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New Apple Macbook Pro RAM is soldered to the motherboard | Ian Chilton

ichilton.co.uk

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Re: New Apple Macbook Pro RAM is soldered to the motherboard | Ian Chilton

#91

Post by rayiner »

LinXitoW wrote: post #14
nicksergeant wrote: post #3

How 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.

It's because Apple realizes that user replaceable components and ports aren't essential features that they make such great laptops. I'm a "pro" in the sense the I do work and coding on my laptop. I haven't used an Ethernet cable in maybe four years. I don't upgrade components, I just buy new machines every year (with the insane secondary market value of MacBooks this isn't even an expensive proposition). I don't want to compromise portability and battery life (remember, a lot of the design techniques to make the machine thinner open up more internal space for battery) for some features I'll rarely I'd ever use.

Re: New Apple Macbook Pro RAM is soldered to the motherboard | Ian Chilton

#92

Post by sneak »

uzero wrote: post #49
culturestate wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can max it out with 16GB of RAM for an additional $200. I'm not sure I can see myself putting more than that into a laptop during its useful life.

Yes I know but that wasn't the point. The point is that if I now buy the laptop with let's say 8GB because I think I don't need more than that because all I do is code. After 6 months I get assigned to doing work with BIG databases that easily eat 10GB memory. Now I'm stuck with 8GB because it's soldered and even Apple can't upgrade it.

Upgrading the RAM on a new Macbook Pro is a user-serviceable operation. It consists of four steps:

1) Back up data, wipe drive

2) Sell MBP on eBay

3) Buy new MBP with desired amount of RAM

4) Restore data

Now stop it. You're buying a Mac because you don't like to waste time dicking around with your computer, remember?

Re: New Apple Macbook Pro RAM is soldered to the motherboard | Ian Chilton

#93

Post by masklinn »

jman1 wrote: post #19
uzero wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

More and more os x and the Mac "platform" is moving towards a becoming a crystal prison. They are still the undisputed leader when it comes to quality hardware. But locking down the os and hardware is not going to he good in the long run. I knew this was. I in that's why I got the 17 inch mbp in feb. figured I can have it last for a few more years as can upgrade the ram an hdd to a ssd giving it more life. If the os…

> But locking down the os and hardware is not going to he good in the long run.

You do realize all the "new" limitations of the MBP come straight from the MBA right? And that the MBA's been a raging success?

Re: New Apple Macbook Pro RAM is soldered to the motherboard | Ian Chilton

#94

Post by henrikeh »

gouranga wrote: post #84

Sorry but you have got to be a fucking idiot to buy one to be honest if that is the case. Apple are making an attempt to turn generic computers into disposable appliances with moves like these. I would never accept a compromise like that with a computer that I owned. My rationale is as follows: If I pay £1800 for one of those machines, I expect to be able to repair common problems easily. That's a lot of money sittin…

Kind of off-topic: I've got a T60 with a broken graphics card (Honestly, not sure, but all evidence points in that direction). It still works, there just isn't any image on the internal monitor (and severe problems on external). Can I fix the graphics card? Nope, but I can still install another OS and keep it running until something truly critical fails.

Re: New Apple Macbook Pro RAM is soldered to the motherboard | Ian Chilton

#95

Post by netcan »

masklinn wrote: post #87
netcan wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 differentiat…

> My guess is that this isn't a macbook pro. Not for long. It most definitely is, they're going to deprecate the older design over time. Just look at the specs, CPU and GPU are the same between old-style and Retina, but only the Retina gets a 16GB RAM option (with 8 base, versus 4 base for old-style), a retina display, Retina gets HDMI (and a second TB, which is the future as far as Apple's concerned), an updated Mag…

My guess wasn't that it'd be spun off into a separate line. Rather that Making the macbook pro thinner would make the only major advantage in the Air's favor price. That'd lead to an eventual merging of the two.

Re: New Apple Macbook Pro RAM is soldered to the motherboard | Ian Chilton

#96

Post by gouranga »

henrikeh wrote: post #94
gouranga wrote: post #84

Sorry but you have got to be a fucking idiot to buy one to be honest if that is the case. Apple are making an attempt to turn generic computers into disposable appliances with moves like these. I would never accept a compromise like that with a computer that I owned. My rationale is as follows: If I pay £1800 for one of those machines, I expect to be able to repair common problems easily. That's a lot of money sittin…

Kind of off-topic: I've got a T60 with a broken graphics card (Honestly, not sure, but all evidence points in that direction). It still works, there just isn't any image on the internal monitor (and severe problems on external). Can I fix the graphics card? Nope, but I can still install another OS and keep it running until something truly critical fails.

Nope but you can grab another T60 with broken screen or chassis off ebay for a few dollars and do a frankenstein job (takes about 30 minutes):

http://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-T60-MOTHERBOARD-BASE-FRU-42T0116...

Re: New Apple Macbook Pro RAM is soldered to the motherboard | Ian Chilton

#97

Post by oblique63 »

Karunamon wrote: post #65
uzero wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes I know but that wasn't the point. The point is that if I now buy the laptop with let's say 8GB because I think I don't need more than that because all I do is code. After 6 months I get assigned to doing work with BIG databases that easily eat 10GB memory. Now I'm stuck with 8GB because it's soldered and even Apple can't upgrade it.

When you buy a PC, you should always get as much memory, disk, and CPU as you can afford. That was sound advice 20 years ago and it still fits today.

Has that really been considered 'sound advice' all this time? Getting the best CPU/GPU I could understand, but up until now PC's have been so easily upgradable, that I've never heard someone recommend maxing out the Hard Drive and RAM during the ordering process (unless it was to your average consumer). I've always heard (and likewise, advised my 'power-user' friends) to just buy systems with the baseline HD and RAM options, because those components really tend to be a lot cheaper via third parties...

Re: New Apple Macbook Pro RAM is soldered to the motherboard | Ian Chilton

#98

Post by ams6110 »

rayiner wrote: post #85
uzero wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Did anyone upgrade their Mac? Secondary market prices for Mac laptops are insanely high. Over the last several years, I've been buying a new MacBook every year. I buy at $1100 and sell around $800. $300 is less than I spend on coffee.

I still use my G4 PowerBook every day.

Re: New Apple Macbook Pro RAM is soldered to the motherboard | Ian Chilton

#99

Post by wccrawford »

Karunamon wrote: post #65
uzero wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes I know but that wasn't the point. The point is that if I now buy the laptop with let's say 8GB because I think I don't need more than that because all I do is code. After 6 months I get assigned to doing work with BIG databases that easily eat 10GB memory. Now I'm stuck with 8GB because it's soldered and even Apple can't upgrade it.

When you buy a PC, you should always get as much memory, disk, and CPU as you can afford. That was sound advice 20 years ago and it still fits today.

I disagree. Sometimes I can afford the best CPU, but it's twice as much as a CPU that's 90% as powerful. It doesn't make sense to buy it, even if I can afford it. I can wait a year or 2 and upgrade and still save money over buying the best.

The same goes for memory, hard drive, and other parts of the computer.

Re: New Apple Macbook Pro RAM is soldered to the motherboard | Ian Chilton

#100

Post by polshaw »

taligent wrote: post #68
polshaw wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I struggle to see this as anything but a planned obsolescence, anti-3rd party power grab given the minute additional space required to use a replaceable RAM stick. The SSD is on an add in board, also between the main board and base.

That minute additional space would have made the ENTIRE laptop thicker. And guess what. 99% of people would trade thinness over ability to use third party RAM.

Unlikely, as the aforementioned SSD add in exists in the same depth. It is also a 3D space so the idea the whole body would need to be increased by the depth of the ram/connector is overly simplistic. If there were issues, they could have persued engineering solutions (different connector? single sided ram?) that could have maintained upgrade-ability.

This is the (top line) pro, not the laptop bought by people who want it because it is silver and has an apple logo. And it is not 'just' third party use, it is no upgrades, ever. So i think plenty of mac pro users would have preferred the imperceivable (For most here considering this, I imagine it adds $200 on to the cost, because they will feel the need to top up the extra 8gb to future proof themselves. NB +8gb sodimm is ~$50.

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