And if Thunderbolt fizzles… who cares? It’s still a functioning Mini DisplayPort.

Clearly, this is a Mac that will get me through the next three years. That’s a particularly big deal, given the scale of Mac OS X 10.7 and the OS to follow. I just need to try not to spill another drink on it.

Collectively, the past month served as a reminder that a piece of hardware should only be replaced if it’s about to stop working (whether it’s worn-out or just not up to challenges that didn’t exist when you first bought it) or if the new one can transform the way you work. Otherwise, you’re just being a big, dopey consumer.

I did the smart thing. I thought my way through three potential upgrades, and only made one purchase. Lucky me: it was the $2000 item.