>> If making the device upgradable and accessible adds the same percentage in materials then it's pretty much a wash. In the case of Apple products, it can sav

>> If making the device upgradable and accessible adds the same percentage in materials then it's pretty much a wash. In the case of Apple products, it can save you a pile of money. The last Mac I bought was the early 2011 MBP (yeah, -that- lemon), and Apple's prices for RAM and storage were ridiculously above market prices. I was able to max out the specs of my MBP more cheaply by buying my own parts, and upgrading to larger faster storage at my own timeline. Heck, you could even get a cage to replace the optical drive on those MBPs and put in another 2.5" drive (which I did, and it was a very bad decision, especially for battery life).