On 2010-11-15, Don Foreman wrote:
Mechanical things can be made to be repairable, and mechanisms do
wear. Electronic stuff can be made to be high-reliability, but not at
rock-bottom penny-shaving competitive consumer cost.

I think that trying to make consumer electronic stuff either
repairable or infallible is unrealistic. We need to learn how to
recycle more efficiently, effectively and economically so we can
continue to enjoy the benefits of efficiently-produced low-cost
gadgets and gizmos without screwing up the planet.

Exactly. Electronic gadgets are usually obsolete in 3 years. Why go to
an extra expense to make, say, a cell phone or a MP3 player last 30
years? It makes no sense. Plus, there is no sense in making a $30 item
repairable, as any repair would easily cost much more.

Computers are made to last longer and routinely go over 10 years of
age, and usually can be easily and inexpensively repaired by swapping
parts (fans, motherboards, cards etc). So, some electronic devices do
have greater reliability.

I recently set up a computer that I hope will last over 10 years. It
is based on Intel atom CPU and has NO moving parts: SSD instead of a
disk drive and no fan. I will use it to be a server.

i