Whether something you purchase can be upgraded depends on a lot of things. We don't expect to be able to upgrade lots of things that are tools used by professi

Whether something you purchase can be upgraded depends on a lot of things. We don't expect to be able to upgrade lots of things that are tools used by professionals, including the engine and transmission of a truck used for deliveries, or a hammer. And yet, those things can clearly be intended for professional sales based on capabilities and reliability at the time of sale. With laptops, some laptops really can be upgraded - especially larger, heavier ones. Ironically, sometimes heavier ones that have easy to access panels for upgrades are cheaper. But as a provider of laptops, there would be a balance between allowing those upgrades, and guaranteeing levels of performance and reliability. Personally, I won't buy a desktop - I'll buy parts (with options for later upgrades) and I'll build it. But I won't claim that it's therefore a device for professionals. Rather, it's a device specifically for me! With a laptop, which is increasingly the tool of choice for many professionals, being able to upgrade does tend to mean you'll get a longer life out of it. That's a good thing, but it's only one of many ways to measure whether a laptop is good for your professional needs. My employer provided me with a Macbook Pro, and it works well for my tasks as is, without needing upgrades. But in the past, I've had computers that slowed my performance down, and had to be upgraded or replaced. And in each case, the time savings multiplied by my hourly rate made replacing the hardware trivial in comparison. So does that mean Apple is taking advantage of businesses by selling a professional tool that cannot be upgraded? Maybe. Maybe that was your point all along? But it's not an uncommon practice, and our best option to get around this is to choose an alternative device that better fits what we value. (That's why people love Windows and Linux - lots more choice!)