-
Unfixable, Unhackable, Untenable. An iFixit Op-ed.
-
Really guys? The laptop is a crappy product because it can’t be easily upgraded? Is popping open your laptop really a part of your daily workflow?? You don’t pop open a TV or Toaste. What’s the difference. The PC is becoming an appliance that most people use for about 3 years and then upgrade by buying a new one. I’m not saying its a good or bad product, but I’m ok buying a warranty and getting a new computer if one breaks. Soon, laptops will be as thin as paper, how are you going to upgrade then??
-
[Davee Schulte] “Really guys? The laptop is a crappy product because it can’t be easily upgraded? Is popping open your laptop really a part of your daily workflow?? You don’t pop open a TV or Toaste. What’s the difference. The PC is becoming an appliance that most people use for about 3 years and then upgrade by buying a new one. I’m not saying its a good or bad product, but I’m ok buying a warranty and getting a new computer if one breaks. Soon, laptops will be as thin as paper, how are you going to upgrade then??”
There is the ability to upgrade and the ability to swap parts for repairs. Two different things. My toaster doesn’t run on a battery and it doesn’t cost 2000 dollars nor does my business depend on it-only my mood in the morning which is mostly shit anyway. If your car’s radio is broken, you don’t throw away the entire car including its motor. How much is a battery replacement or ram replacement for this product, given hat its glued/soldered to the base?
The previous MBP was a great laptop. With eSata and USB3 it probably would have just brilliant. This one I find… problematic and I wouldn’t buy it. And that has nothing to with its performance which is presumably good.
——
“You also agree that you will not use these products for… the development, design, manufacture or production of nuclear, missiles, or chemical or biological weapons.”
iTunes End User Licence Agreement -
[Herb Sevush] “So how well does this work for you and your business? In other words, assuming this is the Apple business plan, are you happy about it, resigned, or pissed off – purely from your own personal point of view?”
Somewhere in the middle. Obviously I was very happy that I could just upgrade my GPU for FCPX compatibility. As much as I like FCPX I wasn’t about to buy a new computer for an NLE whose direction was speculative on my part.
Normally I buy mid level (8 core instead of 12) knowing that I can expand most components based on how my needs grow (RAM, GPU, types of drives). I’m going to have to rethink that. People are already getting caught with that and the MBPr who buy 8GB RAM instead of 16GB. Assuming next year’s MP replacement follows suit, it means $3500 will lock me in with the only option to replace in two years rather than keep expanding it for 3 to 4 year life cycle. That impact ROI.
Ironically that thinking is also in part of Apple’s calculus regarding market share. As people replace more frequently older models are sold to keep up ROI (cover the costs of the new purchase). This means an increase in market share.
Sure, I’m unhappy about the new “locked down” business mode from Apple. Sure I’ll have to change my business model when it comes to purchases if I want to stick with Apple. Ironically Thunderbolt will eventually make cross platform moves easier as Windows adopts it . . . and Apple adopts USB3. That does alleviate some of the worry.
Over the long haul I do think the advantages of internal expansion will diminish. But they wont go away. If the increases in technology advance fast enough that getting a new computer every two years is worthwhile it will be less of problem.
Yes that’s a big speculative “if” but things are changing quickly. In many respects it has more to do with Intel (at this point) than Apple. In the past CPU technology, motherboard design, connectivity was only incremental over that time span. I think that’s about to change. 2013 Apple’s “locked down” internals will catch up (although locked down). 2015 may well be true optical Thunderbolt which would push another move anyway.
The real question I (we) face I think is the GPU technology. There’s some irony that even Apple’s own software becomes more GPU dependent, their systems tend to be behind in GPU support and may be further behind if they lock that down. I think that will be the pivot point for me. Liking FCPX only goes so far if it’s dog slow because Apple isn’t allowing me to give it the GPU it needs. That may also hinge on where Intel goes with Optical Thunderbolt because that will be key and Apple has a lot riding on that.
I’ll have to see about price performance of their 2013 Pro box. I may have to see if a locked down GPU (assuming that) can be viable for two years. Also my recommendations for a larger facility may not be the same direction I’d take personally.
-
[Oliver Peters] “iPhone = iPad = laptop = trashcan every 2-3 years”
I generally agree with your comments except maybe the trashcan part.
While the demanding (or lusting?) users will upgrade frequently, the previous generation (baring breakage) remain in circulation. I think that’s Apple’s “backend” approach to increasing market share.Just my speculation but since older things can’t be expanded they’re more likely to be sold to other less demanding or less financially equipped users, then kept as “secondary” systems by higher end users.
-
They are made to be recycled not repaired.
That is the industry trend.
I seem to drop my MBP hard every 3-4 years and my insurance always pays for a new one. So this is not such a bad thing. Sometimes earlier, or they are stolen.
I remember when we changed points and condensers in cars and used timing lights and dwell meters to tune cars. Now just replace the ignition unit, no adjustments. And you have to have a specialized computer to even begin to work on them.
I also used to replace all kinds of parts in computers, but now I just buy new ones because every 3-5 years you need a whole new system to keep up with current SW.
I think things are only going to change more, smaller, faster, no moving parts at all. Possible recover heat as power not waste it by having to use a fan to cool.
I still have a Mac from the 90’s that run as a SD edit suite perfectly, and I still use it from time to time. And I have a 22 year old MC that runs as well.
But I change my cars every 5 years or so and they almost never need repairs.
I like the look and utility of the new MBPr and when I need a new MBP I will buy it. But my current 5,1 is running great with a 1TB internal HD.
I really don’t see a problem using a smallish internal SSD as a system drive and TB externals for editing in the field. Seems ideal to me, have 2 TB compact drives with you at all times. I do that now with FW800’s for editing and file transfers from memory card cams.
I also love the way I don’t have to deal with tape any more. SSD’s and memory cards are great. I have not had to send a camera in for cleaning or head replacement in the last five years.
I think things are changing for the better. It is very efficient to recycle aluminum, and the boards, glass etc are also recycled. It is just the way of the future.
Olof Ekbergh
-
[olof ekbergh] “I seem to drop my MBP hard every 3-4 years and my insurance always pays for a new one. So this is not such a bad thing. Sometimes earlier, or they are stolen.”
I have to remind myself to play football with my laptops every couple of years. 😉
Some have noted that the new MBPr don’t have a means to attach a lock to them anymore. It’s either “find my laptop” or replace it. I guess stolen laptops increase market share.[olof ekbergh] “I also used to replace all kinds of parts in computers, but now I just buy new ones because every 3-5 years you need a whole new system to keep up with current SW.”
This is probably going to accelerate too as hardware and the software system demands increase more rapidly. It also creates a bigger used computer market which also increases Apple’s market share.
[olof ekbergh] “I like the look and utility of the new MBPr and when I need a new MBP I will buy it. But my current 5,1 is running great with a 1TB internal HD.”
Similar sentiment here as well. This is why, I think, in part Apple didn’t even do a serious incremental update to the MacPro. Doing that would slow the move to whatever they have coming.
-
[Craig Seeman] “I generally agree with your comments except maybe the trashcan part. “
While I may be generally concerned with the trend, it doesn’t mean I won’t buy one if it’s right for my needs. My approach is to wring as much use out of it as I can. There IS the issue of contribution to waste. But I tend not to buy these things based on trend – as an owner of a gen 1 iPad (bought after iPad2 was released), iPod Classic (given to me) and Motorola Razor (IMHO iPhones are terrible phones for voice communication) 😉 OTOH, I own a 4+ year old MBP, which is now on its 4th battery and on which I upgraded the RAM. So owner-serviceablity of minor items is important to me.
One of the trends manufacturers are seeing is that users are NOT changing their main computers every 3 years anymore. Most desktops are now in use 4-5 years at places where they would have been churned in 3. Part of that is the economy, but part is that these machines are already doing all and more of what we demand of them.
Quite frankly, if your job is primarily editing with modern compressed codecs up to HD sizes, a late model Mac Pro, HP, MBP or even iMac is plenty powerful. So I think part of what Apple is doing is trying to stoke the fires of demand ( i.e. want not need) as only they can.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
[olof ekbergh] “I like the look and utility of the new MBPr and when I need a new MBP I will buy it. But my current 5,1 is running great with a 1TB internal HD.”
I think the fear is not so much in the laptop arena, but that Apple will start applying this model to their desktops. I mean does anyone really buy an imac or macpro with max ram from Apple? It is sooo much cheaper to get minimum ram and upgrade from a third party. Or also the idea that if a ram chip fails or some such you have to replace the whole motherboard.
The idea that someone would really spend like $8,000 for a tricked out Mac Pro that couldn’t be upgraded seems ludicrous. But maybe this isn’t the future of MAC desktops. We won’t really know until Apple plays its desktop cards 6 to 16 months from now.
-
[olof ekbergh] “I also used to replace all kinds of parts in computers, but now I just buy new ones because every 3-5 years you need a whole new system to keep up with current SW.”
Very insightful post Olof.
You spend a chunk of money on a top end computer and in three years something comes out to make your computer look like a donkey.
Once that happens folks just want to jump on that new horse.
-
[Clint Wardlow] “The idea that someone would really spend like $8,000 for a tricked out Mac Pro that couldn’t be upgraded seems ludicrous.”
Not really if the changes over just a couple of years are so significant that you feel compelled as a professional to buy a new computer.
If you look at the price of a tricked out MBPr I wouldn’t differentiate laptops from desktops that much. MBPr is not a “consumer” priced laptop. Even the base price is higher than top iMac and around the top BTO iMac.
Maybe you don’t think MBPr will do well in the market but the lengthening back orders coupled with some anecdotal stories of some pros I know selling their current models to partially finance MBPr purchases, seems to say it will be a viable business model for Apple and something some Pro are willing to embrace.
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up