I put up with it because I couldn’t actually afford the thing in the first place and wasn’t able to pay for upgrades, and then I finished grad school and wasn’t doing that much heavy stuff anymore anyway.

About a year ago I looked up RAM prices and it was going to cost about $35 to upgrade to 8 GB so I did it. Kind of a no-brainer and easy enough to do that anyone who is so inclined could do it. 

Importantly, what prompted me to look it up is that web browsing was causing performance issues (Firefox was the actual culprit, and I had to finally give up using it after using it exclusively the past ten years or so because it made my computer unusable).

Assuming we’re talking about people like us who use their computers for longer than a year or two at a time, I think there is reason for “normal” users to need to upgrade the RAM specifically more so than any other component because the latest and greatest stuff on the internet requires more and more resources, and normal users allow tons of cruft to build up over time slowing down their machine (which, granted, is not a huge issue in OS X compared to Windows).

I think for users like us, assuming we could even afford this thing, we’d want to pay the extra $200 up front to get the maximum RAM (16 GB). Personally I would skimp out on the processor (it’s an extra $850(!) for the top of the line one) but not the RAM even if it seems overpriced – and given the context $200 isn’t really that bad.

The photographer in me is drooling over this computer. It’s an incredible machine and seeing the insides like this on the one hand does upset the part of me that likes to be able to fix and upgrade things myself, but also makes me be even more in awe of the design. They packed in as much as they could in a limited space and the compromises they made are all in the name of performance. It’s the basic compromise of Apple (performance and design above all else) taken to its extreme and I think it’s great.

I am curious how these will hold up over time, of course, which is a good thing – I’ll probably need to get another couple of years out of this three-year-old MBP before I can afford a new one anyway :)

HOWEVER.

Things like the battery being glued to the chassis really are upsetting. Usually if you’re worried about fixed components (say, soldered RAM) you can just buy an extended warranty for a few years… but batteries are classed as consumable so that won’t save you. 

Which begs the question: if the battery is consumable, and the battery is glued to the laptop, then doesn’t that make the whole laptop “consumable”? The distinction is now blurred to the point that a class action suit might force them to put in a few screws next time around, or make batteries covered by warranty.

This does show that the Ipod touch is a quality product, I am just annoyed that they go to lengths to make their products harder for consumers to service.

My little brother’s first gen Ipod touch had the home button go out.  I used razor blades and some patience and took the whole thing apart in about in about an hour.   Just to put a stupid little copper/plastic piece that the home button presses on, back in place because it had moved.  It must have been glued improperly, I simply put some packing tape on it to keep it in place and the Ipod has been going strong for the last 6 months with no issues.

Apple has some elegant designs but their assumption that we are all morons so they must make it difficult to service hardware that we have purchased is insulting.  Especially since you can always get around their “security” if you want to, it just takes patience and is an unnecessary hassle.

Generally speaking youre unlikely to need to upgrade the RAM during the machines lifetime, assuming you don’t skimp on the RAM at the time of purchase. I can imagine this is where most upgrades come from.

Repairs/replacements is something else entirely – I wouldn’t like the idea of not being able to swap out the ram, but then I can’t swap out the ram on my phone or tablet, so the only reason it’s bother me on a computer is because it’s a change from what I could previously do. I’m unsure if it will have any real impact for 99.9% of computer users.

I don’t think this is about iTunes content, it’s about keeping up with the industry which is almost entirely download based (when was the last time you bought software one disc?).

If blu ray is that important to you then buy a laptop that has a blu ray player. But the other 99% of the world can probably do without one.

My last three computers over a span of seven years have all had swappable optical drives, and I’ve found myself almost never inserting them – the drive bay is much better used for a second battery or hard drive.

I understand that some people won’t perform any upgrades in their laptop’s lifespan. In my experience they are more consumer oriented and there is nothing wrong with that but should we expect the same restrictions with a “pro” machine?

I have several macs in my home and my workplace has provided all of my design team with macs thoughout the years. Each mac has had some upgrade done by the IT department within the first 2 years, it is usually faster ram and a couple of the laptops needed battery replacements.

I have never considered myself an apple fanboy, I have not drank the coolaid, and I rarely participate on the fanboy sites but am I alone here in my disappointment? Should we expect more consumercentric design choices in future apple pro machines? I hope not but it seems like I have to come to terms with not being able to extend a machine’s lifespan.

I have yet to use any sort of disc in it.

For our overall society would servicable computers mean less energy used and less waste per hour of device use. It would also give a smaller manufacturing economy and a larger service economie and Apple would have to shift its business model to empahsize spare parts, online services and software upgrades. Apple is large enough to do this on their own and shift how the computer business works, if they want to.

My guess about Apple hardware design priorities are:
1. Manufacturing cost
2. Looks
3. Easy functioning during a limited lifetime. (best indication is the glued in accumulator, it removes design clutter and limits the life lenght. )

Those are wise priorities for making money with happy high end customers who has income to renew their equipment every year or two. Myself I like to keep a piece of gear running a lot longer and I especially like modularity like having several power supplies interchangeable for several computers. I buy a computer every two years but dont want to ditch the old ones since the fuctioning needed for surf and typewriting has plataued.

This leads to me who mostly am a free market advocate enjoying the Chinese dictatorships decision to standardize cell phone chargers and the EU follow thru with the same decision. I hope the same will be done for more power hungry gear then cellphones and small surfpads.