
Why Didn’t the Dream of a Laptop Upgrade Slot Take Off? (2017) - type0
https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/78w8jy/pcmcia-once-defined-portable-computing-now-its-a-cable-industry-oddity
======
cimmanom
Hypothesis: there’s a certain minimum amount of time users want to be able to
use a laptop for. Say 3-5 years.

Back when every 18 months new hardware would be out that was twice as powerful
as what you had just bought for $2k, anything that could upgrade and extend
the useful life of your computer would be a selling point and help beat the
competition.

These days, for the vast majority of users, a $500 laptop will serve their
every need for 5-8 years without upgrades. Even for most power users and
developers, a $1500-2000 laptop will last 3-5 years.

So longevity is no longer a major selling point, and thus neither is
extensibility. In fact, if they want to get you to buy another new machine
within the next decade, it’s _against_ the manufacturer’s interest to sell you
something upgradable.

------
dekhn
thunderbolt 3 is everything a laptop upgrade slot should be.

