offering an xMac or 17” MBP or blah blah blah. Get over it and buy a dell. Windows is just fine and quit whining.
The “Pro” designation no longer applies to the MacBook line. They’re all student computers now.
If you'r talking about the entry-level 13" MBP with the 1.4Ghz processors, I would tend to agree. Not so with the rest of the MBP lineup.
The design and engineering reversal (for the better) that Apple made with the Mac Pro needs to happen throughout the MacBook Pro line. More connections, more expandability.
The current MacBook Pro has more connections than any other Mac laptop ever released. And, nobody really cares about upgrading their Mac except the .00001%.
Care to back up that number with a source or did you pull it out of thin air in a vein attempt to make a point?
The sources I’ve seen show that the average replacement cycle for desktop have doubled to 6 years while laptops increased to 4.
What this means is that most folks replace rather than update laptops so while 0.0001% number may be hyperbolic your objection is stupid. The need to update your laptop in a 4 year average replacement cycle is very minimal.
Part of the reason many people purchase Macs is because of their long useful life. I’m just now retiring an old MacBook Air, and only because the LCD screen is giving out. From the comments here and from observation of friends/coworkers, I’m not alone. The 4 years you quote is an average, including cheap, low-end machines, so quoting it and using it to justify an undersized drive on the MBP is flawed logic.
It’s to support the fact that most people don’t upgrade anything. It’s never enough for you folks...you gotta move the goalposts. If 128 isn’t enough then spec 256 or 512. In four years buy something new.
That your replacement cycle is longer is a so what. If you aren’t upgrading at a reasonable cycle YOU DONT MATTER MUCH as a demographic.
The “Pro” designation no longer applies to the MacBook line. They’re all student computers now.
If you'r talking about the entry-level 13" MBP with the 1.4Ghz processors, I would tend to agree. Not so with the rest of the MBP lineup.
The design and engineering reversal (for the better) that Apple made with the Mac Pro needs to happen throughout the MacBook Pro line. More connections, more expandability.
The current MacBook Pro has more connections than any other Mac laptop ever released. And, nobody really cares about upgrading their Mac except the .00001%.
Care to back up that number with a source or did you pull it out of thin air in a vein attempt to make a point?
The MBP has 4 FOUR Thunderbolt 3 ports. Since TB3 means that's it's not limited to a VGA, DVI, or other video-limited port it means there are 4 ports that can do video. It also means there are 4 ports that can do power, 4 ports that can do data, and on and on. If you really don't know what Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C are capable of you really should read up on it. We're living in the future it's quite glorious compared to lamenting about the days of data types never having to share. I certainly don't miss the days of ADC and parallel. These notebooks are the most versatile Mac notebooks Apple has ever created, not to mention having the fastest I/O, both internally and externally.
No, I meant the silly claim "nobody really cares about upgrading their Mac except the .00001%." Saying it as a statement of fact doesn't make it so and I learned a long time ago that people who pump out random percentage numbers are only trying to backup a claim they are unsure of or just trying to sound smart.
But, yes to you. I'm well aware of the ports & I/O on the MBP - I'm typing on a high-spec'd 15" right now.
Jesus Christ....of course it's an exaggeration but if you think for even the slightest moment the bulk of Mac users (or computer users in general) want to fuck around with the internals of a computer than you're completely off your rocker. Stop being stupid! You know god damn well what I meant and just wanted to make an argument out of nothing.
Again, no proof to backup your claim. You were called on it and now the insults fly. This seems to happen whenever anyone walks in this forum and wants an upgradable Mac. "No one wants that". "You're crazy." Funny how it keeps happening for such a minuscule number.
Forums are a very minuscule number yes and typically also not your average consumer either. I'm pretty sure Apple knows what it's doing. Judging by sales, I wouldn't exactly call the MacBook lineup a flop by any means. If it were as big of a deal as you're making it out to be then sales would be falling but they aren't and don't give this BS of what if it was expandable, sales would be even better crap because you don't know. They could just stay the same, possibly even go down?
I wasn't really called on anything. You're trying to make an argument out of nothing and you're the only one doing it.
The “Pro” designation no longer applies to the MacBook line. They’re all student computers now.
If you'r talking about the entry-level 13" MBP with the 1.4Ghz processors, I would tend to agree. Not so with the rest of the MBP lineup.
The design and engineering reversal (for the better) that Apple made with the Mac Pro needs to happen throughout the MacBook Pro line. More connections, more expandability.
The current MacBook Pro has more connections than any other Mac laptop ever released. And, nobody really cares about upgrading their Mac except the .00001%.
Care to back up that number with a source or did you pull it out of thin air in a vein attempt to make a point?
The MBP has 4 FOUR Thunderbolt 3 ports. Since TB3 means that's it's not limited to a VGA, DVI, or other video-limited port it means there are 4 ports that can do video. It also means there are 4 ports that can do power, 4 ports that can do data, and on and on. If you really don't know what Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C are capable of you really should read up on it. We're living in the future it's quite glorious compared to lamenting about the days of data types never having to share. I certainly don't miss the days of ADC and parallel. These notebooks are the most versatile Mac notebooks Apple has ever created, not to mention having the fastest I/O, both internally and externally.
No, I meant the silly claim "nobody really cares about upgrading their Mac except the .00001%." Saying it as a statement of fact doesn't make it so and I learned a long time ago that people who pump out random percentage numbers are only trying to backup a claim they are unsure of or just trying to sound smart.
But, yes to you. I'm well aware of the ports & I/O on the MBP - I'm typing on a high-spec'd 15" right now.
Jesus Christ....of course it's an exaggeration but if you think for even the slightest moment the bulk of Mac users (or computer users in general) want to fuck around with the internals of a computer than you're completely off your rocker. Stop being stupid! You know god damn well what I meant and just wanted to make an argument out of nothing.
Again, no proof to backup your claim. You were called on it and now the insults fly. This seems to happen whenever anyone walks in this forum and wants an upgradable Mac. "No one wants that". "You're crazy." Funny how it keeps happening for such a minuscule number.
Forums are a very minuscule number yes and typically also not your average consumer either. I'm pretty sure Apple knows what it's doing. Judging by sales, I wouldn't exactly call the MacBook lineup a flop by any means. If it were as big of a deal as you're making it out to be then sales would be falling but they aren't and don't give this BS of what if it was expandable, sales would be even better crap because you don't know. They could just stay the same, possibly even go down?
I wasn't really called on anything. You're trying to make an argument out of nothing and you're the only one doing it.
There you go again, making up things. Assuming I'm going to come up with "sales would be better..."
I will say it is much more likely that those that want upgrades have just resigned ourselves to being gouged by Apple at purchase time and have realized that someday it'll be a whole unit replacement instead of an upgrade/replacement of one components because, well, that is Apple's endgame: sell units, not components.
There are plenty on these forums over the years complaining about lack of expandability, so please stop the "you're the only one doing it" crap. Saying something as a statement of fact doesn't make it so.
The “Pro” designation no longer applies to the MacBook line. They’re all student computers now.
If you'r talking about the entry-level 13" MBP with the 1.4Ghz processors, I would tend to agree. Not so with the rest of the MBP lineup.
The design and engineering reversal (for the better) that Apple made with the Mac Pro needs to happen throughout the MacBook Pro line. More connections, more expandability.
The current MacBook Pro has more connections than any other Mac laptop ever released. And, nobody really cares about upgrading their Mac except the .00001%.
Care to back up that number with a source or did you pull it out of thin air in a vein attempt to make a point?
The MBP has 4 FOUR Thunderbolt 3 ports. Since TB3 means that's it's not limited to a VGA, DVI, or other video-limited port it means there are 4 ports that can do video. It also means there are 4 ports that can do power, 4 ports that can do data, and on and on. If you really don't know what Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C are capable of you really should read up on it. We're living in the future it's quite glorious compared to lamenting about the days of data types never having to share. I certainly don't miss the days of ADC and parallel. These notebooks are the most versatile Mac notebooks Apple has ever created, not to mention having the fastest I/O, both internally and externally.
No, I meant the silly claim "nobody really cares about upgrading their Mac except the .00001%." Saying it as a statement of fact doesn't make it so and I learned a long time ago that people who pump out random percentage numbers are only trying to backup a claim they are unsure of or just trying to sound smart.
But, yes to you. I'm well aware of the ports & I/O on the MBP - I'm typing on a high-spec'd 15" right now.
Jesus Christ....of course it's an exaggeration but if you think for even the slightest moment the bulk of Mac users (or computer users in general) want to fuck around with the internals of a computer than you're completely off your rocker. Stop being stupid! You know god damn well what I meant and just wanted to make an argument out of nothing.
Again, no proof to backup your claim. You were called on it and now the insults fly. This seems to happen whenever anyone walks in this forum and wants an upgradable Mac. "No one wants that". "You're crazy." Funny how it keeps happening for such a minuscule number.
Forums are a very minuscule number yes and typically also not your average consumer either. I'm pretty sure Apple knows what it's doing. Judging by sales, I wouldn't exactly call the MacBook lineup a flop by any means. If it were as big of a deal as you're making it out to be then sales would be falling but they aren't and don't give this BS of what if it was expandable, sales would be even better crap because you don't know. They could just stay the same, possibly even go down?
I wasn't really called on anything. You're trying to make an argument out of nothing and you're the only one doing it.
There you go again, making up things. Assuming I'm going to come up with "sales would be better..."
I will say it is much more likely that those that want upgrades have just resigned ourselves to being gouged by Apple at purchase time and have realized that someday it'll be a whole unit replacement instead of an upgrade/replacement of one components because, well, that is Apple's endgame: sell units, not components.
There are plenty on these forums over the years complaining about lack of expandability, so please stop the "you're the only one doing it" crap. Saying something as a statement of fact doesn't make it so.
Then GO BUY SOMETHING ELSE GENIUS. Folks like you have been whining for over a decade and every model is less upgradable. GET THE HINT GENIUS. Stop whining about being “gouged” and it has been this way with the Mac from day fucking one. The original Mac had funny screws and was an AIO because that’s the was Steve wanted it. User expandable Macs have been an aberration not the norm.
My advice is to buy a computer as fully-decked as you can afford... especially the internal storage drive. Currently you can buy the MBP 13" with a 2TB SSD.
You seldom kick yourself for buying well... and for the future.
The “Pro” designation no longer applies to the MacBook line. They’re all student computers now.
If you'r talking about the entry-level 13" MBP with the 1.4Ghz processors, I would tend to agree. Not so with the rest of the MBP lineup.
The design and engineering reversal (for the better) that Apple made with the Mac Pro needs to happen throughout the MacBook Pro line. More connections, more expandability.
The current MacBook Pro has more connections than any other Mac laptop ever released. And, nobody really cares about upgrading their Mac except the .00001%.
Care to back up that number with a source or did you pull it out of thin air in a vein attempt to make a point?
The MBP has 4 FOUR Thunderbolt 3 ports. Since TB3 means that's it's not limited to a VGA, DVI, or other video-limited port it means there are 4 ports that can do video. It also means there are 4 ports that can do power, 4 ports that can do data, and on and on. If you really don't know what Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C are capable of you really should read up on it. We're living in the future it's quite glorious compared to lamenting about the days of data types never having to share. I certainly don't miss the days of ADC and parallel. These notebooks are the most versatile Mac notebooks Apple has ever created, not to mention having the fastest I/O, both internally and externally.
No, I meant the silly claim "nobody really cares about upgrading their Mac except the .00001%." Saying it as a statement of fact doesn't make it so and I learned a long time ago that people who pump out random percentage numbers are only trying to backup a claim they are unsure of or just trying to sound smart.
But, yes to you. I'm well aware of the ports & I/O on the MBP - I'm typing on a high-spec'd 15" right now.
Jesus Christ....of course it's an exaggeration but if you think for even the slightest moment the bulk of Mac users (or computer users in general) want to fuck around with the internals of a computer than you're completely off your rocker. Stop being stupid! You know god damn well what I meant and just wanted to make an argument out of nothing.
Again, no proof to backup your claim. You were called on it and now the insults fly. This seems to happen whenever anyone walks in this forum and wants an upgradable Mac. "No one wants that". "You're crazy." Funny how it keeps happening for such a minuscule number.
Forums are a very minuscule number yes and typically also not your average consumer either. I'm pretty sure Apple knows what it's doing. Judging by sales, I wouldn't exactly call the MacBook lineup a flop by any means. If it were as big of a deal as you're making it out to be then sales would be falling but they aren't and don't give this BS of what if it was expandable, sales would be even better crap because you don't know. They could just stay the same, possibly even go down?
I wasn't really called on anything. You're trying to make an argument out of nothing and you're the only one doing it.
There you go again, making up things. Assuming I'm going to come up with "sales would be better..."
I will say it is much more likely that those that want upgrades have just resigned ourselves to being gouged by Apple at purchase time and have realized that someday it'll be a whole unit replacement instead of an upgrade/replacement of one components because, well, that is Apple's endgame: sell units, not components.
There are plenty on these forums over the years complaining about lack of expandability, so please stop the "you're the only one doing it" crap. Saying something as a statement of fact doesn't make it so.
Then GO BUY SOMETHING ELSE GENIUS. Folks like you have been whining for over a decade and every model is less upgradable. GET THE HINT GENIUS. Stop whining about being “gouged” and it has been this way with the Mac from day fucking one. The original Mac had funny screws and was an AIO because that’s the was Steve wanted it. User expandable Macs have been an aberration not the norm.
Jesus.
"Funny Screws"? You mean a torq 15 screws? That's hardly unique, I used to upgrade the Mac SEs all the time at the Apple dealer I worked at. Hard drives and RAM. Even the MacPlus was upgradable. The HD and RAM vendors even included the bit/tool for those "funny screws." Mac Classic, Mac Color Classic, all the same. Did you know the SE and SE/30s had a PDS slot for card expansion like network cards?
Every Mac II of various models had some form of upgrade via NuBUS slots. Same for the Quadra, some Performas and all had RAM/HD upgrades. Oh, and all the PowerMacs - 7200, 7300, 7500, 7600, 8600, 9600 - had PCI slots."
Same for the first iMacs. G3 and G4s, many with PCI slots. The laptops of the time, PowerBooks, all were upgradable with RAM and HD.
The original iBook had RAM and HD upgrades AND the WIFI was optional (AirPort Card). Same with the PowerBook G3 & G4s early on.
I know, because I was an Apple Authorized tech for all of those and, at one time or another, upgraded every single one of them for customers.
Gee, I seem to be listing an awful lot of "aberrations." I apologize if I missed a few.
Glad I could give you a history lesson and education. You're welcome, signed -"GENIUS".
I have a lot of sympathy for the argument that replacing the entire motherboard when a single component fails is wasteful, however I think it (a) stems from historical personal experience and (b) misses the bigger picture. Apple uses higher-quality parts and the failure rates for these components is MUCH lower than the commodity parts sold to people who prioritise lowest price when sourcing components for their upgrades or custom builds. In the hobbyist build your own PC world, wanting to save a few dollars by undertaking a custom build is a major motivator - and I've certainly spent time hunting for bargain upgrade bits and pieces over the years. Yet the only part I've ever had fail in a stock Apple device (and there have been several in the last three decades) was an internal cable to a CD-RW drive in a white iBook (circa 2000). Of the upgrades I've applied, I've had one faulty stick of 16GB RAM and three hard drives that lasted less than six months.
Now, I'm aware that this is anecdotal information and is not necessarily objectively true, but my personal experience has been that off-the-shelf parts bought with a solid eye on the sticker price fail substantially more often than the stuff used in the devices I have bought from Apple. So by Apple choosing to make the trade-offs they have made, the overall failure rates are much lower than they would be if the company stayed with easily-repairable, much more modular systems that tinkerers can upgrade using commodity parts.
It absolutely sucks when a component fails, no matter what device is affected. It sucks even more when the repair is costly and you know that with a different design it would cost less to fix. BUT. The odds of encountering a component failure are lower than ever, and that is absolutely fantastic.
Which would you rather have - a 5% failure rate where the repair cost is ~$100 or a 1% failure rate where the repair cost is ~$500? Mathematically the probable repair cost is the same, but a lot of us bias heavily towards the dollar amount rather than the failure rate.
Comments
Part of the reason many people purchase Macs is because of their long useful life. I’m just now retiring an old MacBook Air, and only because the LCD screen is giving out. From the comments here and from observation of friends/coworkers, I’m not alone. The 4 years you quote is an average, including cheap, low-end machines, so quoting it and using it to justify an undersized drive on the MBP is flawed logic.
That your replacement cycle is longer is a so what. If you aren’t upgrading at a reasonable cycle YOU DONT MATTER MUCH as a demographic.
I wasn't really called on anything. You're trying to make an argument out of nothing and you're the only one doing it.
I will say it is much more likely that those that want upgrades have just resigned ourselves to being gouged by Apple at purchase time and have realized that someday it'll be a whole unit replacement instead of an upgrade/replacement of one components because, well, that is Apple's endgame: sell units, not components.
There are plenty on these forums over the years complaining about lack of expandability, so please stop the "you're the only one doing it" crap. Saying something as a statement of fact doesn't make it so.
Jesus.
You seldom kick yourself for buying well... and for the future.
Every Mac II of various models had some form of upgrade via NuBUS slots. Same for the Quadra, some Performas and all had RAM/HD upgrades. Oh, and all the PowerMacs - 7200, 7300, 7500, 7600, 8600, 9600 - had PCI slots."
Same for the first iMacs. G3 and G4s, many with PCI slots. The laptops of the time, PowerBooks, all were upgradable with RAM and HD.
The original iBook had RAM and HD upgrades AND the WIFI was optional (AirPort Card). Same with the PowerBook G3 & G4s early on.
I know, because I was an Apple Authorized tech for all of those and, at one time or another, upgraded every single one of them for customers.
Gee, I seem to be listing an awful lot of "aberrations." I apologize if I missed a few.
Glad I could give you a history lesson and education.
You're welcome, signed -"GENIUS".
Now, I'm aware that this is anecdotal information and is not necessarily objectively true, but my personal experience has been that off-the-shelf parts bought with a solid eye on the sticker price fail substantially more often than the stuff used in the devices I have bought from Apple. So by Apple choosing to make the trade-offs they have made, the overall failure rates are much lower than they would be if the company stayed with easily-repairable, much more modular systems that tinkerers can upgrade using commodity parts.
It absolutely sucks when a component fails, no matter what device is affected. It sucks even more when the repair is costly and you know that with a different design it would cost less to fix. BUT. The odds of encountering a component failure are lower than ever, and that is absolutely fantastic.
Which would you rather have - a 5% failure rate where the repair cost is ~$100 or a 1% failure rate where the repair cost is ~$500? Mathematically the probable repair cost is the same, but a lot of us bias heavily towards the dollar amount rather than the failure rate.
I also found these articles while quickly searching for industry standard failure rates; they're worth a read:
http://techgenix.com/laptop-and-pc-failure-rates/
https://www.extremetech.com/gaming/131739-microsoft-analyzes-over-a-million-pc-failures-results-shatter-enthusiast-myths
https://serverfault.com/questions/3750/relative-failure-rates-for-hardware-components
https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-failure-rates-of-network-hardware