If we look at the iMac line, there were a couple sweet spots:
- The design of the G4, which was very pretty.
- The latest truly user serviceable intel model, which could run OSX or Windows or both at the same time, 32 or 64bit apps, had an infrared remote for iTunes & Front Row control, replaceable RAM & Drives, a magnetic display catch, a removable stand, an optical drive slot, and target display mode. Like the MBP from this era, these things are Swiss Army knives and sold like crazy.
- In 2019, when it’s pared down and trades features and serviceability for power, but can still run any OS, incl Mojave for 64 & 32bit apps, still has replaceable memory, nvme, + an extra sata bay.
After that, it lost the rest of its hardware features, lost multi OS’s, lost 32bit app support, lost the rest of its serviceable components, and Apple gave up on any illusions about being environmentally conscious or user friendly. It’s interesting to see that after these long popular journeys, even an incredibly botique, highly engineered product like the iMac, made by a company that does whatever it wants, still ends up at the same conclusion as homes, cars, and everything else, making bare-bones, limited-use disposable consumer products and selling them as luxury items. Clearly the market forces trending toward this end are greater than any company can resist, so I guess that’s the inescapable black hole of product lifecycles then. Nice that it produced some useful computers in the process.