Have computers become a commodity item?

Somebody made a comment the other day about computers being a commodity item. It was stated that computers are thought of as no different to a television or radio. This comment sort of alarmed me because I do not think of computers in this manner. I don't think that computers should be classed as a commodity item and below I say why.

Items like televisions, radios, dishwashers, washing machines and other electric/electronic household items are essentially black (or white) boxes. When you buy them they only serve a single purpose and there is no way you can change them and make them perform different tasks. From the day they arrive at your house to the day you dispose of them they are unchanging and static items. There is no ability to adjust, expand or upgrade these items.

Computers are a different story. Computers are a dynamic piece of hardware which can be programmed to do many different things. They can be upgraded, expanded and adjusted. Over the course of a computers useful lifetime it can end up being a very different beast than what it was on the store shelf. Computers, by definition, are multi-purpose devices. They are designed to have software installed and removed and be opened up to have hardware added or changed.

Just because people treat them as black (or beige) boxes does not mean that they are. They are treated as such more because of peoples ignorance (harsh I know but true) than by manufacturing design. However, you may say that what most people do when things go wrong with computers is to have them serviced by a technician, just like a television or washing machine, and that makes them a commoditiy item.

I personally don't agree with this for a very good reason. When items such as televisions, fridges, washing machines and such break down it is due to hardware failure from either a manufacturing fault or normal wear and tear. When computers break down the reason can be the same as the afore mentioned items but mostly the problem is the software which is randomly installed and/or operating system settings are mucked up. What this means is that with commodity items the end user is a passive operator while with computers the end user is an active operator.

The above reasons are why I believe that computers should never be classed as a commodity item. What do you think? Have computers become a commodity item? Detail why or why not in the comments below.