Though much of this is true - you can't talk about changing generations of computers without talking about Moore's law. Yes - to some degree the public is "dupped" into upgrading more often than they need to. And certainly minimal changes in the design of the products is responsible for that. But try running editing software or even iPhoto on a four year old computer - and you'll see why we're constantly evolving new hardware.
Obviously - not many people are pushing their machine to maximum efficiency by using FCP or Photoshop or, like Samantha Miller, compiling geo-physical data - but it's often the case in technology that the developments useful to those pushing the boundaries filter down to the masses. It's not a bad thing…people just need to be cognizant of it…and perhaps not buy a new phone quite so often.
