[CUBE] G5 upgrade

[JKnapp915 at aol.com]

In a message dated 6/26/03 11:22:30 PM, wfoxjr at earthlink.net writes:

<< FWIW, I think Apple is missing a lot revenue by not selling upgrades. >>

I've never understood why a new motherboard complete with a fast chip and 
memory slots for whatever new type of RAM is out there couldn't be bought for a 
stock case.  The motherboard would contain whatever new bus worked best with 
the new chip.  The board, CPU, and memory, with an appropriate bus to connect 
them, is the computer.  Everything else is a plug in, and most of those are 
already pretty standard.
Admittedly, I'm no geek...am I oversimplifying?  Is there some reason that 
hard drives, photodrives, video cards, etc, couldn't be plugged into the new 
board?  One thing that comes to mind is cooling; the cube doesn't have a fan, and 
the newer hotter chips might need extra cooling.  The power supply is already 
external; any new one could be built and then substituted as necessary.
I expect someone will figure out how to do this and then make a bundle.  
Apple doesn't need to; they sell new computers rather than upgrades, at a higher 
profit presumably.  So someone else with engineering (or tinkering) background 
will eventually exploit this niche.  
I've read of list members watercooling (!) their computers, cutting out parts 
of cables to make drives fit, etc...the talent and knowledge are here, is 
someone wants to start exploiting this niche.
I, for one, would be prepared to unplug and replace components, but not do 
the other in-depth modifications.  At least, not without more experience...  And 
as my computer gets older, I'd be more willing to take a chance on frying it 
by bungling an upgrade.  I'd be no worse off; buy a new computer, which is the 
choice we all face now as our machines age into obsolescence.
I expect there are a lot of others out there like me...
Jack