This is something to consider with any software-driven systems now... what's the realistic lifetime of the system? Will the vendor always be there to support the software? Ten year old software is a problem. Twenty year old software is a HUGE problem, from a vendor point of view.
There will always be tinkerers that take outdated hardware and breathe new life into it via new custom software. The problem lies in the new legal restraints placed around the marriage of the software and the hardware. I'll add, when I say "tinkerer" I'm not talking about an amateur hobbyist. I'm talking about the professionals who live and breathe in the world of after-market parts and their repair.
