In the years I've used Apple products, since the very first Mac, I've never seen such a forceful move. I have a feeling that there will be a need to relinquish this tactic and hopefully result in a development of iCloud and related products for Snow Leopard.
My opinion is that Snow Leopard is the best operating system Apple has ever released. It is lean and mean and solid and it used the grid system of Spaces for work layout; I had a whole work flow that I relied upon with specific applications assigned to specific spaces and I could lay out projects in an "X" and "Y" manner, not just the limited linear manner of Mission Control. Furthermore, one can display every single open window in every single open space (I usually had 9 open: 3 x 3) and drag any space to another or any window to another space. This amazing depth and of control and articulation has been taken away. Why? I was forced (yes, we are all being forced) to let go of my very effective work flow layout whereby I could have a main project and its open apps in one space and complimentary support open apps in a space directly below, another related project to the right with its additional or secondary apps open below it, and the relationship all made perfect organizational sense to my brain...it worked beautifully for my production needs.
Snow Leopard was a rebuild, from the ground up, of Leopard. Lion is a over-the-top hyper animated progression that I do appreciate and have made very good use of, but it is slower and takes more resources and is not stable...nor does it appear finished. Certainly the first and second versions were not worthy of public release.
The subject of polution and consumeristic waste is directly being caused by this very forceful tactic. Apple really needs to reconsider this caustic and harsh direction.
Maybe if we all work together to call attention to this there may be some legitimate consideration and action. Find My iPhone and Find My Mac are really great features and should be offered to ALL Macs; it saved my iPhone already.