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Wow! What an eyeopener! Thanks! It applies to every little purchase we make in our lives - from the big (a car) to the smallest of things. I do hope that I can make my Model S last a long long time; having gone through 5 cars in 12 years between my wife and myself, I badly need to make amends...Originally Posted by JRP3
Edit: link to the full video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1xt4...e_gdata_player
Last edited by gg_got_a_tesla; 11-10-2011 at 10:34 PM.
I'm almost as guilty gg (but not quite! lol). I kind of hope that that can change with Tesla though. If they offer upgrades to the new "cool stuff" in their older cars (batteries, software, HUD stuff etc), like they did with the Roadsters, then there's more reason to keep the current car vs trading up.
Wow! What an eye opener. We have all run into the fact that you can’t get things repaired anymore. I recently had a 3 year old flat screen Samsung fail. Luckily, like the printer guy in the video, I was able to find guidance on the internet. Looked on a circuit board, the failed capacitor revealed itself by its swollen top and for a couple of dollars, the TV was back in service. Otherwise, I would have had to buy a new one.
I once dismantled and old Western Union teletype machine. I don’t know what year it was made but it was easily the best made machine I have ever encountered in my 66 years of working on things. All the parts were beautifully finished, every wear point either had a ball bearing or a lubrication cup. There was no obvious wear anywhere after a lifetime of service. This was a machine that was intended to be used by the company that built it, not a consumer device. For themselves, they wanted durability. I still have all the salvaged 6-40 screws and nuts used in its assembly.
I usually keep cars for 10+ years. I am splurging on the S because I hope to keep it even longer. I see it as likely to be my last car.
My first car lasted a year or so, my last, a JCW MINI I had for five because it was like new after five years and I loved it! I think the Roadster will be with me for longer still as there's simply no car like it to replace it and I think that, as it ages it'll get updates and refreshes to keep it new and interesting as I did with the MINI. It's already a quieter car, with better seats and it that looks better than it did when I took delivery.
WARNING: Danger of Electric Shock! Vehicle may accelerate quicker than anticipated.
I don't know about planned obsolescence, but modern technology (much more accurate machines, computer aided design, many breakthroughs in physics and chemistry, etc) has allowed manufacturers to built things with much, much lower tolerances and drastically less materials. There's also a lot more competition to drive prices lower and volume higher (with a strong drive to find cheaper materials and labor). That probably has a lot more to do with some older machines lasting longer than new ones, than with planned obsolescence (although some of that might exist).
In terms of electronics repairmen, my dad used to work as one, but switched fields because there's not much business anymore. Part of it has to do with the fact electronics nowadays tends to be cheaper (and if the price didn't go down much, the capabilities goes up), so some people rather buy a new one than to fix it (esp. true for computers, where the repair cost can easily be more than half the original purchase price). Part of it has to do with, for example in TV repair, most problems today tend to be software which requires mainly factory support (the circuit boards are getting much smaller; lots of functionality is put into microprocessors and other ICs, so much less electrical stuff to break/fix).
Because there are tons of crazy people in this world...
I met a guy who was augmenting his income by buying up old flatscreens and monitors that had a lot of value when new and replacing failed caps. In many instances he got them for free just for picking them up. There was a particular model of computer screen that was notorious for failing and was large and expensive, and he made most of his money off those because the problem was always exactly the same and the fix was less than 10 minutes and a couple of high-temp caps.
And speaking of, all electrolytics could be high-temp at this point. There's only pennies of difference between the 85C and 105C versions, but of course, by installing the low-temp versions in high-temp products, you have instant planned obsolescence. And save a few cents in the process.
Last edited by zack; 11-14-2011 at 07:04 PM.
I have an HP laser printer that works perfectly since I try not to print much- maybe a hundred pages a year. I am furious that they are not supplying a new driver for it to work on Windows seven. The idea that I would have to buy an new printer is more than wasteful, it's criminal.
A great book I give as gifts that covers this subject: http://www.amazon.com/Shop-Class-Sou...1147479&sr=8-1
Last edited by vfx; 11-12-2011 at 05:28 PM.
The world loves to be deceived.
Just install the XP driver. I will probably work.
Rarely
Yeah, I went through the same thing with my father's scanner. XP driver didn't work in 7 and no 7 driver was available. If you have 7 Pro you might be able to use the XP mode feature.
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