On Wed, 15 Dec 2010 05:43:16 -0800, "William Sommerwerck"
wrote:
Of course they decent computers! Ever seen an HP-35?
I collect HP calculators. I think I have 3ea HP35's, not counting the
marginal HP35s. I went through college using a slide rule. In my
last semester, I lusted after an HP35 but had to settle for a cheaper
TI SR-10 clunker. I also built an electronic slide rule using
Helipots, analog multiplier modules, and a mirrored expanded scale
meter. It all fit into a brief case. With a slide rule, my errors
were usually powers of 10 errors. With a calculator, I had those plus
sloppy number entry errors. These daze, with computahs, I now can add
algorithm errors. The old errors never seem to go away.
Designers weren't quite sure what they could get away with,
so they always left a safety factor.
They still aren't sure. No responsible engineer designs a circuit to the
hairy edge of proper operation or reliability. (I know, I know...)
I beg to differ. Here's the typical scene. Engineer designs a
product to the best of his abilities. Everything sorta works, but he
had to stop designing in order to meet an arbitrary deadline so the
boss could comfortably fit in his vacation trip. The design review
committee decides that it's good enough, but the VP of bean counting
announces that the customer has declared that unless we cut out X
number of dollars out of the price, they'll go to the evil competition
in China. Actually, the customer has said no such thing, but since
the VP of bean counting's bonus check is dependent on the product
margin, it magically becomes the official target price.
So, our formerly sane and sober engineer is now tasked with butchering
his own product. Originally designed with a 10+ year component
lifetime and MTBF, he starts by removing almost all his safety factor.
Voltage ratings are cut to the bare minimum. Optional manufacturing
features (JTAG port, test points, documentation, removable fasteners,
etc.) are all removed. Sectional testing is replaced by parametric
testing and sample testing.
This is not science fiction. I've been through two consulting
exercises where this was almost exactly what happened. Nobody wants
to cut corners, but the mechanism for forcing engineers to cut corners
is built into the system. Quality is a luxury these days.
I've been lucky. I have tons of electronic equipment, and most has held up
with hardly any breakdowns.
My test equipment pile looks like a 1980's period museum.
http://802.11junk.com/jeffl/pics/home/slides/BL-shop6.html
(A clean shop is a sure sign of a sick mind).
The least-reliable products I've ever owned came from one of /the/ leading
American manufacturers of high-end audio.
I don't do much audio, so I have no experience. However, I did see
something rather typical today. I'm in Kmart in Scotts Valley CA
today. 6ea Dell computers (GX620). Only 2 of them work. One of the
two that was still working rebooted unexpectedly causing the user to
walk away in disgust. I got lucky and picked the last remaining
working machine.
The "throw-away mentality" is most-likely due to the rising cost of
competent service bumping into the falling cost of electronics. Not to
mention that the latter are increasingly difficult to service. The rapid
changes in technology also encourage people to throw out broken stuff.
Yep. When the iPhone arrived, I couldn't believe how many iPaq and
Palm PDA's I saw at the recycler. It's not like the old stuff is no
longer functional or usable. It's just not fashionable any more.
* Of course, I rarely buy cheap products. Purchases are permanent
investments that "ought" to last forever. This has mostly been the case.
I'm a compulsive repairman. Therefore, I rarely buy anything new. I
tend to buy used and broken, fix it, and then use it forever. Once
I've been inside, I can usually tell if it's going to last. The stuff
that isn't, is sold or donated. Looking at the photo of the shop, I
don't think there's anything on the shelf that I didn't buy broken and
later fix. Unfortunately, the pile of stuff that I couldn't fix (or
don't have time to fix) is about 3 times as large.
--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060
http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558