planned obsolescence

[spetsdod]

I've been following Mr. Martino's battles to upgrade his computer and reliving a similar horror when we tried to do the same thing at my office about a year ago. I also battled my lawn mower this weekend and it is only a couple of years old and already it's wonky. I also was reading this morning's USA Today and how Microsoft lost a huge contract with the city of Munich to Linux basically over how much it costs to continually upgrade.

I contrasted that with my field testing of my new 18" WW2 khuk. What struck me is that how it seems like most things in today's society are based around the concept of planned obsolescence, yet there are some hard working people in a little factory in Nepal making such quality goods that I can forsee passing down my BAS or WW2 (or any of the next Khuks I buy) to my grandchildren. And the costs of these things are relatively nothing (well, that is what I have to keep telling my wife!), yet I bet that any of the kamis would be horrified if you suggested that they should set their blades up to fail within a set period of time.

Another reason to keep buying! Like I needed another one......



Cecil

 

[Bill Martino]

Ues, Cec, you have it right. The old computer system I paid $2800 for is worth maybe $50 today. Both printer and scanner failed and need repair which will cost more than a new one. Monitor is about ready to go and computer becomes more obstinate each day. The dust bunnies have a khukuri under the bed that is 150 years old and it's ready to go out and do the job today.

 

[firkin]

From the ads that I see, it looks like cell phones are the new champ of planned obsolesence. They just keep tacking on more and more useless stuff in an effort to make you buy an new one. You get a more shoddily constructed product that is complicated by a bunch of junk you won't use for the same price as the old one. They call that "increased productivity".

On other things I wonder if it really is planned obsolesence or just crappy engineering done by bozos concerned only with getting the cost down as much as possible with no concern for quality. Some friends of mine have a bunch of REALLY expensive baby stuff. Like stroller and high chair. They all have problems because some idiot decided to save a nickle and use some cheap plastic fasteners instead of a metal one. A bunch of solid, fairly bulletproof frames held together with crap.

 

[DKP]

Cast iron engine blocks, revolvers built like Model 10 Smith's, pistols like 1911 Colts, Carhartt work clothes, & tools built as tough as khukuris by Bura/Durba & the rest....sorta rests my feeble mind in this world of throwaway crap.