keeping the old iMac and changing its parts as technology evolves

[zoran]

Wouldnt it be awesome if vital parts of the iMac (and prolly not only the iMac but computers in general) could be changed as technology evolves without having to cancel the whole machine? To add new evolved stuff to it, without any compatibility hesitation, like lego, just like adding new "bricks" to it.
Say for example the display panel, take out the old panel and put in an OLED. If only a third party company would make such a display, one that would fit on an older iMac and so on!

 

[JonathanKo]

I think you are talking about how regular PCs work. Regular PCs use standards to make parts swappable like ATX mobos, PCIe slots, locations of backpanel IO and all the standard connectors like SATA and Molex. The trade-off for all these standards is size and form factor. Apple and other companies could not make their products if they were stuck with too many standards. This could hinder innovation since everyone would make the same thing.

Also, old standards have physical limitations. For example, modems vs gigabit ethernet. Modems have a physical bandwidth limit with only 4 wires so ethernet helps by having 8 wires.

Google is trying to do this with their new Ara modular phone, but they will have to trade-off performance if they want to make a smartphone of the same size since modularity takes up space (remember the old swappable battery packs on the MBPs?). Apple is a passionate believer in All-in-one designs that just work. "What about all those wasted materials when the computer is too old?" you ask, well they moved to aluminium and glass, two highly recyclable materials. I don't think printed circuit boards and Si from integrated circuits are recyclable, but researchers are working on that.

 

[FreemanW]

The premise ignores developments in architecture and platform that provide for advancements in processing speed, data movement, and storage, that work in orchestrated concert in a interdependent symphony.

Not ever gonna happen.

Dumb terminals located locally, accessing powerful servers in the cloud, monthly payments to perform word processing, spreadsheet functions, image editing, etc., that will be the reality soon rather than later.

 

[zoran]

The premise ignores developments in architecture and platform that provide for advancements in processing speed, data movement, and storage, that work in orchestrated concert in a interdependent symphony.

Not ever gonna happen.

Dumb terminals located locally, accessing powerful servers in the cloud, monthly payments to perform word processing, spreadsheet functions, image editing, etc., that will be the reality soon rather than later.

didn't understand a single word!