Originally posted by kuyu
That guy hit the nail on the head. I love mac's, but apple definately forces a consumer to adapt to them, not the other way around.
Here's an idea....
Sell modules. Make the form apple sexy, and standard in design. Have ones for HD's, ones for graphics, ones for processors, etc.
If these modules were all the same size, with built in elctrical connectors that "snapped" together, people could build their own mac's. If they sold a dizzying array of "mods", the customer would be able to build their dream mac with no more skill than is required in stacking legos.
Want a faster processor? No problem, buy a new 5 Ghz G5 module and set it on the mac stack. No need to remove your old one. Might as well have more processors.
All they need is one controller mod that regulates communication between mods. While overall sales of closed boxed mac's would plumit, revenues would skyrocket. "I can't afford $1500 for a new mac, but I've got $300 this month for a new processor, and will have $200 next month for a new graphics chip"....
Also, this would allow Apple to stick with the "proprietary hardware" mantra that makes the systems so stable.
Thoughts.....
The problem with modules is they would be slow. For things like processors the farther they are from other components physically can limit speed (physics, whoo hoo!). In addition building an expanable system like that would be far more expensive. By integrating the parts like proccesor, ram banks, system bus, on the main motherboard you can eliminate alot of bottlenecks that would otherwise occur. Even on PC's you add a proccesor directly to the mother board, either using a daughter card or pluging it straight in. Its simply not technically efficient or cost effective to put the proccesor elsewhere. In addition it is cheaper to use internal drives on an ATA bus than firewire right now, so while swappable drives are possible (i.e. xServe) even using ATA, its still more expensive.
Since Every is arguing to make things cheaper, I just don't think your idea, while very creative, would solve what he is complaining about. In addition all those modules would make troubleshooting a pain in the arse. Not to mention the headache of assuring that drivers were compatible for all of them. Now if Apple were the only one building the modules then it might be ok, but then people would complain about that. By allowing certain easily used parts to be upgradeable on some machines (G5s) like the HD, graphics card, and theoretically the optical drive, and allowing all macs to have modularity in terms of airport, keyboard, mouse, etc.
I think the proposed solution by some people of a low end G5 cube, with a swappable graphics card, an open PCI slot, no monitor, is the best Apple could do right now.
The thing we have to be wary of is a model explosion like what happened in the Schiller/Amelio days.
