Yes I can, my 2008/09 MacPro has had just about every part besides the motherboard upgrading since, and it's still running strong. That's my point about the new "trashcan" ones, and no new MacPro TOWERS replacing them.
No, but the iMac is significantly more powerful than a laptop. I cede you the video card, but there isn't a real advantage to full size RAM or internal drives.
