Maybe I’m just nitpicking – and I should stress that while I might disagree on some details I do respect your overall opinion on this – but it seems to me that these devices are all engineered to be appliances. Appliances that look good, yes, but the main point seems to be that they realized that most people never open the computer in any way except maybe to add RAM, and they tend to get professional help for anything else even if people such as yourself are willing and able to do it themselves. So, they now design the machines to be as small/space-saving, integrated/self-contained and attractive as possible. They make trade-offs like non-user-replaceable laptop batteries in order to achieve the slimmest, lightest possible designs. And eliminating user-serviceable parts probably also reduces the number of repair issues due to botched DIY upgrades/repairs.
In the specific case of the new Mac Pro, I think the idea is that once you configure it the first time, you rarely if ever open it up; you do most of your upgrades with peripherals (for better or worse). I know a lot of pro users are not at all happy with that approach, but it does seem to appeal to others.
I realize there’s a big downside to all this. It’s like they’re saying: “we are catering to the consumer above all, and too effin’ bad if that’s not you.” But the fact that these are luxury items in some sense is beside the point IMO. The very same appliance approach could be taken with low-cost, plain-looking gear. Doesn’t matter if my fridge cost $500 or $5000, either way I have no skills or inclination to repair/upgrade/hack it myself. Just like my computer.
