Don't get your panties in a twist over things you cannot change.
Apple has always been demanding. To play in their sandbox, be it software or hardware, your bucket and shovel had to be exactly what they said it needed to be. Meanwhile, in the world of Windows, the demands were more of an attitude of "show up, jump in and we will figure out a way to make it work." (Plug and Play) The result was two different systems, one that never crashed, and one that does...alot. So, Apple has proven themselves in this regard and getting uppity about their proprietary hardware is silly. On the topic of the MB Pro's upgradeablity and adding things are moot points when you honestly ask yourself a few questions. Do you really need more than 16GB of Ram? No. Do you really need more than 256GB of HD? No. Do you really intend to keep the laptop for more than three years? No. If the memory pukes, you send it in for repair. If the batteries start to swell or not hold a charge, you send it in for repair. Each time you get a quote for the cost, you rationalize the expense vs replacement. It is no different than a car. You buy the warranty and you use it for what you bought it for. Over time, the shiny wears off and even if you are not having any issues, you trade it in for the newer model. You cannot do much under the hood of today's cars or laptops unless you are highly trained and there will always be the monetary consideration of keeping what you have or trading up. I am personally keeping alive thirty G3 iBooks, fifty G4's and a dozen Thinkpads that date back to 2003 so the students all have systems and, because I can. It works for us and for me. In time, they will all be replaced and I will do less technical work and more reminiscing...
