Linda posted on October 30, 2008 15:42
If you have ever needed to get a notebook repaired and the problem was anything other than a failed hard drive or a memory upgrade, you are probably well aware that notebooks are expensive to repair. The biggest reason for this is that they every brand and model is just different enough that parts are not interchangeable.
For two or three years, Intel has been working hard to make notebooks a more open architecture. The goal has been to standardize on one keyboard, one screen, one optical drive style, etc. And while significant improvements have been made, you still can't buy a notebook case, motherboard and other components and put it all together yourself as you might for a desktop.
But just this month, several companies that build whitebooks have started building computers this way. Intel now has a notebook motherboard that can be separately. Other manufacturers are making the shells available separately as well.
One of the really neat features about the Intel motherboard is the way that the power, network and USB connectors have been designed. With most laptops, these connections come right off the motherboard. If they are broken, you must replace the entire motherboard. With Intel's new design, these connections are made to a daughter card that plugs into the motherboard. If you trip over the power cord and break that connection, you only have to replace the daughter card, not the entire motherboard. This is one of the most common problems with notebooks and suddenly a $500 - $600 repair became at most $100.
Another feature that we will start to see with whitebooks is a wider variety of case styles. If you are forced to purchase a case and motherboard together, style selection is non-existent. If they can be purchased and stocked separately, manufacturers will start offering cases in a variety of colors. At this week's Intel Channel Conference, distributors had models in brilliant red and blue, as well as a marbelized model.
Whether you are a fan of whitebooks or stick with name brand systems, these changes should benefit all notebook owners, bringing down the cost of repairs and reducing reliance on the original manufacturers for parts - a situation that sometimes leads to unreasonably high prices.