Laptop customization popularity

As you know, custom built PC's are massivem why not laptops. There is a giant market out there for customizing desktops but not at all for laptops, why do you think this is ?

 

I have wondered about that for a long time. Obviously the components won't be as accessible. But, short of adding an external anything I don't see how its done.

 

For the very simple reason it is not that easy. I'm an IT engineer by profession and laptops when they go wrong, unless you have an identical machine you are pretty much un the creak without a paddle when it comes to fixing them. There are obviously some components that are not too hard to replace, but on a laptop, even the processor is welded to the motherboard, so that is a new motherboard for an upgrade. The same usually applies to the graphics card or it has a very definite space to fit into.

Also everyone in the modern world is after the latest smallest and lightest this that and the other. So if you wanted to have a laptop that people could switch out the graphics card for, how would you dictate the space requirements? What extra space as a manufacturer would you build in to allow for this? and suddenly that slim design that was no more than 1 inch high with the screen closed is suddenly how big?

Then there is the overheating aspect to deal with. Laptop was a very bad name, because it implies it is safe to sit with it on your lap. It is not. In fact it is one of the best ways of getting them to overheat and for men it is also a really good way of sterilising yourself slowly! The problem is that the word desktop has already taken, when in fact they would be better under the desk not on it....

There is a very good reason why manufacturers don't offer much in the way of upgrades for laptops. Its called common sense and practicality.

 

Lol, yeah I've sat one on my lap before. It was a really heavy Gateway laptop about 17 years ago. That was the only time I ever made that mistake.

 

It is just not as practical as desktop computer customization. Desktops are made for customization - all it is, it just a box full of components. There's plenty of space for everything to be taken out and put in. Sure, laptop customization is also possible, but only to a certain extent. There's the perception that laptop customization is more difficult, laptop parts are a lot more expensive, and doesn't have the same impact as desktop customization, as desktop hardware is a lot more powerful than its laptop counterparts. Laptop customization simply isn't popular as desktop customization is already seen hard enough, let alone laptop customization.

 

Because there isn't a standard design for laptops as there is with desktops. We all know what desktops look like inside, they're almost identical when it comes to necessary components, and all you need to do to access these components is to undo a few screws and open the case. Laptops are a lot harder to get into and re-assemble. It's different from one manufacturer to another and from one model to another. That's why they're not easily customized, hence why nobody brings that up.

 

A good amount of people buy laptops because they don't want to take part in all of those custom building shenanigans. They just want a computer that works and doesn't take space on a desk. They want a simple and easy-to-use machine. But I'm talking about the majority of people who use laptops of course. The people in this forum, for example, are very knowledgeable compared to an average laptop person, they know about the ways to discover the hidden potential of their own machines and so on. Unfortunately we are but a minority, way less than the people who love to mess around with desktop PCs. I think it's perfectly understandable. As other guys have mentioned here, it's easier to work on a desktop compared to a laptop, so they rather get involved with one instead of the other.

 

Custom built laptops are in the wild though. In fact, Clevo/Sager are famous for having bare bone laptops that you can then customized. Boutique shops like Origin, PC Specialist are still in business and thriving. The only reason I think people aren't as aware of them is that building a custom laptop is much more complicated than a custom PC. You have limited space to cramp in the specs, in addition to thinking about airflow and ventilation. Anyone can built a PC, but for building a laptop you will need to order one.

 

I haven't even thought about customizing my laptop! I just look for the one that has what I need, basically storage space, memory, battery life and the processor. I don't need much, just a laptop that works for a long time.

 

Until today I wasnt even aware that you could customize a laptop. A lot of them seem to be enormous, so at that point doesn't it really just become a free standing desktop?