I think someone in another thread nailed it when they said the power cord and Ethernet cable are the only ones that come from the wall and could yank the iMac off the desk if someone tripped over it, so it makes sense that these two cables are only connected magnetically.
...but is that
really such a big deal on a
desktop?
Magsafe is great on a laptop - you're often using it in situations where there's no opportunity to safely route the cable, it's light and easily pulled off the table. You're frequently plugging and unplugging the power, so ease of unplugging and lack of wear on the plug is a good thing. Plus (and this is important)
it is battery powered so if the plug gets pulled accidentally it won't instantly crash the computer.
(To be fair, though, it doesn't always work - my old MBP took a dirt nap when a dog got tangled up in the cable - stupid mutt obviously tripped over it
wrong...)
On a desktop, though, I don't really see the point. Stop being lazy and tuck the cable away properly... and an accidental power disconnection
will instantly crash the computer (I was going to say that suddenly losing Ethernet can screw things up, too... then I thought a bit harder
).
The Ethernet port location is simply going to be love/hate depending on where your Ethernet socket/cable is in relation to the power point - vs. the disadvantage of having a power brick where you didn't before. For current users, getting an Ethernet cable on your desktop is usually a solved problem. Personally, my computers get plugged into a bunch of multi-way adapters in a slightly hard-to-reach location around which there is
already a rats-nest of power cables, and I'd really rather not have Ethernet cables around there too - and having one thing plugged into another is always a nightmare for things getting tangled.
Is the problem of built-in power supplies blowing a significant one? (of course, that's only a problem because of the poor repairability of Macs). Personally, I've never had a problem and I hate power bricks and wall-warts.
