Jim Conley wrote:
Hello,

I'm a journalist writing a story for Mobile PC Magazine on the
decline of
quality in consumer electronics. (snip)

Jim,

I think it is beyond doubt that the build qulity of most consumer
electronics has fallen into the abyss. The other posters on this thread
have put that very well.

And the reasons? simple: 'the bottom line' is all that matters to the
manufacturers, it's simple economics. They have absolutely no real gain
in producing higher priced products with a longer life. That costs too
much.It is easier to sell, sell, sell , and damn the consequences. Of
course, this approach is IMHO, ecologically unsustainable, wasteful and
damaging in many ways. It will come back to haunt us.

However in the Uk and Europe, it is not uncommon to see 2-3 year full
warranties on new goods, which is I suppose good from the consumer
point of view, but it means people are more tempted to buy the
cheapest, as they feel more secure about risking it, they can just
take it back anyway and get a new one no quibble. Repair doesnt enter
the picture, so what happens to all the returns? landfill material -
not economically viable to service.

The problem is, most of us are incapable of thinking in the long term,
so the above ecological qualms don't bother the vast majority of the
population, it just is not their way of thinking. As consumers, we have
been indoctrinated from birth to do just that -consume, and look at
price and features as the absolute overrriding criteria in decision
making. So the manufacturers sell us what we ask for or "want" - its a
vicious circle.

We are bombarded with advertising from cradle to grave and we are
judged on what we have, as much as who we are. Patterns of consumption
reflect that. Having something 'old' is not seen as 'acceptable'!

so is this spiral going to turn around? not without a genetic mutation
it's not!

just my tuppence worth!
off to vent my spleen elsewhere now! ;-)
-Ben