"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message
...
James Sweet wrote:

So your view of people is that they are 'stupid and cheap'? that's a
bit harsh. And, dare I say, very convenient, as it puts the blame
neatly on the citizens. You forget that demand is in part created by
supply. people will buy what is there, since their range of choices ,
i.e what's available, is dictated by accountants in the electronics
industry. It is they who ultimately decide what to put out into the
marketplace. And not every average Joe is a technician or
knowledgeable about consumer electronics, since it is not the sort of
thing taught in schools, it's hardly entirely their own fault is it?
more like a failure of the education system which does not equip
people with the skills to judge and think about what they're
consuming. Since there is little part from weak 'consumer
legislation' to force companies to put serviceability before profits,
what usually happens is, the formerly good brands end up cutting
costs to compete with the cheaper ones and the whole quality level
goes down. Oh, the joys of a free market...

It's more complex than that. You may offer a higher quality yet more
expensive product, refusing to make cheap junk, yet your competitor will
put
out cheap junk and people will buy that instead, forcing you to either
put
out equally cheap junk to compete, or drop out of the market. There's no
one
cause of it and I don't know how to fix it, but I avoid buying cheap junk
whenever I can. It leads to me buying much less new stuff, but the new
stuff
that I do buy is usually nice.

james, you are wasting your time trying to educate this anonymous
coward. His mind is closed tighter than Jack Benny's vault, and anyone
who disagrees with him is wrong. He reads what he wants to see in
whatever you write,. not what you wrote.

I'm inclined to agree/disagree with all of you. Sony isn't doing too well at
the moment, but the company used to do pretty well with a mix of pricey --
and often innovative -- products, with more modestly priced items. Unlike
Polaroid, Sony has not yet ruined its good name. Sony got its reputation for
the perceived quality of its products.

Cheap items aren't always junk, and cheap items don't necessarily drive out
more-expensive items. People are somewhat (but only somewhat) more aware
than you might think. Back around March I was wandering through Fry's and
noticed the latest Sony Bravia LCD. My jaw dropped. (I was sorely tempted to
buy it.) A day later one of the review mags came, frothing at the mouth over
this model.

I love my AIBO like.no.other thing I've ever owned.