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darcilicious
Cyber Librarian
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join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR

darcilicious to rugby

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to rugby

Re: iphone kill switch? so you have to buy another?

said by rugby:

Maybe you're Harry Dresden?

Best post of the week!

ToxicDrew
Premium Member
join:2001-09-24

1 recommendation

ToxicDrew to skeechan

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to skeechan
said by skeechan:

Glad my tinfoil hat is working.

Actually there is even a kill switch built in to tin foil. You use it once and it wrinkles and you have to buy more.

pike
Premium Member
join:2001-02-01
Washington, DC

pike to Anonymous_

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to Anonymous_
The allegation made by the OP in this thread is silly of course, but I wanted to chime in on the comments about planned obsolescence.

When it comes to solid-state electronics, there really is no such thing. It is true that there were a lot of crap electronics in the latter part of last decade, but I feel quality has improved. Most of the prematurely dead electronics were the result of manufacturers failing to adapt to the new RoHS standards that precluded the use of lead in solder. This resulted in tin "whiskers" growing across solder joints and shorting things out (the entire reason lead was added in the first place). Improved techniques are beginning to overcome this problem in the higher quality devices.

Mechanical devices like washing machines for example have absolutely dropped in quality. I have a hard time believing manufacturers are spending tons of R&D cash on engineering parts that fail 1 day after the warranty expires however. I think it's more likely they are doing everything they can to lower prices so they can compete, and this results in lower-quality components being used that don't last as long (ie swapping metal parts for plastic). Further exacerbating the problem is that mfrs have found they can save a lot of money by not running a warehouse and retail operation to stock replacement parts, forcing consumers to replace the entire device when a component fails. Like nearly every other problem in the world, this comes to to greed: greedy consumers want to spend less on appliances, and greedy companies want to spend less on supporting them.
Kearnstd
Space Elf
Premium Member
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ

Kearnstd

Premium Member

plastic parts is the big reason for failure in many mechanical devices. Or even if metal if they are using the lower quality chinese steel that can fail before the higher quality western steels.

Brendan
Warr Guitar
join:2000-07-14
Portland, OR

Brendan to Anonymous_

Member

to Anonymous_
Read up on Edward Bernays and the birth of consumerism. Then, you'll understand why products only last a year or two, before failing.

darcilicious
Cyber Librarian
Premium Member
join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR
·Ziply Fiber

darcilicious

Premium Member

said by Brendan:

Read up on Edward Bernays and the birth of consumerism. Then, you'll understand why products only last a year or two, before failing.

Yes we all understand about consumerism but the fact of the matter is that most quality electronic products DON'T fail after a year or two, including iPhones, computers, a/v receivers, speakers, and television sets.

Now, do I expect my $19.95 mp3 player to last more than a year or two? No, not really. That's why only spent $20 on it.
rextilleon
join:2003-12-28
Pleasantville, NY

rextilleon to Anonymous_

Member

to Anonymous_
Actually, the are not designed to fail. Electronics are meant to be upgraded--has nothing to with building them cheap to force people into buying new models.
russotto
join:2000-10-05
West Orange, NJ

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to pike
said by pike:

When it comes to solid-state electronics, there really is no such thing. It is true that there were a lot of crap electronics in the latter part of last decade, but I feel quality has improved.

Yep. Not just RoHS lead removal (total disaster), but water-soluble flux (because the old flux remover was NASTY), counterfeit capacitors, the infamous stolen electrolyte formula (not the only cause for bad caps), and issues with newer manufacturing techniques (e.g. batches of boards where components would just fall off because the heating was uneven) It seems like most of that has shaken out.
rugby
I think I know it all.
join:2000-09-26
Plainfield, IN

rugby to darcilicious

Member

to darcilicious
said by darcilicious:

said by rugby:

Maybe you're Harry Dresden?

Best post of the week!

I'm glad somebody appreciates me.
Kearnstd
Space Elf
Premium Member
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ

Kearnstd to russotto

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to russotto
interesting thing about lead is that the likely best killer of lead in electronics as the death of the CRT. I remember reading somewhere that a typical size CRT monitor had several pounds of lead.

not quite right
I'm not cool enough to be a Mac person
join:2001-06-23
Puyallup, WA

not quite right to Anonymous_

Member

to Anonymous_
I say most electronics will last at least 4-5 years. Why? because that's how long most extended warranties last. Someone somewhere with a lot of resources, and research concluded that electronics will start to fail after 5 years. Cellphones are much shorter because of the daily beating most take.

Coma
Thanks Steve
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join:2001-12-30
NirvanaLand

Coma to darcilicious

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to darcilicious
said by darcilicious:

I'm beginning to think you're a troll.


DING, DING, DING

skeechan
Ai Otsukaholic
Premium Member
join:2012-01-26
AA169|170

skeechan to ToxicDrew

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Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!