On 2010-11-15, Ignoramus25291 wrote:
On 2010-11-15, Don Foreman wrote:

[ ... ]

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?

Well ... I think that my cell phone is coming up on five years
now, and I hope that it continues for many more years. It is perhaps
one of the first with the digital mode instead of analog, and I don't
*want* many of the new features (such as GPS, built-in cameras, etc.) I
don't even *use* Texting. I had them (Verizon) disable it, because all
I was getting was spam -- once a month, and I got charged $0.20 per
text.

I've already replaced the battery (this summer), and hope that
another will be available when the next four years or so pass.

It makes no sense. Plus, there is no sense in making a $30 item
repairable, as any repair would easily cost much more.

I would be less upset if I could get another one which is just
like this one.

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.

Indeed so. I am using quite a collection of older computers,
some fifteen years old or more. (Mostly Sun SPARC based systems.)

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.

Hmm ... how many write cycles will the SSD survive? I know that
a lot of Compact Flash cards have a limit on the number of writes, which
makes them very poor choices for running a unix/linux/BSD box, since
every time a file is read, the last-accessed time in the inode is
updated -- unless you can mount the disk read-only. I would suggest
frequent backups to some other medium until you know for sure.

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Remove oil spill source from e-mail
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---