A new REPLACEABLE memory design for laptops!

[thewayne]

Way back on April 29th, I was bitching about why laptops were having their memory soldered in. There's another reason: the further away from the CPU, the more likely the signal will degrade. Makes for tricky motherboard design.

There is new hope, and it is now on the market!

Micron and Lenovo have released a laptop with a new memory design called LPCAMM2. Below is a link to a YouTube vid from iFixit, who is partnered with both companies, who were given a laptop that is now using this tech. The memory module is very interesting, sort of a soft triangle design - unlike any memory that I've ever seen before. It uses built-in compression, which reduces its power requirement, and has all sorts of other advances.

But the net result is that as this standard is adopted by other makers - ARE YOU LISTENING, APPLE?! - we can once again have upgradeable laptops!

The video page has a link to an iFixit blog entry that explains LPCAMM2 in a more detailed fashion, which I have not looked at.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3zB9EFntmA

Comments

[garote]

That's a cool design but I'm pretty sure that in Apple's case it won't get adopted. The idea of customizing RAM outside a factory setting is in their rearview mirror and will stay there. The only device they sell that they expect the average user to open up is the Mac Pro...

[thewayne]

Yeah, that's definitely what Apple would like.  Which is why the one I'm typing on is WAAAAY over-spec'd.  But they might.  They've gotten a lot of flack recently over selling base laptops with only 8 gig of ram.

[garote]

I think that just means they'll eliminate the lowest RAM tier, if anything. But, those specs are chosen pretty carefully, by an obsessive team. I suspect the 8GB model is fine for J. Random college student who is going to spend most of their time using the iApps and interacting with school portals in a web browser.

[disneydream06]

A better laptop?
I'd go for that.
I am on my third one and imho, each one has been a step down.
Granted I am not spending a fortune on them but...
Hugs, Jon

[thewayne]

I remember the IBM Thinkpad that I had around 2007/8.  The internal frame was plastic, and didn't hold up to me grabbing it from the side to pull it in and out of my backpack.  Literally massively flimsy.  That's what I love about Macs: they're more expensive, but they're aluminum chassis!  They ain't gonna bend unless you do some massive stress to 'em.  But you're going to pay for a premium product.

[disneydream06]

It would be nice if all electronics were made for quality instead of quantity. :o

[thewayne]

It's not made for quantity: it's made for two things.  Profit margin, and, if possible, to last just long enough to get beyond the warranty period.  If it's an item that may be judged on performance, such as a laptop or some other computer-type device, then there are other considerations.  But those are the two basic criteria. The world is run by MBAs.  And not for the better.

[disneydream06]

That is so very true. :o

Okay, I'll bite.

[garote]

It's made for low cost. All products are made for profit margin, but cheap laptops are all about being cheap.

Which is good. In an unequal world, insisting that every product be made to a middle-class standard would shut out or literally starve large swathes of humanity. I'd choose a burger from Barney's or a deep dish pizza from Zachary's any day, over Burger King and Domino's, but for many years I didn't have a choice and eating cheap food to save money is part of what got me here.

The MBAs are generally right: Letting the market decide, tends to be a better starting point than letting, say, the ruling party or the cleric or the bourgeoisie...

Re: Okay, I'll bite.

[thewayne]

Excellent points.

Re: Okay, I'll bite.

[garote]

Aww man I was figuring a debate would start :D

Re: Okay, I'll bite.

[thewayne]

Sorry.  Tired, and have a busy day ahead of me. :-)  I agree there's a market for Cheap AF laptops that aren't going to have much of a life and will probably be immensely frustrating to people who need a decent laptop.  It sort of falls into the programming triad of Cheap, Fast, Right: pick two.  Can't have all three.

[silveradept]

Upgradable laptop memory would be excellent to happen, as would upgradable laptops in general. There's so many components that could be run all the way down (or close to it) that we want to be able to do and still keep up with the increasing requirements of using office material and even playing a few games.