That's because the Mac USED to be "the computer for the rest of us" and DIDN'T need BIOS/Firmware updates like Windoze machines. The updates started because of the clones & CHRP required accessible BIOS/Firmware. With Apple killing the clones and CHRP, I don't understand why they don't go back to the original setup. Unless it is to keep the options open for running Mac OS on Intel chips.
well - actually, all computers have pretty much always had firmware. this isn't something that just showed up with CHRP. there weren't many firmware updates in the past... but as things get more complex, the necessity for infrequent updates becomes a reality.
the real change wasn't chrp. the real change, and the advent of firmware updates for Macs, was when rewritable EEPROMs became cost-efficient. there were some firmware problems in the early PowerMac days that, because of the lack of cheap rewritable EEPROMs, required you to take your Mac to a service provider and have hardware replaced. had the firmware been user-upgradable, these issues could have been resolved by Apple much easier.
it has nothing to do with Mac OS on Intel or the old Mac clones.
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