Before I begin, a little background:
While I was in school, I had decided that I wanted to work in the silicon design and fabrication industry. I specialized in device theory and design as much as possible hoping to work for one of the big chip designers after I graduated. Unfortunately not everything we plan in life comes to pass. Don't get me wrong, I love my job and I am very thankful for what I do; however, my passion still lies in silicon. I am a computer enthusiast and love to build my own systems and tinker with most electronics. I have been following the mobile industry for a little over a year now, and there is an issue on which I would like to comment. Many praise the industry for its current direction, but I feel they are taking huge steps backwards. Now onto my soapbox...
For many years, I have built and upgraded my desktop computer. I have been able to make my desktop last for many years longer than most people keep a computer by upgrading key components to keep up with technology. People today seem more inclined to buy laptops. I can understand this because I own a laptop as well for portability and light web browsing. The problem I have with my laptop is that it is virtually impossible to upgrade. Sure I can add more memory or a new hard drive, but those upgrades will only take you so far. To truly see improvements in my computing experience I will have to buy an entirely new laptop.
This brings me to the mobile industry. Phones today are becoming as important as, if not more so than, standard computers. Phones are very personal and people carry them everywhere. I actually feel very naked without my phone. Hardware advancements in the mobile sector have been growing in leaps and bounds over many other areas. A phone feels like a relic only two years after it has been released! I am still amazed when I think back to what was considered top of the line even last year compared to today.
Unfortunately for anyone who likes to stay on the cutting edge of technology, or even just try to keep current for that matter, this rapid development becomes disheartening. As soon as our dream phone is released, another phone is announced or rumored that makes us forget what we had been pining over just a few days ago. This is an endless endeavor that can get very depressing, unless you have much more money than you need.
Now imagine if you could simply open your phone and drop in RAM, or even replace the SoC in your phone. You could keep current with only a little effort and much less money. The OS would only need updated drivers that conform to the same API calls that existed in the previous driver, or a simple OS update to access additional functionality of the new drivers. This would be very similar to current desktops that can have new hardware added and replaced with little more than a software update needed to be up and rolling.
I am not naive, however, so I know this will only be a pipe dream for me and other like minded enthusiasts. The technology industry is ecstatic that people favor laptops over desktops since much more money is made from a brand new system than by selling replacement parts or upgrades. The mobile sector is no different. A company would rather make money from customers buying complete systems then lose revenue to third party hardware makers (see apple as a prime example). People applaud companies for making "tightly integrated" products that are more consumer friendly. This may be better for the average consumer who does not want to use his/her brain and the companies who produce the hardware and software, but many tech savvy people are left in the cold. Buy the newest product or get left behind. Every mobile company is moving toward tight hardware and software integration with little to no flexibility for future hardware improvements. Everybody believes this paradigm shift will lead to a new and improved future in user experience, but I fear it is the beginning of the end for power users and enthusiasts.
I cannot blame the industry for taking this path. These businesses exist to make money. They will produce what consumers desire so they can be successful and profitable. I also don
While I was in school, I had decided that I wanted to work in the silicon design and fabrication industry. I specialized in device theory and design as much as possible hoping to work for one of the big chip designers after I graduated. Unfortunately not everything we plan in life comes to pass. Don't get me wrong, I love my job and I am very thankful for what I do; however, my passion still lies in silicon. I am a computer enthusiast and love to build my own systems and tinker with most electronics. I have been following the mobile industry for a little over a year now, and there is an issue on which I would like to comment. Many praise the industry for its current direction, but I feel they are taking huge steps backwards. Now onto my soapbox...
For many years, I have built and upgraded my desktop computer. I have been able to make my desktop last for many years longer than most people keep a computer by upgrading key components to keep up with technology. People today seem more inclined to buy laptops. I can understand this because I own a laptop as well for portability and light web browsing. The problem I have with my laptop is that it is virtually impossible to upgrade. Sure I can add more memory or a new hard drive, but those upgrades will only take you so far. To truly see improvements in my computing experience I will have to buy an entirely new laptop.
This brings me to the mobile industry. Phones today are becoming as important as, if not more so than, standard computers. Phones are very personal and people carry them everywhere. I actually feel very naked without my phone. Hardware advancements in the mobile sector have been growing in leaps and bounds over many other areas. A phone feels like a relic only two years after it has been released! I am still amazed when I think back to what was considered top of the line even last year compared to today.
Unfortunately for anyone who likes to stay on the cutting edge of technology, or even just try to keep current for that matter, this rapid development becomes disheartening. As soon as our dream phone is released, another phone is announced or rumored that makes us forget what we had been pining over just a few days ago. This is an endless endeavor that can get very depressing, unless you have much more money than you need.
Now imagine if you could simply open your phone and drop in RAM, or even replace the SoC in your phone. You could keep current with only a little effort and much less money. The OS would only need updated drivers that conform to the same API calls that existed in the previous driver, or a simple OS update to access additional functionality of the new drivers. This would be very similar to current desktops that can have new hardware added and replaced with little more than a software update needed to be up and rolling.
I am not naive, however, so I know this will only be a pipe dream for me and other like minded enthusiasts. The technology industry is ecstatic that people favor laptops over desktops since much more money is made from a brand new system than by selling replacement parts or upgrades. The mobile sector is no different. A company would rather make money from customers buying complete systems then lose revenue to third party hardware makers (see apple as a prime example). People applaud companies for making "tightly integrated" products that are more consumer friendly. This may be better for the average consumer who does not want to use his/her brain and the companies who produce the hardware and software, but many tech savvy people are left in the cold. Buy the newest product or get left behind. Every mobile company is moving toward tight hardware and software integration with little to no flexibility for future hardware improvements. Everybody believes this paradigm shift will lead to a new and improved future in user experience, but I fear it is the beginning of the end for power users and enthusiasts.
I cannot blame the industry for taking this path. These businesses exist to make money. They will produce what consumers desire so they can be successful and profitable. I also don
