Daniel Taylor wrote: >>(compared to an x86 system that you can just swap in $100 worth of >>components (motherboard, cpu) and have an up to date CPU and motherboard >>that's capable of using all that old hardware from the last computer.) >> > > I think that upgradability is overrated (I've done enough of it > over the last decade+ to have some perspective), and it only > applies to desktop/server type systems. Laptops are rarely upgradable > to any significant degree. > I just can't resist. Macs can be upgradeable you just have to know where to look. There is a complete motherboard replacement for the PPC7200 but it only brings up to a 604 I believe (that was a few years ago it might be a better board now or completely unavailable). The 7500 has the cpu on a daughtercard so you can completely replace it (I put a G3 cpu card in mine), granted OSX won't recognize some of these upgrades, but linux runs great on it. I've also had every PCI pc card I have work in my Mac 7500 running linux with the notable exception of the Video card. I still had to get a Mac specific video card. But I've thrown in usb expansion cards, modem cards, serial cards, and ethernet cards without any problems. http://www.smalldog.com has a nice mac selection (I'm not affiliated with them, but I have purchased stuff from them and have always had good service) Eric