I work in embedded systems, and I’ve come to understand that “small, efficient, tinkerable” is a “pick only two” proposition.
Anyone remember Google’s Project Ara modular phone? It died because it couldn’t find a sweet-spot of (manufacturing) cost, performance, and value.
There’s this story that when Apple’s engineers showed Steve Jobs the first iPhone prototype, he asked why it wasn’t smaller, then dunked it in an aquarium. Bubbles came out, and Jobs went “see? there’s still wasted space in there.” (Edit: it was the iPod, not the iPhone, but the point still stands)
That “wasted space” (both physical and design/manufacturing cost-wise) would be the headspace you’d use for tinkering. Most people don’t care.
