Not only RAM, SSD is SATA III, but using a different form factor and a proprietary connector, a la Macbook Air. The new Air also changed the already proprietary connector from the 2011 models, rendering unusable the existing third party SSD upgrade options. Wondering if MacbookPro SSD connector are the same as the new Air's or not...
New Apple Macbook Pro RAM is soldered to the motherboard | Ian Chilton
31–40 of 319 posts
Re: New Apple Macbook Pro RAM is soldered to the motherboard | Ian Chilton
#32How is this news? I think it's well known that the new Retina-MBPs have made some hardware-upgradeability sacrifices in exchange for portability.
My thoughts exactly. But I do think that if I would put over $2000 to a laptop I wouldn't like the fact that I'm not able to upgrade memory after few years. It's ok with devices like iPad but $2000 laptop is a device that you expect to use a bit longer.
"after few years"
Apple expects consumers to replace hardware every two to three years. Often this is encouraged by their practice of only supporting a single version of their operating system and their practice of making new versions of their operating systems incompatible with hardware more than a few years old.
To put it another way, Apple doesn't want you to keep your Macbook for three years because there's no money in that, just support costs.
Re: New Apple Macbook Pro RAM is soldered to the motherboard | Ian Chilton
#33People are worried about DRAM soldered to the motherboard? I'd be much more worried about the Flash that is, just as the RAM, also permanently soldered to the motherboard. With the wear-leveling most chipsets do nowadays, these things will just simultaneously drop dead in three years. edit: Took another look: http://imgur.com/x0I9x It seems that they might indeed be exchangeable. Looked a lot like they were soldered…
The flash ssd is not soldered in from what I can tell. It's probably like the MBA where it has some kind of connector and is probably the only user serviceable part.
Re: New Apple Macbook Pro RAM is soldered to the motherboard | Ian Chilton
#34People are worried about DRAM soldered to the motherboard? I'd be much more worried about the Flash that is, just as the RAM, also permanently soldered to the motherboard. With the wear-leveling most chipsets do nowadays, these things will just simultaneously drop dead in three years. edit: Took another look: http://imgur.com/x0I9x It seems that they might indeed be exchangeable. Looked a lot like they were soldered…
From what I heard it's not soldered to the mainboard but a custom SSD-Like chip similar to the ones in the Macbook Air.
Re: New Apple Macbook Pro RAM is soldered to the motherboard | Ian Chilton
#35The mechanism Apple uses to allow user-replaceable RAM looks like it won't fit in the new case. (pic) [1] Apple have a habit of charging fairly outrageous prices for extra RAM - $375[2] for 16GB in the current Mac Pro, and that's not even for 8GB sticks. With that in mind, $200 for the upgrade to 16GB is not that bad, which is probably on purpose. [1] https://support.apple.com/kb/HT1270#link1 [2] http://store.apple.c…
It has a funny psychological effect on me that I don't understand: when I see a premium, top-of-the-line (for whatever line you are interested in) machine, and they charge a little more to get it to the extra level (16 MB RAM), I feel like it cheapens the product. It kind of makes me think of it as second-rate. I get a similar feeling when looking at a luxury car for which a stylish interior is an upgrade. I feel lik…
It's a matter of budget. When you think a 8 GB RAM Macbook Pro is cheap, maybe you should shop at sgi.com.
Re: New Apple Macbook Pro RAM is soldered to the motherboard | Ian Chilton
#36How is this news? I think it's well known that the new Retina-MBPs have made some hardware-upgradeability sacrifices in exchange for portability.
Personally, while I understand why thinness might be great for some, I don't understand how they can sacrifice essential features(exchangeable components and ports(GigE)) for a few mms or grams on a laptop that is clearly marked "Pro". I'd think that exactly pros would be the ones that would make use of these features the most.
You can always buy the standard macbook pro which does offer all that you wish for (regular ram, GigE, serviceable harddisk) at about the same price point but at an additional 400g weight.
I currently use a Macbook Air which does not offer a GigE port either and I'm doing just fine.
Re: New Apple Macbook Pro RAM is soldered to the motherboard | Ian Chilton
#37The real news is that they could shave as much of the macbook off as they actually did. Did you see the video? The screen display is now 'attached directly' to the unibody with no 'glass layer'. What does that even mean? Whatever it means, it's obviously not user-serviceable. I was amazed at how much they got off the macbook in size and weight - EDIT: everywhere, off the whole machine - and they're idiots for not put…
It is impressive, but considering the obvious compromises(replaceable components and ports) and the probable compromises(harder serviceability) i wouldn't quite call it a miracle. I also don't understand what the rationale is behind sacrificing Pro features for size on a laptop marked "Pro".
My guess is that this isn't a macbook pro. Not for long. A fuckup or a compromise, but either way a departure from Apple's normally impeccably simple naming & branding of product lines. This is just a macbook. If all goes well and Apple can get prices down there might not be pros or airs anymore, just macbooks. In three sizes.
I think Apple have somewhat of an aversion to having price be the only or main differentiator between products. That's why the old macbooks were scrapped. Pros were more powerful & Airs were more portable. Macbooks were only cheaper. Cheaper models can exist, but they have to have some unique advantage that'd make some users buy them regardless of price.
The existence of a Macbook pro & a Macbook pro retina bends this rule. If a 13" air and a just-as-thin 13" pro retina both existed, it would break it.
Re: New Apple Macbook Pro RAM is soldered to the motherboard | Ian Chilton
#38How is this news? I think it's well known that the new Retina-MBPs have made some hardware-upgradeability sacrifices in exchange for portability.
Personally, while I understand why thinness might be great for some, I don't understand how they can sacrifice essential features(exchangeable components and ports(GigE)) for a few mms or grams on a laptop that is clearly marked "Pro". I'd think that exactly pros would be the ones that would make use of these features the most.
I'm not certain what constitutes a pro these days, but I do some pretty intensive tasks (building large scala projects, data aggregation, etc) and I think this MacBook is just what I need. With thunderbolt I'll be able to dock the laptop to disk arrays, an external monitor/keyboard/mouse, and Ethernet with a single connector. And being thinner and lighter, I won't think twice about taking it on the road.
Re: New Apple Macbook Pro RAM is soldered to the motherboard | Ian Chilton
#39Anyone know if the storage is similarly locked down? I.e. if I need to pick the larger SSD at time of purchase?
Sort of. The SSD is a custom board with a custom connector but it uses standard SSD components, pretty much the same as the AIR does. There are currently no third-party modules available but for the Air it didn't take long for some Vendors to sell some.
Re: New Apple Macbook Pro RAM is soldered to the motherboard | Ian Chilton
#40Go whine about something else. On GPUs RAM is soldered for performance reasons, this has been the case since ever. RAM nowadays is very reliable, so it makes sense to solder it. This leaves SSD as probably the least reliable part and that's why its replaceable.