iFixit confirms soldered RAM in Retina Macbook Pro

[DharmaDog]

jdc wrote:
[quote=DharmaDog]
I've been thinking I may have purchased my last MBP. This makes it extremely unlikely I'll get another.

You are aware that this discussion only concerns the MBP with Retina Display, right?

normal 13" and 15" still have DIY RAM and drive upgrade, some of the easiest ever for a MBP...

MBP benchmarks are actually pretty close to the iMac
I did know that, but I think this is indicative of Apple's design direction in the future. I won't be in the market to replace my MBP for about year or more.

The rest of my statement will apply even if the non-retina MBPs don't follow suit with regard to near impossible upgradeability.

I was attracted to the MBP for it's power and mobility. For about the same price, I figure I can get a nicely equipped iMac and an iPad. And get greater desktop power and greater mobility, just not in the same package.

Anyway, I'll get my MBP fix through work.

[silvarios]

cbelt3 wrote:
In retrospect, I will point out that while it's a downside for many of us, the majority of high tech device consumers do NOT want to upgrade them or fuss with them. We're all just kind of weird.

Exception being all the people who go to repair people to "fix" their computer. The fix is usually something easy like a RAM and/or storage upgrade and a reinstallation of the OS. "No, 512MB is not enough to run OS X, no matter what Apple listed as the minimum specs for 10.4."

[hal]

thermarest wrote:

this can't be right - I picked up two of the middle ones a few months ago - LONG before the '12 model was introduced. The middle one must be for the 2011 models.

[M A V I C]

In many PC laptops, you can even upgrade the video card. Apple is doing the exact opposite - not even letting you upgrade basic things that have long been upgradeable parts.

[silvarios]

DharmaDog wrote: I'm going back to a desktop for my next Mac. The iMacs have come a long way.

True. Then again, the iMac isn't exactly upgrade friendly either. RAM is easy and that's about it.

[C(-)ris]

M A V I C wrote:
In many PC laptops, you can even upgrade the video card. Apple is doing the exact opposite - not even letting you upgrade basic things that have long been upgradeable parts.

Then put up with a fat POS plastic blob of a computer. There is NO WAY to physically fit the ram retention parts and the slots in something that thin. Just like there isn't room for the slot and bracing to hold a replacable video card. If you don't like it, buy the old style Pro and quit complaining about the downsides of the thin form factor.

[M A V I C]

C(-)ris wrote:
[quote=M A V I C]
In many PC laptops, you can even upgrade the video card. Apple is doing the exact opposite - not even letting you upgrade basic things that have long been upgradeable parts.

Then put up with a fat POS plastic blob of a computer. There is NO WAY to physically fit the ram retention parts and the slots in something that thin. Just like there isn't room for the slot and bracing to hold a replacable video card. If you don't like it, buy the old style Pro and quit complaining about the downsides of the thin form factor.
You're calling the older form factor a "fat POS plastic blob"? And come on, why is Apple trying to force people to the thinner form factor just to get things like the RD?

[silvarios]

C(-)ris wrote:
[quote=M A V I C]
In many PC laptops, you can even upgrade the video card. Apple is doing the exact opposite - not even letting you upgrade basic things that have long been upgradeable parts.

Then put up with a fat POS plastic blob of a computer. There is NO WAY to physically fit the ram retention parts and the slots in something that thin. Just like there isn't room for the slot and bracing to hold a replacable video card. If you don't like it, buy the old style Pro and quit complaining about the downsides of the thin form factor.
Form over function? As a similar example, the Toshiba Portege (not the Ultrabook model, although that one is really thin and light, yet still has more ports than either Air) is traditionally thicker than the 13" Air, but is almost the same weight (.04 lb difference or so). Because of the increase in thickness, Toshiba is able to fit in more expansion and ports. Neither the "full" size models or Ultrabook models can be considered a large plastic blob.

The new Retina MacBook Pro is nice enough, but a slightly thicker model that was easier to repair/upgrade wouldn't be so bad. Take a page from Toshiba and make something that is still light, but not so thin as to start stripping out genuine features (dropping the optical drive to reduce a little more weight and thickness off the normal MacBook Pro is perfectly acceptable for me). I'm not saying you need to cram in VGA, Ethernet, an optical drive, or even an ExpressCard slot, but something a little less user hostile would be nice. Not every user wants to upgrade their computer, but enough do to make it worthwhile not to punish people who guessed wrong when first speccing out their purchase.

I suppose Apple would point such users to the regular 15" MacBook Pro, but what if I really want the retina display and all the ports/replaceable RAM? There's nothing for me in the lineup.

[silvarios]

M A V I C wrote: You're calling the older form factor a "fat POS plastic blob"? And come on, why is Apple trying to force people to the thinner form factor just to get things like the RD?

Even Apple's old stuff is crap once Apple releases something new. Didn't you know.

[ka jowct]

normal 13" and 15" still have DIY RAM and drive upgrade, some of the easiest ever for a MBP...

Well, that's a relief. I had missed that crucial info. Good to know that the non-Retina models are still an option: I feel a bit better about them now. Still don't know if I want one, but maybe I can get back to the Apple Store tonight to take another look at the new 15" non-MBP(ad) models.