Hello Philipp,
Saturday, August 5, 2017, 6:01:04 PM, you wrote: PS> PS: Rantmode: Why the hell don't they just solder a socket? It's not PS> that unrealistic that someone bricks the BIOS while updating the PS> firmware from time to time. Being able to replace the ROM with a fresh PS> one is a huge plus.
A socket would add some cost; not just of the part itself but also cost of the assembly process since flash chip could not be soldered together with the rest of the components now, and possibly other logistical issues (e.g. they would have to order DIP chips specifically for this model instead of SMD parts like for everything else). It would also increase the height of the board, and you know how everyone is obsessed with thin laptops nowadays.
Just because it would be convenient for maybe ten people in the world doesn't make it an incentive for the manufacturers.
Besides, 99.9% users are not expected to ever open their device, let alone mess with the chips. If they get a brick (which is a pretty rare thing nowadays AFAIK), they send it off for repairs.