Yes typical Apple, they view their products as appliances. As Steve Jobs said in 2006 or 2007[1]: "We're getting to the point where everything is a computer in a different form factor. So... So what? Right, so what if it's built with a computer inside it. It doesn't matter. It's "what is it?" How do you use it? You know, how does the consumer approach it? And so who cares what's inside it anymore."
Of course we still see them as computers because we're geeks, but for most people they simply are appliances. If things break they're not going to open up the machine and take a look, just like their TV, washing machine, etc.
Whether or not you feel that computers should be appliances, Apple has always had this view of their products for better and for worse.
The Mac Pro is an appliance? Apple sells Graphics Cards, RAID Cards and stuff as add-ons to the Mac Pro. Mac Pros also can use SSDs and not many are going to be bought from Apple or packaged inside when it is bought.
It could be that support is coming. Or it could be that some SSD devices have buggy TRIM, or TRIM that works in different ways. Too early to say, but I'll wait for SSD expert comment on this matter.
However, I would be disappointed if it's not in by the release of 10.7.1.
Nit: the Apple ][ could be used as an appliance, more so than its 1977 competitors, but it was the opposite of a closed system. s/Apple/post-Wozniak Apple/
It's also just a lot easier for them to only support their own hardware configurations. Not having to adapt drivers for and test n-thousand configurations per component makes it faster, cheaper and easier for them to roll out support for new tech.
Of course we still see them as computers because we're geeks, but for most people they simply are appliances. If things break they're not going to open up the machine and take a look, just like their TV, washing machine, etc.
Whether or not you feel that computers should be appliances, Apple has always had this view of their products for better and for worse.
[1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vc8QXzYQoBY