OS and Software > All Things Macintosh > iphone kill switch? so you have to buy another?

reply to rugby

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

reply to skeechan

reply 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.

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.
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[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports

reply 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.

reply 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.

reply to pike

reply to darcilicious

reply 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.
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[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports

reply 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.
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Not many people know this, but I happen to be quite famous...

reply to darcilicious

reply to ToxicDrew
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!