"people would throw out their desktop computers that were working fine because a friend's new computer was so much faster." Just let that sink in, then think about it in the context of all the e-waste pollution we've created. Perhaps this is now a good thing that people can hold onto their computers for 4 - 8 years until the components actually wear out or become unsatisfactory.

Might be cheaper, but I bet its more prone to mutation and degradation. Will this lead to data evolution?