The Future of Laptop Upgrade Ability?

oki900 asks: "With laptops becoming more modular, and the use of mini PCI or PCI express cards for most of the components, are we going to start to see more third party upgrade options for laptops. I know that currently a lot of laptops use mini PCI or PCI express for LAN/WLAN cards and some even for the sound cards. It's also becoming more popular to use mini PCI express for the video cards. What will this mean for laptop consumers in the near future and how far will this trend go? Are we going to soon be able to easily upgrade the processors in the laptops as well?"

Comments

modularize the failure components

[yagu]

My laptops have failed around key components. And virtually all of them suffered one or more of:

• power adaptor connector failure. I don't know why these are made the way they are, but there's got to be a better way. Nothing is more susceptible to failure than a rigid plastic and metal plug embedded in the connector receptacle. And, no matter how careful you are someone or something else will come along and give it a good knock. (One machine I have had this break twice, and both times the entire motherboard was replace (under warranty, thank goodness).)
• screens. These need to be more modular and repairable. The most common problem I've seen is a rogue ribbon connector working its way loose from constant opening and closing of the laptop, sometimes even breaking. (Also, for improved resolution, it'd be nice to see this as a DIY option.)
• battery failures
• heat and meltdown failures
• keyboard failures (this would really be nice to standardize and modularize! As of now, my solution is, unless I have to use the laptop keyboard, I hook up a wireless keyboard -- it turns out to be a great solution, but kind of invalidates the notion of "laptop".)

Of the above, battery failure is easy... they usually are modular and easy to replace, though way pricier than necessary (IMO).

The monitor and adaptor problems are trickier. I think for there to be a future in upgradeable and modular laptops, these would have to be improved (snap in video screens, ruggedized connector ports?).

Laptops are highly specialized and customized marvels of engineering and required trick engineering just to get all of the pieces in the box (ever try disassembling one and getting it all back together?).

As components are increasingly tiny in size, and laptops do become more modular, they'll have to become less proprietary and more open architecture -- something I'm not sure manufacturers are wont to do. (I'm thinking laptop manufacturers are more interested in branding, and not pushing sale and profit out to component makers.)

Until laptops as an integrated unit can withstand the everyday rigors and liver longer, "upgrading" (other than memory and maybe disk) may be throwing good money after bad.

Re:modularize the failure components

[samkass]

power adaptor connector failure. I don't know why these are made the way they are, but there's got to be a better way.

There is. These connectors are truly great. Not only does it protect the socket from bending, MacBook from being yanked onto the floor, and people from tripping, but because it can be attached either way and pulls itself into the socket magnetically, it can be connected easily in pitch darkness and is impossible to connect incorrectly.