The Non-Replaceable Battery Non-Issue
That's why companies (not just Apple) move to non-replaceable batteries. Cheaper, more reliable, and for most devices, users don't actually replace the batteries. It's a big non-issue, except for the really loud and noisy minority -- the power users.
And even for them, this is a solved problem. Just look at the iPhone. [...] Battery charging systems exist -- and really, have made the replaceable battery on an iPhone unnecessary. The technology has moved beyond swapping spares.
The only time one truly needs to replace a battery is when it loses the ability to reasonably hold a charge, but how often does that actually happen? It took my MacBook Pro over two years to need a replacement and my iPhone is still going strong after 16 months. The Apple repair process is fast enough for my needs and likely for the vast majority of users as well.
From Chuqui via Daring Fireball