Dilbert already made this: It's called the tomeato (to-meat-o). Grown on a plant that really likes to live in mud (Elbonia), shaped as a brick for practical purposes (transport, storage etc.), and with the texture of a black/white cow. It was all done in good intentions to make Elbonians eat the tomeato instead of mud, but of course the result is a total collapse of the Elbonian society structure. Poor people started to build their houses using tomeatoes instead of mud because it was cheaper :-)

Electronics do not keep working forever just because it does not have any moving parts. Capacitors leak and degrade, batteries start to grow hair, etc. The old, trusty 486 simply isn't as stable and nice to work with anymore as it was 15 years ago. The electronics have EARNED their right to go to the electronics heaven!