A device to allow access to
User Servicable Parts without having to take the machine apart.
Opening a trapdoor allows access to expansion sockets, while keeping the rest of the machine protected from
damage by unskilled hands. Generally the trapdoor is easy to open, with no screws to lose. Trapdoors are generally seen in machines that would require a professional to take apart. Adding a trapdoor generally adds
complexity (and therefore expense) to the system, as the system must be designed around it. Any user-servicable parts must be located together, in an area where a trapdoor can be added. Often, this is on the bottom of the
case, and can involve mounting components on both sides of the
motherboard.
High-end, modular, laptops (
Dell latitude,
Toshiba Tecra, for example) generally have trapdoors to allow access to the RAM and
mini-PCI cards. Some even keep the internal hard drive in a trapdoor. Compare with all-in-one laptops like the
Apple iBook and
Toshiba Satellite, where the machine must be substantially disassembled to get at the few upgrade slots.
Examples of trapdoors in consumer goods include the
Nintendo 64 and
Commodore Amiga, which had a trapdoor to allow extra
RAM to be added. Interestingly, the
Atari STE had a trapdoor inside the case that allowed access to the
SIMM slots without having to remove the motherboard shielding (which required the removal of the power supply, floppy drive, and 20-odd screws).