In the electronics industry, the technology in a product can become obsolete long before the design. Designing products that can be upgraded to keep up with rapidly changing technical performance can save materials and money.
Example: The HP MediaSmart server was designed with simple upgradeability at its core. Purchasable with varying starting amounts of storage, its capabilities can be upgraded by simply adding a drive when the time is right: a process that HP and LUNAR made sure was a simple task for all.
Watch out: Products that are designed to be upgradeable, without being designed to be durable may break before they are ready for an upgrade. This could result in adding undue complexity to a design that won't be upgraded after all.
