Crave Talk: Why do all our gadgets break?

AnonymousTue 28 November, 2006 2:04pm

Many of my items seem to break almost exactly a year after I got them, the thing is, often they are still under warranty, being just under a year old, so i get a replacement free.

Surely manufacturers must waste a lot of money replacing goods, because obsolescence is not an exact science, they cant make it break after exactly a year. i think its stupid and they would be better off making reliable products and earning their company reputation.

AnonymousTue 28 November, 2006 2:50pm

My last few Sony Ericsson phones (T68,K700,K750) broke just short of a year. Fortunately, I like to upgrade, but this year it happened after about 8-9 months and Orange were terrible about dealing with the warranty repair, so I switched to O2 and got the new K800, which I fully expect to break around a month short of the end of my contract.

On the other hand... I sold my well used and several years old 2nd Generation iPod, fully working, to a work colleague who is extremely pleased with it. Before him, another friend used it for a while until she got her own. So, not everything breaks so quickly!

The article didn't really cover the issue of whether or not these things are as 'cherished' as other things may have been in the past. Perhaps too much disposable income, or the knowledge that they won't last anyway, leads us into not looking after these gadgets as well as we might have done in the past. Would the old IBM PC have survived being jolted and bashed about in a pocket or bag next to coins, keys, wallet... whatever, not to mention perspiration, beer, wine, rainwater and got knows what else ends up on our devices.

Dan RossTue 28 November, 2006 4:26pm

The RAZR. Need i say more??

pvTue 28 November, 2006 5:34pm

I'm an electrical engineer. While there may be system-level/market-level planned obselescence (based on outdated protocols, DRM, or style -- think iPod G1-4), there certainly is not one at the component-level (chips/ICs).

You essay lacks references. The following argument is groundless: "The electronics industry has clearly spotted this problem, and ... your gadgets will simply break within the year".

Explain.

AnonymousWed 29 November, 2006 11:26am

As a reply to "I'm an electrical engineer. While there may be system-level/market-level planned"
Well, I hope the industry don't plan on having things break down just after the warrenty has ended, but the consumer might think that. The quality of electronic gadgets clearly has declined over the last few years. I don't think the younger engineers are of a poorer quality than their predecessors, so they should be able to make products that last just as long as the old IBM. I think it's the bosses of those companies that won't allow them to build the best solution anymore. I work with software, and God knows software quality isn't always the best. This is mainly due to tasks having too few hours to test things and make the best possible technical solution. This is because of profits being maximized like never before, speed and stress levels being high, and because consumers won't pay for quality today.

AnonymousTue 28 November, 2006 5:38pm

Well, my XT is already in computer heaven. However the last few months or years I enjoyed playing with old sun hardware. I think this a good example of a computer vendor who sells hardware which works (No I do not work for SUN) - even a decade after they were produced. Best example are my Sun IPX, IPC, Sparcstation 10, SS20 and even the E450 I have in my living room now is rather old (2002) - They all work. Not at the same time (power consuming). But I definitly KNOW - If I turn them back on - They will just happily hum' away and work for me. I am also an owner of this crappy RAZR V3. Worst buy ever. The mobile I had before (Nokia Communicator 9110) worked for FOUR years without hardware problems. My RAZR broke after 6 months. Same problems you described.

AnonymousTue 28 November, 2006 5:43pm

It is not planned that these gadgets break. I have developed cellphones for 10+ years. It is purely market driven. A consumer presented with 2 phones: 1 phone is your typical phone say RAZR. Another is a more sturdy robust version.....Hands down the typical phone is purchased. Why? Cheaper, lighter, thinner, looks nicer, and features are obsolete in 1-2 years. This is true for all technology products. Portable products have a shorter life because people drop them, etc. A laptop doesn't last as long as a desktop because it is dropped, banged around, etc. Yet people buy them. You've probably never seen a robust laptop (they make them) because you want lighter, cheaper, and looks are important.

Sony Ericsson (Actually just Ericsson at the time) experimented with robust waterproof phones. Never saw anyone carry one. I believe NexTel has some as well. Does anyone carry those?

People can blame the companies, but if there was a market for more durable products. I promise you, we will build them. I'd love to have a phone that will last 5 years, but I don't want the extra weight and cost. I like the way a RAZR looks (light and thin). Perfect for carrying around everywhere....

Blame the companies if you like, but remember there are lots of tradeoffs and I'm sure none of you are willing to make that choice.

AnonymousTue 28 November, 2006 5:50pm

I dont think there's any kind of conspiracy or organized intent to make things fall apart after a year or so. What's really going on is, they simply make everything as cheap and quick to build/deliver as possible. It just so happens that this also results in stuff that is flimsy.

Furthermore, its what people want. This is because of social issues with our society. There just arent enough of us who want quality stuff and are willing to pay a little more for it or wait a little longer for it be designed.

fondy44Thu 30 November, 2006 12:42am

I think there's probably some truth to the "planned obsolesence" theory, but I think most of it can be attributed to cutting costs to maximize profits. I work in the manufacturing sector (not electronics-related) and I am constantly surprised by many of the cost-reduction ideas that result in quality issues for our customers.

AnonymousTue 28 November, 2006 5:52pm

I work for a computer company. I see all the cheep plastics that the major manufacturers use in just the case alone. I have a hard time not breaking the things when I'm trying to take them apart (mostly a problem on printers, but becoming a problem on newer cases). Most motherboards are built to not accept faster processors so that you are forced to upgrade if its from dell or hp.

AnonymousTue 28 November, 2006 5:54pm

My 2 yr. old JVC camcorder, broken after minimal use. Now will cost $200 to get repaired. Naturally it is only warrantied for 1 year. How truly frustrating this is.

RichTue 28 November, 2006 5:55pm

I agree and disagree with this article at the same time. On one hand I have a 2 year old Sanyo PCS7300 and a Minolta Dimage X10 Digital Camera (about 3 years old). Having the many pockets that my pants and shirts have both items wound up going through a full was cycle and it was not until I was loading my clothes into the dryer that I discovered both items. I let them dry out for 2 weeks before turning them on and when I did both were still mostly disabled, but after a few more weeks each device returned to full functionality (besides a less sensitive #5 key on my phone).

I do however agree that there are devices that face issues that you bring up. I was 2 weeks from leaving on a trip and did not want to go w/o a digital camera so I purchased a Canon Digital Elph SD600 March of 2006. When I made the purchase I looked everywhere I could for a plastic cover for the LCD screen. Throughout college I worked as a computer technician for a very large electronics chain, perhaps the BEST electronics chain you could buy from. We were also charged with sending back items for repair whether under warranty or a service plan. One thing I consistently saw was that digital cameras lcd's were prone to getting cracked. This of course was considered physical abuse both under manufacturer warranty and service plan and was thus not covered for repair. I had always assumed this was caused by it being dropped, something being dropped on the camera, or some other form of harsh impact. I would laugh inside when a customer would get flustered insisting that it was just in their purse and they didn't know how it happened. Well I was at a football game with a key ring containg 3 keys and my top of the line Canon camera in my pocket. When I got it out to take a picture the screen had a small crack in it, maybe 1/8th of an inch like a pen had hit the screen. Well the tiny crack led to the total screen failure. My Nikon D70s has a plastic cover on the screen and you can't fit an SLR in your pocket. So doesn't a tiny pocket sized camera come with more protection? The only protective cover i found was a thin film to cover the glass to prevent scratches. I was able to find a replacement screen online for around $60 after Canon denied a warranty repaired, its a simple job if you know your way around the insides of consumer electronics. The dozens of customers I helped while working retail wouldn't have the slightest clue though. They were left with a $179 repair or buy a new camera. I have also seen countless high capacity mp3 players (mostly ipods but when you own most of the market you will get most of the defects) come in with defective hard drives, luckily if you have a warranty it is covered.

AnonymousTue 28 November, 2006 6:05pm

The comparison makes little sense: the RAZR is designed to be small and light while the IBM XT very obviously was not. Unsurprisingly, it's easier to make something robust if also making it large, heavy and expensive is acceptable. Consumer taste seems to favour light and elegant in gadgets, and there's a tradeoff that goes with that. If someone though that a brick-sized 'phone that lasted indefinitely would sell they'd probably be selling it.

AnonymousTue 28 November, 2006 6:07pm

I bought a nokia 9300, and while I put it through the riggors of coming with me on my jobsites(I'm a general contractor..mostly painting and roofing)...I'd expect a ~$400 phone with a clamshell design to make it......through the ocaisional slide out of the pocket drop or something...but it simply splintered into 5 different pieces....which I'd snap back together over and over...now with dust and grime mixed in. currently I have a tiny POS loaner phone since my nokia has been out to get the cracked screen fixed for 2 months. The best part?? Cingular sucks so bad that when I bought it I obviously asked to buy insurance for the phone..and they told me I wasn't allowed to since the phone was so new.. SO NEW?? so let me get this straight I could insure my piece of shit old no feature phone, but I shell out some money for the ferrari of cellphones and I cant insure it.. Awesome...If I ever seen you little orange man anywhere I'm going to punch him.

Graham JonesTue 28 November, 2006 6:53pm

Greetings,

After spending a career with Motorola as an engineer and on up to engineering management, I can attest to the fact that Motorola takes equipment longevity seriously! I still see many of the two-way radio products that I worked on in service and working without problem and that's been over 30 years. New stuff like the Razr are probably designed even better than we did back then.

Motorola applies a regimen of accelerated life testing (ALT) on all new products. Here's the definition from their web site: "Accelerated Life Testing (ALT) The process of simulating five years of use within four weeks. Testing includes exposing the phone to a variety of extreme environmental conditions as well as cycles that mimic several years of use."

Also I bet if you called Motorola support with your complaint, they would replace your device and want to see the old one to determine what the problems might be caused by. That information could possibly be used in improving their ALT practices.

Graham

AnonymousTue 28 November, 2006 6:54pm

I think it's a mixed bag really. I've had my powerbook G4 for nearly 4 years and it's survived, countless trips through x-ray machines, a trip down 2 flights of stairs (powered off) and a 12 ft flight through the air into a wall (powered on) and I've only had to replace the HD and knock out a few dents. On the other hand I've gone through about a dozen cell phones in that time because they simply stopped working after substantially less abuse.

I've learnt to stay aware from companies that make me replace products and stick with those who allow me to upgrade when I want to. Given how wide spread the issue of durability is, I see the issue of technology craftsmanship becoming a lot more important in the future of reviews and end user buying decisions.

Mathew JensterleTue 28 November, 2006 6:54pm

The Razr is a spectacular example of poor design. I work in mobile phone repair, and since the release of the v3 I have seen more Razr handsets in my workshop than any other phone from any given manufacturer. Its keypad will fail either partially or completely at some point in its life through no apparent reason, the ribbon cable between the two halves of the phone will fail through repeated opening and closing of the phone (although this is common in slider phones from other manufacturers too), and the glass glued to the external LCD will probably crack whilst the phone is in your pocket. Compared to a Nokia 402 or 5110, some of which I still maintain for corporate clients the Razr is a mayfly in terms of longevity. It is the only way they can get you to buy a new phone nowadays, considering the devices you get nowadays have everything you need on them already.

AnonymousTue 28 November, 2006 7:10pm

Well, I have a Creative Zen Xtra (40gb) that is just now on it's last leg... that one has lasted quite a while (4 years).

AnonymousWed 29 November, 2006 12:16am

by Anonymous - November 28, 2006
Well, I have a Creative Zen Xtra (40gb) that is just now on it's last leg... that one has lasted quite a while (4 years).

Ditto. Iv had a Creative Zen Xtra just over 3 years now. Its been kicked, scratched, dropped, banged up 5 different ways. And it still works. Battery still gets what i need.

I totally disagrea with this article. Sure things can break but they can also last Extremly long times. You gotta look at both extremes and look at the average.

AnonyTue 28 November, 2006 7:11pm

Nokia phones are VERY well built, I still use my Nokia 9600 to this day as an alarm but if I were to pop in a fresh SIM, I know it would work.

AnonymousTue 28 November, 2006 7:14pm

I can tell you what's inside of a mobile workstation (read: the most expensive of the laptops) supposed to last for at least three years - that's what is covered by guaranty.

Components are GLUED on the board. Any mechanical tensions, especially if repeated will end in breaking some contact or damage some sockets (see wireless mini-pcis).

The so called "harddrive with antishock mounting" is a low-tech screw+springle that gives you really no guarantee on what will happen on shocks.

The laptop is nw8240 - check the price yourself, it's thousands in most currencies.

One piece of my insight in this issue: by comparing the guts of early (as in very advanced) Philips CD burner and later (as in Chinese reimplementation) I have been amazed by the difference in the number of ICs. Which one do you think it broke, the one with 20-30 ICs and lots and lots of wiring or the one with 3-5 ICs?

The usual warning: don't dissasemble electronic gadgets yourself, you may loose anything between manufacturrer's guaranty and life.

AnonymousTue 28 November, 2006 7:23pm

So what I'm reading here is that when you don't take care of your gadgets they break. Huh funny that.

AnonymousTue 28 November, 2006 7:51pm

Laptops are the one area where I've been willing to pay a premium for something that will be technically obsolete before it malfunctions. I have had an amazing run with the IBM Thinkpad series: Using them as my only computer for both work and play, I've gotten about four good years out of each one without any major problems: I've dropped them, spilled coffee on them, and in general just beat the shit out of them. They don't look so good - I've worn the letters off the keys, and some of them have cracked cases - but in each case I moved on because it became technically obsolete (screen too small, CPU too slow, etc.):

1994 - 755
1998 - 770
2002 - A22p
2006 - T60p

Here's hoping that my T60P lasts until 2010....

VictorTue 28 November, 2006 8:02pm

Hy!
You might have picked the wrong reference point. The Motorola Razr is quite a fragile phone, but they're not all like that.
2 years back I've bought a 3G lightweight, clip phone. Even after more than an year the only faults on the phone are some scratched corners. The rest is perfect. No software problems, no hardware problems and best of all no battery problems. It keeps on going. I guess you might wonder who's building such a phone. Well it's built by Giga (it's a CDMA 450MHz phone). I have to admit I've never heard of this company before. Even finding out the manufacturer was hard (It was fully branded by mobile operator), but they deserve a set of applause.

AnonymousTue 28 November, 2006 8:03pm

I recently broke off the antenna of my Motorola V60 mobile. I would consider the antenna to be the only (minor) design flaw of this device. This was a great phone. It was built like a rock.
The tech told me he would be happy to fix it if only Verizon hadn't taken away his tools and spare parts for this phone. They actively wanted this phone out of circulation.
I was obliged to buy a new phone. (LG VX8300. Jury is still out on this one.)
I miss my V60.

AnonymousTue 28 November, 2006 8:03pm

I've heard from several engineering students they are taught planned obsolescence but talking or admitting it is like crossing a picket line and is assuredly career suicide.

AnonymousTue 28 November, 2006 8:05pm

If you think their phones are bad - you should try their modems

AnonymousTue 28 November, 2006 8:38pm

I love how you engineers get all uppity about the garbage you produce, but how often do you see the EOL stuff that has been out in the real world? Testing in the lab has little to do with longevity in the field. And to the guy asking for examples I can state that the RIM Blackberry 7250 can go through things that a Motorolla would dare dream of. I have units that have survived a 2 story fall onto cement, when I have had phones from all of the major manufacturers that have failed after being put in the same pocket with a set of KEYS. Nokia is the only thing that comes close. I agree on the Thinkpad comments, those things are near bulletproof. I run a telecom and IT department and issue equipment out to people every day and procure new technology for the future, so I can tell you that most companies make their products out of what could only comparatively be called origami.

AnonymousTue 28 November, 2006 9:01pm

My RAZR always drops calls - and the screen is a magnet for internal dust for some reason. I got so fed up with it that I dug my Treo 600 from a different carrier out of the closet, had it unlocked, and use it instead. Some devices just are designed to last longer. With this most recent experience with motorola (I have owned 'v' series phones for years) I know that just like many of the 'design house' device manufacturers, they have sacrificed durability for pretty. Give me an ugly beast that works anyday.

AnonymousTue 28 November, 2006 9:25pm

Logitech wireless headphones.

Horrible, horrible design.

LukeTue 28 November, 2006 10:13pm

Hi. I have some experience in repairs as well as everyday use of mobile phones, laptops etc. My opinion is that manufacturers design their products to last a little more than a year. For example modern motorola phones - delicate and fragile compared to 3888 model which was almost indestructible. The same with other manufacturers mobiles - nokia with 5110 vs 6610. Another case are laptops. Acer - well featured and made of cheap plastic. If you take it in your hand you can observe how it's bending. And the lifetime of a battery is about half a year. And let's look at old good ibm t22. Completly different price but i've repaired acer (few different models) 5 times while t22 only once (it was lcd replacement because user closed a pen inside).
It is true that today technology if far ahead from customers needs (how many of You do really need four-core processor in her/his pc ?) and the only way to sell new product is either to tell people that they need the new model or to make the older hardware simply brake down.

Mark DanksTue 28 November, 2006 10:52pm

My PSP broke two months after buying it, my current mobile phone refuses to charge 11 months after buying it, my Powerbook G4 had it's logic board swapped out twice and had it's ram fail once inside of it's warranty period, my Powerbook G4's charger now sparks whilst charging and part of the motherboard (a small capacitor) in my old PC exploded one day, spraying conductive gunk over my graphics card, shorting it out three years after purchase.

bughunterTue 28 November, 2006 11:01pm

Exactly what are you *doing* to your Razr???

I have a 15-month old V3, and aside from one or two minor scratches on the external bezel, it's as good as new. I carry it with me daily, in a leather holster on my belt. It's been dropped, scraped off my hip by doorknobs and klutzy strangers, sat on, and drooled on by my 2-year old son, and it still works great.

It's not an entrenching tool. Take better care of it.

AnonymousWed 29 November, 2006 12:03am

I'm not completely convinced that these things are specifically made to break as much as it is that they're not specifically made not to break. I'm sure that some are made to break, but I don't think all. In the days of the XT people wanted big heavy machines that would survive a hurricane. They (we) wanted something that we knew was tough and solid. Now we want faster, smaller, lighter, cheaper, and much more of them, and all those things play a part in making them less robust. Manufacturers have to punch out millions of these kinds of things, and want to do so as inexpensively as possible. The fact is that there are electronics out there that are made to last, but they cost a lot more. Businesses, especially industrial type businesses, demand that their tools be tough, ruggedized PDAs and so on, otherwise they wouldn't last a day. But even in the consumer market you can find products made to last, but they're usually more expensive or they have a more conservative set of features.

I think another big contributing factor is that when you take the same technology as previous generations and push them to go much faster, they are going to wear out more quickly. Look at computer processors, we're just now figuring out that they can be made to go faster by making them more efficient, rather than just pushing the raw speed. Processors don't often die, but I see this principal in a lot of electronics these days.

Where I do see specifically planned obsolescence, however, is in computer manufacturers like Dell, who specifically make hardware that will only be compatible with a very limited set of other hardware. This ensures that any upgrading is done through them and when you want something newer and faster, you can't just upgrade your current system. They also use whatever parts they can find the cheapest, so many do not last. I build my own systems, and I have a select group of brands that I stick to now because of this. I pay a little more for them, but they last much much longer than any cheapy system I've ever put together.

I definitely agree that reliability will become more important as people become more satisfied with their electronics. Now that the fascination has worn off and the components are fast and fully featured enough for what we want to do, we can start shopping smarter, rather than just buying the first thing with the greatest new feature. These reliable products have been around, we just haven't bothered to look for them as much.

MarkWed 29 November, 2006 1:37am

It's tempting to assign blame to a profit-driven conspiracy to engineer a short lifespan into electronics, but really, isn't it all about cost? We're a Walmart culture, where 90% of everything seems to come from China, and the only thing most people care about is the price. I have a 1 month old Razr V3M, and it doesn't seem particularly fragile. I love the phone, and can only hope that in the end it does fare better than our coffee pots, vacuum cleaners, cordless phones, toasters, and remote controls. All of those items seem to be engineered with the robustness of tissue paper. On the other hand, what does it cost to replace one? What might have taken a week's pay out of my father's pocket now costs me less than a day's work to obtain.

MegWed 29 November, 2006 1:59am

You're completely right. I had one of the old Nokia bar phones for, I don't know, probably about 3 years. During those three years, I sat on it and dropped it multiple times, and I even dropped it into Lake Michigan briefly once. Finally, it decided to give out on me, and, considering how much I had abused it, who could blame it? I got the new Nokia bar phone (flip phones scare me because I'm always afraid I'm going to break them), and I've had it less than 6 months. It's already giving me problems....*sigh*.

AnonymousWed 29 November, 2006 3:19am

Just to share a story of something that didn't break...Right now, sitting a coupla feet away on the floor, is my old Macintosh SE-30. 4 years ago, it spent a whole month in below-freezing conditions, and a week of that in sub-zero. For the past two years, it's been subject to the nastiest weather that Connecticut can throw at it; 90-degree heat with 90 percent humidity to months of low 20's. My dad got it way back in '90 when the college was throwing it out. I abused it for years, as did my brother and sister. It's never had its OS reinstalled, or anything like that.

And it still works just fine. Original mouse, keyboard and cables, everything. I'm contemplating running it through the clotheswasher to see if that'll kill it - I doubt it though.

limeWed 29 November, 2006 4:16am

Great artical. i have had the same thoughts lately after going through 2 mp3 players, 2 phones and 4 sets of headphones in 2006. i look after my things as best i can, but nobody can cradle a mobile phone like a new born baby everywhere they go. The fashion factor alone will keep me buying new products so its really how well my last gadget works that will influence what brand i by next. manufacturers should thing about that.

AnonymousWed 29 November, 2006 4:19am

I have had excellent luck with electronics and I would have to admit that usually if they break then it is my fault. I worked as a retailer for electronics for 5 years and I'm not throwing out slander here but two companies that I received back in for repair the most would be Motorola and Sony products. Now not all of them, they do have their strong areas, and you could argue that they sell more and therefore have the same ratio. Anyway, just pointing out that I bought a Nokia 6620 (2yrs ago) and I have put it through hell... spilled coffee on it, I have thrown it against walls numerous times and a good 100 yards across my lawn (ex wife, don't ask), it's been dropped, and abused in more ways than any electronic device should..... thank you Nokia for being there for me through my divorce. Haha

Johnny2BadWed 29 November, 2006 4:56am

I don't think any of the people who've posted so far have any idea what you are talking about. Longevity to them seems to be "5 years = forever". Trust me, five years is a barely minimal standard, probably worthy of nothing but derision, if you go by the standards of even 20 years ago. Your posters seem to think it's the epitome of longevity.
Those who pointed out that consumers have low standards and buy the least durable version have a point. Having said that, you are not hearing from those who actually expect durability, because to them, lasting five years is simply the mark of expensive, flimsy, throwaway junk. Whereas to most of those who posted here, it's deserving of some kind of medal of honor. Frankly, that sums it up.

" ... On the other hand ... I sold my well used and several years old 2nd generation iPod ..." The 2G iPod was released on April 28th, 2003.
" ... On one hand I have a 2 year old Sanyo PCS7300 and a Minolta Dimage X10 Digital Camera (about 3 years old). ... I let them dry out for 2 weeks before turning them on and when I did both were still mostly disabled, but after a few more weeks each device returned to full functionality (besides a less sensitive #5 key on my phone). ..."
Well, hurrah!
" ... I've had my powerbook G4 for nearly 4 years and it's survived, countless trips through x-ray machines, a trip down 2 flights of stairs (powered off) and a 12 ft flight through the air into a wall (powered on) and I've only had to replace the HD and knock out a few dents. ..."
So, despite being the poster child for laptop longevity, the HD (ummm, without which the laptop is basically, ummm, useless) still needed replacing. Note that I didn't say "still needed repair". Nope. REPLACED. Riiiiiiight.
" ... Compared to a Nokia 402 or 5110, some of which I still maintain for corporate clients the Razr is a mayfly in terms of longevity. ..." The 402 was introduced in 1999, the 5110 in 1998. Well, we're getting there. Eight years, the gold standard. Excuse me if I'm not impressed. My motorcycle is 49 years old today, and accelerates and stops faster than my $ 35,000 car.
" ... Well, I have a Creative Zen Xtra (40gb) that is just now on it's last leg... that one has lasted quite a while (4 years). ..."
Yes, quite a while indeed.
" ... Nokia phones are VERY well built, I still use my Nokia 9600 to this day as an alarm but if I were to pop in a fresh SIM, I know it would work. ..."
So, it doesn't work then. But, after all, it's only a mere 10 years old (1996). And it only cost $ 1299.99 when new.
" ... have had an amazing run with the IBM Thinkpad series: Using them as my only computer for both work and play, I've gotten about four good years out of each one without any major problems ..."
Apparently, as good as anyone can expect, really.
" ... 2 years back I've bought a 3G lightweight, clip phone. Even after more than an year the only faults on the phone are some scratched corners. The rest is perfect. ..."
This poster actually commented positively on a phone that has lasted two years. I repeat, two years. Two. One more than one.
" ... I recently broke off the antenna of my Motorola V60 mobile. I would consider the antenna to be the only (minor) design flaw of this device. This was a great phone. It was built like a rock.
The tech told me he would be happy to fix it if only Verizon hadn't taken away his tools and spare parts for this phone. They actively wanted this phone out of circulation. ..."
The antennae flaw was apparently the demise of every copy of this model; yours seemed to last longer than most. Introduced in the 4th Quarter 2001.
" ... have a 15-month old V3, and aside from one or two minor scratches on the external bezel, it's as good as new. ..."
There you go, then. Proof positive that your premise is bogus. 640K, oops, wrong thread, 15 months ought to be enough for anybody.
" ... I had one of the old Nokia bar phones for, I don't know, probably about 3 years. During those three ye

Turan YukselWed 29 November, 2006 7:24am

Two things in this 'advancing' electronics world took my attention, cpu coolers and power supplies. They tend to deteriorate -more- our user experience every time a new generation of gadgets and computers arrive.

Older computers (I mean at least ten years old or so) used to have more reliable and more quiet cooling, thanks to better fans and lower power consumption. Newer coolers (attached to the cpu or not) that come out of the box are more noisy and less reliable. Plus, it's not possible to get better-designed ones in terms of technical superiority, though the market is full of coolers with animated blue lights, not silence and reliability certified ones. The solution: seek for a strawberry iMac G4 DV on eBay, convection cooling rules.

On the power supply side, many of us have ac->dc bricks under the desk; one for a broadband modem, one for a speaker system, one for a laptop that's brought home frequently and one for a gaming console. Another new gadget, another brick under the desk. I guess the main reason for separate bricks is keeping both sleek look and lower prices; one can manufacture them at a less qualified place (than needed for a gaming console, for example). The price for the owner is tumbleweed-alike dust balls under the desk as it's both time consuming and unpleasant to clean up between the bricks on a cable web.

NeManWed 29 November, 2006 6:58am

The IBM XT was around $2500, in 1983 dollars. Today, those dollars would buy lots of replacements. Consumers want cheap. Quality often takes a back seat. I spend more to get better, but many don't know better.

AnonymousWed 29 November, 2006 8:44am

I've had a very different experience with my v3. I've had it for 12 months now, and it is still pretty much perfect. The battery lasts long, it isn't falling apart and it doesn't do anything random. The only thing is that the keypad is wearing out a bit. But all the rest is great.

AnonymousWed 29 November, 2006 8:48am

I had a canon IXUS digital camera which broke in less than two months.

The shop said it was 'impact damage' and they could do nothing.

I was using the camera quite normally it just seemed to be delicate.

:(

AnonymousWed 29 November, 2006 11:59am

Industry forces you to change stopping production of important and perishable components like batteries! Even if your motorola razr makes it for 2 years of life... do you think that at that time you will be able to replace the battery?. Greed has no limits, consumers should be more objective on their shops, after all, they are who rule the industry... not backwards!

LukeWed 29 November, 2006 3:08pm

I disagree with this article partially. Some gadgets do break quite easily, enter iPods, Dell computers, and the Razr. As a computer tech I see a lot of broken computers. The majority of which are non-custom, non-premium machines. Some companies do mass-produce inferior products while others provide quality products that will last. I have had my Creative Zen Xtra since they came out, and as many others have had no problems. I have owned a pair of Etymotic Er-6 isolating earbuds for over 2 years. My custom-built computer has lasted since its construction in 1999 (although it is now only a server) As a general rule you get what you pay for or you get what the brand's reputation is. When you buy an IBM Thinkpad you have a laptop computer forever. When you buy an iBook you have a temporary computing solution.

bill walsh bilwalsh.bebo.comTue 12 December, 2006 2:20pm

I think motorollas phones have always been a bit more than fragile. My Sharp GX10 still works while my razr v3x freezes and its only 3 months old. I like motorolla cos they are cheap, but id never expect them to last more than a year. Nokia is still the most reliable, even if they are most expensive.

Andy SimmonsWed 13 December, 2006 7:57am

I have a Dell Inspiron Laptop. 6 eyars old -40 to +40 C in Siberia & Kazakhstan (I am an oil engineer). Less of a laptop, more of a lugtop as it is very solid and heavy. Maybe the battery is dying a bit, but it still works great, and it is on most days. BTW it does not work at -40, just too cold for the battery I think. Maybe that is the problem with the battery lasting only for around 2 hours. But it still functions great after all this time. If you get a supermodel waif, they are tempramental man! Go for the heavyweight built for comfort everytime

the bardTue 9 January, 2007 6:39pm

No chance a conservative web site like this will post but then again you never know...

Motorola Razr 3 -- what a load of xxxx! On my 3rd replacement. Whines and screen went white.

Apple Laptops -- what a load of xxxx! On my 5th replacement I kid you not. One problem replaced by a new fault etc etc. Don't buy a MacBook Pro, book yourselves into a psychiatric rest home for 3 months instead - you're gonna need the time off....

Internet Service Providers.....next!

Lexmark Printers -- what a load of xxxx! 6 months to figure out how to write new drivers for a MacBook Pro (see above comment) or you can put up with a stack of queued jobs it doesn't know what to do with.

Internet Banking a la Le NATWEST UK Banking Group -- HOPELESS, HOPELESS, JUST HOPELESS!!! The banking ombudsmen is still dealing with the complaint one year on, which reminds me...

The Banking Ombudsmen - ok I know this is off track...

Wi-fi routers -- what a load of xxxx! great we-re all being brain washed with industry funded research reports saying it's safe whilst mean while we're really being polluted by pulsed micro waves that can cause amongst other things : headaches - fatigue - nose bleeds - heart arrhythmia.
Yes it is dangerous to be exposed to 3 or 4 or 5 overlapping wi-fi router signals. The industry had only researched the efects of ONE signal d'oh!! - and if you believe their reports your're gonna be sorry....

Anyone else had suc a great year dealing with the miracle of technological progress?
The Bard

Martin GoodmanFri 5 October, 2007 7:16am

I use to this day a Radio Shack "Color Computer" (a device of a similar vintage and form as the Apple II), which years ago I programmed for (and added dedicated hardware for) use as a battery capacity tester. Since 1984 this computer has been providing me with excellent and unique service, and as a watt hour capacity measuring device it's more flexible than most such products on the market. It's also a computer that boots and is ready to operate within 1 second of powering up. Try getting THAT sort of speedy time to ready with Windows XP or Vista! Now in service for 23 years, it remains most reliable. It occasionally has a problem, cured immediately for the next several months by gentling pushing one of its chips firmly back into its socket.

---marty

AnonymousFri 9 November, 2007 7:00pm

Hello! My name is John! Your site is good!

AnonymousTue 18 March, 2008 3:58pm

I believe the technological revolution can not be looked at in isolation. A social revolution has occurred at the same time (perhaps in reaction?), and people seem to treat their machines more delicately than they treat each other.

I have always had clumsy man-hands and break things more than anyone I know, and i always swear and curse the manufacturers for producing such a "womanly piece of trash, goes to pieces when you push it too hard" (and as a woman saying this, you can see the anger!) but in the end, the people around me participate in the mayhem by adopting machines as their children... it's a bit creepy.

AnonymousWed 26 March, 2008 7:07pm

just go for big and ugly and stick with it! dont get so greedy
still got my nokia 3310 going strong and i have thrown A LOT at that phone

AnonymousSun 22 June, 2008 3:21pm

i have a hp g600 laptop and the a/c power adaptor is constantly breaking!
the original was good but i accidently broke it.. the replacements are flimsy!
they have all broken within months..
and cost a hell of a lot to replace!