goldenfleece Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Everything seems disposable and made to expire these days. My 8 year old computer monitor has just failed. My PC was made in 2006 and apparently it's virtually a 'miracle' its not in a landfill site at the age of 9! People throw away their flat screen TV's at the age of 5 or 6 as they expire and are deemed not 'worth repairing'. Compare those to my 1963 Sobell TV set which I inherited from my family who bought it NEW in that year, and this set is still in full working order (via a RF modulator of course these days) with great picture and sound. In all that time it has only ever had two services and 3 new valves. And its 55 years old!!!!! Plus my 1957 Sobell Radiogram, at the age of 61 is also still pumping out the sound with no issues at all, and which has NEVER had a service at all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonny5 Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 It is not because manufacturers can no long build reliable goods. Stuff isn't built to last any more on purpose. It's all to do with business models and the larger economic picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tzijlstra Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Wow you have a TV from 1963 that is old! Is that your only TV? As Jonny says, some electronics are built to last a certain period on purpose, it is called planned obsolescence and is of particular note in printers these days. However there is also obsolescence that occurs due to 'trends' and technological advances. For example the FM frequency being abandoned/DAB offering more channels. With computers it is particularly noticeable due to the ever increasing capabilities of software that rely on increased capabilities of hardware. This is a process captured in Wirth's law (Software loses its performance edge in 18 months) and this negates Moore's law (hardware doubles in speed every 18 months). Some people believed this to be a ploy, in particular by Microsoft, to ensure sales of new operating systems, but since MS is losing traction in the computing field it is still noticeable and should be attributed to the fact that consumers want new software all the time, often without real reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truman Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Everything seems disposable and made to expire these days. My 8 year old computer monitor has just failed. My PC was made in 2006 and apparently it's virtually a 'miracle' its not in a landfill site at the age of 9! People throw away their flat screen TV's at the age of 5 or 6 as they expire and are deemed not 'worth repairing'. Compare those to my 1963 Sobell TV set which I inherited from my family who bought it NEW in that year, and this set is still in full working order (via a RF modulator of course these days) with great picture and sound. In all that time it has only ever had two services and 3 new valves. And its 55 years old!!!!! Plus my 1957 Sobell Radiogram, at the age of 61 is also still pumping out the sound with no issues at all, and which has NEVER had a service at all! How does your Sorbell cope with HD and Dolby (or whatever) sound? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apelike Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Part of that obsolescence is because of the miniaturisation of electronic components. Most electronic goods built these days rely on Surface Mount miniature technology which has a different building process than that old fashioned soldering. It also has the advantage of being smaller, using less materials, less power to build, and consumes less power when in use. Have a look at the first cell phones compared to the modern ones and you will see what I mean. One is bigger than a brick and the other thin much more powerful and can be less than 4" long. Your Sobel TV may have lasted well but it would probably be around a 19" screen and use over twice the power of a modern 42" LCD TV. It would have given out radiation and would have included lead in its soldering. Just because thing are built to last doesn't mean its a good idea, take Apple goods for example. They may be built well and last for years but are expensive and become obsolete within a few short years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikes10 Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 See the film 'Man In The White Suit' featuring Alec Guinness. It's about a scientist who invents a fabric that does not get dirty or wear out, and thinks his invention will be a welcomed by all mankind. However mill owners & workers do not see it that way, they think the fabric will threaten their jobs and set out to destroy the formula. The film occasionally airs of Film-4, well worth watching. I have a Ferguson clock/radio from the early 1980s and a HP Laserjet 4L printer from 1994. My most recent 'Well Worth The Money' buy was a £20.00 vacuum cleaner from Morrisons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geared Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Everything is built to a price now as well. People gripe that their telly lasts 5 years or so, but when it comes to buying one you'll be hard pushed to find that many people willing to spend more than a couple hundred quid. Yet those same people won't accept bottom of the line, they expect all of the latest technological advances in their new set too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L00b Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 (edited) I've never had any kit die on me of old age (planned or otherwise), and yet there's been a lot of it over the years (PCs, laptops, tablets, phones, consoles, TVs, AV/HiFi, etc. - through choice out of personal interest/curiosity). The only "planned obsolescence" I've ever run hard into, is Apple's deliberate phasing out of legacy kit through incremental iOS updates. From experience at the coalface (as geeks/gadget-lovers like me tend to end up providing the on-tap frontline aftersales/troubleshooting service for entire extended families ) frequently as not I'd blame users rather than manufacturers You can't seriously expect no-brand electronics sold under retailers' own labels (Tesco, Next, etc.) made with tuppence components and assembled in lo-cost sweatshops to outlive medium- to top-end items of specialist manufacturers with a reputation and quality image to maintain (Bose, B&O, etc.) Edited March 9, 2015 by L00b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldenfleece Posted March 9, 2015 Author Share Posted March 9, 2015 I believe the TV set in 1963 cost roughly the equivalent of £1200 in modern money (most people rented) just for a 19" black and white set! But you get what u pay for and it still works..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truman Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I believe the TV set in 1963 cost roughly the equivalent of £1200 in modern money (most people rented) just for a 19" black and white set! But you get what u pay for and it still works..... Yes, but at the end of the day you're only getting a 19" B+W picture... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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