This would be valid explanation if we were still in the nineties but not anymore. Here's why:
- The general consumer doesn't put together their PC by themselves anymore. It is clearly visible in the amount of companies specialised in custom building that went into default or bankrupt recently. An example is Atelco in Germany, one of the biggest on the planet in this respect. Another clear indicator is the shelf space that computer components get in big box and more specialised stores. They shrink by the minute. The amount of self built PCs would not make a significant dent into the statistics shown here.
- Those that used to need custom built PCs can now buy good enough BTO machines off the shelf. Even gaming rigs are now more conveniently bought off the shelf or BTO. I know this might not be representative, but the last time I heard anyone talk about building a PC themselves I was still in the previous millennium doing my Ph.D.
- The general consumer buys laptops nowadays and is less and less interested in upgradability. This is not only a "feature" of Apple products but also of others. Look at Samsung, Microsoft etc that now produces devices that are just as much glued shut as the Apple devices. With the decreased demands of specs by the consumers and the increased quality of the hardware, self-upgrading and repairing has become very unappealing and uninteresting.
- The general longer lifespan of Apple devices would offset the perceived problem that they cannot be upgraded. My Father still uses a 2004 MacBook that runs well enough for his purposes (mail, word and internet). My sister's Dell that was purchased somewhere in 2010 is long dead (and she treated it well). Most people that have transitioned from PC to Mac have stories like this.
