IIRC the iMac and the PowerBook were among the last computers to get an update after Apple announced that they were switching to Intel, and they were also the first computers to get Intel processors.
So this probably doesn't mean anything in that regard.
It's nowhere near being "worse" than the article states. The Next plans are literally just $0 down, 0% interest installment plans. It's exactly what T-Mobile is doing, except AT&T does a really shitty job of explaining how it works and, instead of having you pay $10 for Jump to trade-in whenever you want, you can opt to trade it in a few months before the payments finish.
My friend's T-Mobile phone broke halfway through her installment plan. She had to buy a new one and still pay for her old, broken one for the next year.
So this probably doesn't mean anything in that regard.