Notebooks Upgradability and Standardization

CPUs are upgradable.... it is absolutely easy to change it in a notebook, as long as its not soldered.

you can do that already.(except gpu, which should be in a month or 2)

You can't exactly lower the cost with advanced technology. Better technology = more $$$. Intel and AMD are already working on newer technologys for faster and better processors. Their processors are interchangable for the most part with the same chipset.

As soon as MXM/AXIOM are implemented I don't see why upgrading a lappy won't be as easy if not easier than upgrading a desktop. In most systems you can gain access to all the components from the underside of the chassis. This includes memory slots, Mini-PCI slot, CPU, HD, etc. When modular graphics hit the scene, most likely in Q1 '05, you can add GPU to that...what else is there to upgrade?

This all sounds noble, but I hate to tell you that it seems contrary to the interests of most mainstream manufacturers to make notebooks so easily upgradeable. They will always want to sell something newer to keep their revenue flowing. And, ongoing technological advances and updates to motherboards, video chips and processors will undoubtedly require different architectures every year or two.

What makes sense for the consumer does not necessarily make economic sense for the companies that sell computers. This basic conflict is similar for most commercial enterprises to sell more goods.

It's already moving in this direction, donfenn, and, quite frankly, market forces will determine what the manufacturer will do and those forces are exerting themselves in the form of consumer demand for flexible and upgradeable laptops that will eventually, imo, replace desktops altogether.

If you look at the laptop to desktop market share trends over the last few years you will see that laptop's portion of the pie has been steadily growing, to the point where, if I'm not mistaken (I'm going from memory from an article I read a few months back), 50% of computer sales in Asia are notebooks. Similar growth is occuring elsewhere but still lags behind Asia at this point.

Manufacturer interest is selling, period. They don't care if resellers are putting their systems together or end users, they don't make any more money. Just like desktops, notebooks will get to the point (and are almost there) where all the units will be easily replaced, including the motherboard.
As desktops have demanded new Mobo/memory, so will notebooks. The nice thing about desktops is that the form factor is pretty consistent and the cases are reusable. Notebooks are not. If users have their pretty painted chassis, and they can just drop in the latest mobo, you'd sell more motherboards than you would if they had to buy the entire barebones again.

The only prohibitive feature of notebooks is the motherboard/gpu combo and the chassis. As the gpu gets more modular, the only thing left is the mobo. It may never be as simple as the desktop, but it will be quite easy.

People will still buy complete units because they want warranty service and such.

And until cooling becomes a non-issue, notebooks will never replace desktops. Not to mention storage space, expandability, etc.
Technology doesn't shrink fast enough, either, and we all know that smaller = more expensive. The pci-e gpu on the desktop will always be much cheaper than it's equivalent in the notebook. It will also be cooled more easily.