Prepare for less user upgradeable parts... :(

[ian87w]

And we're not even talking about Apple...

So I was just shopping around at a local mall at a laptop store. I was chit-chatting with one of the employees. I asked him whether any of them have an extra slot for upgrading the RAM yourself. After a bit of discussion, he then mentioned that some manufacturers now put restrictions. For example, he said that Asus used to prohibit users form upgrading the RAM themselves (it would void the warranty), and only their service centre can do it. But then he said now they have relaxed that restrictions since most of the thin-n-lights have soldered RAM anyway. Then he mentioned the worst being Huawei. According to him, Huawei prohibits anyone form upgrading the RAM, not even their own service centre. You can open up the laptop, but you shall not touch that RAM... if you don't want to void your warranty.

I was like... wow. This is the trend we are heading. Apple was just first in line with their soldered everything, and now embedded everything within the SoC. We all complained about Apple, but the industry itself is moving towards that. The problem is signified with the chip shortage, making OEMs shipping paltry 8GB of RAM even on pricey models.

Obviously thin-n-lights are the main victim here. But who doesn't want a thin-n-light laptop? Seems that the options for upgradeable laptop are increasingly left to be just business/workstation laptops or the gaming laptops.

 

[duanepatrick]

This is a very sad news for us. I hope not all companies will follow...

 

[Cookie18]

It really sucks. I love upgrading Macs and other computers. I just put an i7 in my 2010 27" iMac and it runs so well that I boxed up my M1 Mac Mini. My Asus ROG Gaming Laptop has upgradeable RAM and storage which is awesome but, as you mentioned, that's almost exclusive to gaming laptops nowadays. It's one of the things that I really hate about M1 Macs so far.

 

[LeeW]

It has been the trend for many years, nothing new, wasn't started by Apple. I am accepting of it, disposable tech is not ideal but I want thin and light without compromising the device (looking at you Apple butterfly keyboard).

 

[MBAir2010]

PC World ran an article this winter on a upgradable laptop made by
i think Lenovo or Acer that has slots for hard drives and memory.
that was supposed to be released this summer, and if that sells as expected, more manufactures will follow
but apple.

 

[Lihp8270]

There are no options if low powered ram is used it must be soldered. There’s no other available packaging for it.

If you want sockets and socketed ram you need to be willing to accept that the laptop will be thicker and will also have less battery life.

 

[Kung gu]

i think Lenovo or Acer that has slots for hard drives and memory.

it was not by either of those. It was just some startup company.

 

[MBAir2010]

it was not by either of those. It was just some startup company.

thanks, someone else knew what i was typing about.
i read the article in April, and was going to search for that, but i dont think i could post that here

 

[Steve Adams]

And we're not even talking about Apple...

So I was just shopping around at a local mall at a laptop store. I was chit-chatting with one of the employees. I asked him whether any of them have an extra slot for upgrading the RAM yourself. After a bit of discussion, he then mentioned that some manufacturers now put restrictions. For example, he said that Asus used to prohibit users form upgrading the RAM themselves (it would void the warranty), and only their service centre can do it. But then he said now they have relaxed that restrictions since most of the thin-n-lights have soldered RAM anyway. Then he mentioned the worst being Huawei. According to him, Huawei prohibits anyone form upgrading the RAM, not even their own service centre. You can open up the laptop, but you shall not touch that RAM... if you don't want to void your warranty.

I was like... wow. This is the trend we are heading. Apple was just first in line with their soldered everything, and now embedded everything within the SoC. We all complained about Apple, but the industry itself is moving towards that. The problem is signified with the chip shortage, making OEMs shipping paltry 8GB of RAM even on pricey models.

Obviously thin-n-lights are the main victim here. But who doesn't want a thin-n-light laptop? Seems that the options for upgradeable laptop are increasingly left to be just business/workstation laptops or the gaming laptops.

Exact reason I bought the notebook I did. Dell 5406 2 in 1. 14" touchscreen with full pen support, 1165 core i7 processor, 2 slots for memory upgraded to 64gb, 4tb NVME SSD, full size SD card slot, aluminum build, upgradeable battery cell for long run time, Great Keyboard and touchpad. It's awesome. The non 2 in 1 version of this system is the 5402.

 

[maflynn]

It has been the trend for many years, nothing new

When each computer maker is trying to push the envelope for thin laptops, and their profit margins are razer thin, its not all that surprising and you're right its nothing new. I do think that Apple by and large popularized it, they were the ones that took the brunt of the criticisms

 

[ian87w]

When each computer maker is trying to push the envelope for thin laptops, and their profit margins are razer thin, its not all that surprising and you're right its nothing new. I do think that Apple by and large popularized it, they were the ones that took the brunt of the criticisms

In a sense, Apple was way ahead of the curve. Ie. the first MacBook Air. I remember Jobs stated in his keynote that this is how notebooks will be built. And he was right as intel jumpstarted the ultrabook initiative, an pretty much more and more Windows laptops are doing it. The first few batches, nearly everyone was making copy cats of the MacBook Air.

And that's the thing. People are complaining hard on Apple about soldered RAM and storage, yet that's where the whole industry is heading as well. It's unfortunate, and like it or not, sometimes Apple made the right bet, albeit ultra annoying for consumers.

 

[Steve Adams]

In a sense, Apple was way ahead of the curve. Ie. the first MacBook Air. I remember Jobs stated in his keynote that this is how notebooks will be built. And he was right as intel jumpstarted the ultrabook initiative, an pretty much more and more Windows laptops are doing it. The first few batches, nearly everyone was making copy cats of the MacBook Air.

And that's the thing. People are complaining hard on Apple about soldered RAM and storage, yet that's where the whole industry is heading as well. It's unfortunate, and like it or not, sometimes Apple made the right bet, albeit ultra annoying for consumers.

What's funny is that at it's thickest point, my new dell is just as thin as my sons mb air. Yes his tapers to a sheet of paper at the end, but that's moot because it's still thick at the back end. I can replace my SSD, Ram, CPU, wireless and bluetooth cards if needed. You can't do shiznit with his macbook. Something croaks it's a paperweight. I bought his in 2015 and mine in 2021. I also have a larger screen and better resolution, touch with pen support, great battery life, 3 times the power of his air since I can and did upgrade to a 4tb NVME and 64gb of ram, plus his is an i5 and mine is an i7. Best part I paid hundreds less for my new device. OH, mine is completely aluminum build as well.

 

[benshive]

It's just good business, which isn't always good for the consumer. It sells more laptops. For instance, my father has an older MacBook Pro (2011 or 2012). I bought and installed 16gb of RAM and an SSD for him and it feels like a brand new machine. In the eyes of Apple that's a potential sale of a newer Mac that they may have lost. Same goes for these other companies.

 

[Steve Adams]

Dell is still keeping alot of their inspiron line upgradeable by the user. Their new 16 plus is a dandy notebook and fully upgradeable.

 

[circatee]

Years ago, manufactures would make/build things that would break after X period, thus forcing the consumer to purchase a new item. This latest non-upgradeable process is merely the next level of that pre format.

A shame really. Surely one can remember hardware that our parents owned that never seemed to break, and some are even still working now, 10-20-30 years later.

It is the manufacturer/consumer world we live in now...

 

[Steve Adams]

Years ago, manufactures would make/build things that would break after X period, thus forcing the consumer to purchase a new item. This latest non-upgradeable process is merely the next level of that pre format.

A shame really. Surely one can remember hardware that our parents owned that never seemed to break, and some are even still working now, 10-20-30 years later.

It is the manufacturer/consumer world we live in now...

I am the parent. search tandy TRS 80. That was my first computer. My first video game was realistic "pong". The hardware did break, however it was so easy to fix. Even notebooks early on were big beastly things with lots of room inside to get around. Most of the time though I upgraded home computers before they could break. Back then each generation processor was a monumental increase in speed. Now it's minimal increases in real world useage. There is only so instant a computer can be. My two devices now are just instant everything. Video editing is extremely fast with my setup and everything else is as instant as I can be.