Depends on your view of history.
When the 386 came out, it really was something very new and exciting. Imagine, an X86 that could execute 32 bit code and implement true virtual memory, not that brain-dead segmented 286 mode. There was a wonderful demo of QNX with browser and PPP connectivity that would run from a 1.44M floppy on a 386 with VGA.
I still have a couple of 386s--one is a 16MHz Micron that's pretty slow; the other's a 33MHz I-forget-what that's somewhat better. I don't believe either has an NDP chip.
I mostly have these around for very old hardware that won't work with anything faster. But both will boot Warp.
I find the 286 based systems far less exciting.
I did try to address that with my remark about them being revolutionary chips...I certainly recognize that. It is indeed a matter of perspective. I dunno, get a 386 online browsing the internet with Win95, it's nothing special because it's something it is known to be able to do (people will recall having 386s and using them for exactly that).
Get a 286 online browsing the internet...now that's a bit more of a feat. Not impossible, but that will really "wow" some people.
LOL!
I'll agree that home-built systems are the technological way to go, but Apple does have it's charm with it's proprietary everything. Besides, most of the real classic computers were all proprietary, and that's what gives them their character and charm. The only thing I wish is that they ALL had serial ports on them. Getting data off a classic mac is extremely painful.
However, the Macs of the 90s were very bland. They wanted to look like PCs, but they didn't want to behave like them. It made for some very ugly computers. The iMac series have brought back character, even though I'm not fond of ANY version of MacOS.
Heh, I did mean to mention DESKTOPS of course. I'm typing on a Dell but it's because it happens to be a laptop, and for both my needs and price range a used Dell is more than competent.
Apple...well...is Apple. They did it differently. I think I've mentioned before how I dislike software simplifying or dumbing down computers...case in point: MacOS.
Certainly in this crowd, "simplifying or dumbing down" could count as using a GUI at all, or to some perhaps having a system that can use a monitor, so when I say simplifying/dumbing down it's relative to how computers were when I first started using them (my first was a 486)
I agree the 90s ones are sort of bland. I have an LC 580 (think Performa 575/580 with no FPU) and there's nothing really redeeming about it. I just keep it because there's something fun about browsing my own website on an old copy of iCab...but the 640x480 resolution results in some interesting disasters.
Apple certainly has some "collectability" though, particularly compact Macs (perhaps because you can tuck them in the corner and not actually lose any space) and obviously the pre-Mac ones.
To be fair I think every older Mac did have a serial port, but it was a mini-DIN port and I have no idea if you could, for example, do something like LapLink between it and a "PC".