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Rod Speed

Bob Urz wrote:
Alan wrote:
On 14 Jan 2007 18:19:35 GMT,
(Michael Black) wrote:

snip

And I want to add something about "planned obsolescence" because it
is often misused. If people are choosing to buy cheap, it's hardly
that the manufacturers are making things so they will break. The
consumer often wants that cheaper tv set or VCR.

And there is the issue of just plain obsolescence. Forty years
ago, there'd hardly be any electronic items around the house. A
tv set or two, some radios, maybe a stereo. But look around now,
and everything is electronic. It's either been invented in the
past forty years (not even that long in many cases), or at the very
least could not have been a consumer item until recently. Once you
have consumers buying the latest thing, things are bound to go
obsolete. Buy early, and things still have to develop, which means
the things really may become obsolete in a few years. It's not the
manufacturer doing this to "screw the consumer", it's a combination
of new developments and consumer demand. If my computer from 1979 had been intended to last
forever, it would
have been way out of range in terms of price. Because they'd have
to anticipate how much things would change, and build in enough so
upgrading would be doable. So you'd spend money on potential,
rather than spending money later on a new computer that would beat
out what they could imagine in 1979. And in recent years, it is the consumer who is
deciding to buy a new computer every few years (whether a
deliberate decision or they simply let the manufacturer lead, must
vary from person to person.)

Planned obsolescence has been a tenet of the automobile
industry since the '30s. General Motors, in particular
used styling to make a 2 or 3 year-old-car look "old" and in need of replacement with a newly
styled model.

A bigger engine, prettier colors, new styles, all those
things are at the heart of 'planned obsolescence.'

Well, when i was growing up having a car at 100K miles meant it was
shot and junk. Cars routinely go 150/200K miles if there properly maintained

And they dont need much maintenance either,
most obviously with suspension lubrication etc.

and not some boner motor or tranny combo (always exceptions to the rule).

Electronics, while in some respects is miles ahead do to large scale integration has its own
issues.

Not really.

Heat build up has caused many devices to fail from bad solder joints or component failure.

That doesnt happen much anymore and it isnt mostly
the large scale integration where that happens anyway.

Electronic CRT chassis are so flimsy that if you take the chassis out the plastic wont support the
CRT.

Doesnt need to, the CRT is the guts of the system everything is attached to.

So progress is both good and bad.

Not much bad with electronics.

CD players have lasers that get dirty and get tossed long before the actual laser diode is gone.

And even DVD burners are now so cheap that its just a yawn.