TCS,
As the recent viruses and worms have amply demonstrated you and the majority of this very useful forum are freaks
The vast majority of home PC users had none of the service packs, updates and security patches on board. Ask any PC shop after the last demented 10 days
Your list of fab components are gibberish to the vast majority as well. They are buying computers as white goods for the basics. They follow the advice of any anorak they know to be pointed in roughly the right direction.
They are buying machines unsuitable for their needs because they want a working basic computer not a new hobby. Is this too difficult for PC enthusiasts to understand??? Please just spend half an hour reading this forum as if you just wanted a computer than did e-mail, printed photos and sent them to family over the net.
If you know the name of your motherboard you are a freak in the eyes of 90 plus percent on this site and the rest of the real world. The luxury car analogy is utterly wrong because you are working from your enthusiasts' baseline instead of the vast majority of users. A more realistic view is that you think cars were spoiled the day they took away your lever for advancing and retarding the ignition yourself
I know that my MX5/Miata/Eunos will fly if I spend the 15 minutes to retime to 14 degrees BTDC rather than 10 degrees although I`ll have to watch carefully for detonation on hot days or with suspect fuel. However, this also means I am a freak in the eyes of the other 250,000 MX5 users who couldn`t give a stuff and thoroughly enjoy the car the way it came from the factory thank you very much................
Same with computers but ordinary people will persist in asking advice from propellorheads who think the stuff on this forum is fun.
It is not fun - it's a pain for the vast majority. That's why they don't run any service packs at all or actively utilise virus protection. They are no more interested in this crap than you are in my ignition timing. Windows and the wintel system will stay crap until you bozos stop helping, stop enjoying this arcane nonsense and the real users demand something that works properly. Just how long would the car industry last if your car ecu started giving giving you the blue sceen of death?????
Other than that - excellent post
Rob