iMac or iTablet?

Looking at the new G5 iMac it occurs to me that they came close to creating the iTablet. For home computer systems, or indeed home anything, I've never been that fond of integrating discrete components into one box. But with display technology that has evolved to the point where its "good enough" then why not? After all a laptop or tablet computer is just that - everything in one box - and looking at the new iMac it looks really like a table computer except for integrated power supply (i.e. batteries) and a touch screen for pen input.

Perhaps Apple missed an opportunity there? After all the iMac concept has always been a home computer that's as integrated and home friendly as possible. Wouldn't the ability to remove it from its stand and take it around the home with you fit nicely in with that concept? I have to admit that of the many modes of computing I find myself desiring, the "mobile in the home device with a large screen" is one of them. So perhaps in the 17" model Apple should have added a removable drive bay that could be swapped out for a battery and upgraded that screen to be pen friendly...

In the meantime would I buy an iMac? Well ignoring for a moment the fact that I'm just not an Apple person, the answer is still an emphatic "No". The reason is that highly integrated devices need to be highly reliable. I want to be sure that all the components will be reliable for a period that exceeds the useful life of the device I know for a fact that hard drives do fail - I've helped people recover from no less than three failures in the last year and several more before then. Power supplies fail, graphics cards fail, displays fail (LCD backlights in particular) etc. etc. Replacing any one of these on an iMac is going to require an expensive trip back to Apple or some hairy warranty voiding surgery that is surely as risky as opening up a laptop. Not something the average home user would want to do.

How should home systems be built then? Well its obvious - like hi-fi systems, or at least how they used to be built. Think about it, hi-fi systems are built from discrete single function devices (we'll exclude that strange American abberation, the integrated amplifier and tuner) connected together with simple plumbing (phono cables and speaker wires). All the components are independently upgradeable and there is only one single point of failure, the amplifier, which in itself is trivially replaced in the event of failure or upgrade.

With USB2.0, 1394b and gigabit (or more) ethernet we have several connection technologies that can all serve to link discrete storage, graphics, I/O and computing components together. What is more the same connection technology could be built into all home appliances, especially if it was as industry standard as ethernet which can be made wireless very simply (although USB will soon have its own wireless equivalent). All that is needed then is some standardized form factor that allows a small stack of discrete components to neatly be stored and feed power and integrated systems like the iMac can become quaint anomoly of the early 21st.