Planned obsolescence

[The Heretic]

View: https://youtu.be/j5v8D-alAKE?si=-fw16rLcp9R--vuL

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[P7M13]

A childhood friend with a ChemE degree worked in R&D for a big three auto company. His team worked on developing polymers that held up well for four years and then started to age badly.
Cell phones and computer software also piled on - OS upgrades would operate painfully slowly on machines so you upgraded the hardware.

 

[The Heretic]

A childhood friend with a ChemE degree worked in R&D for a big three auto company. His team worked on developing polymers that held up well for four years and then started to age badly.
Cell phones and computer software also piled on - OS upgrades would operate painfully slowly on machines so you upgraded the hardware.

A LOT of software updates/upgrades are due to the incessant demand for more features.

The people demanding the features are management and users.

That said, with properly written software, adding more features usually doesn't have to mean the software is slower. IME, the problem has been that management does not allow sufficient time (or often, no time at all) in the schedule for refactoring/improvement, only for new features (as quickly as possible).

Most software devs want to improve the code & the end product, but are hamstrung by management.

That said, yes - some software/firmware orgs (e.g., MS, Apple, etc.) do seem to make releases of planned obsolescence, or at least their marketing is geared that way.

It is also the customers fault that fall for these schemes; they have to have the latest/greatest thing. Whether it is the latest smartphone, car, TV, etc.

Personally, I use the things I purchase as long as possible, and I often buy them used (or the "obsolete" models). My current laptop is about 5 years old, my newest car is 11 years old (the others are 25-30 years old), my phone is a used hand me down that is 6 years old, and so on. My TV is ~2 years old - which I got on sale ($650) to replace my previous smaller TV which was starting to show signs of wear in the screen because I used it for about 10 years as a computer monitor.

 

[Dungannon]

I hired a full-time programmer years ago, rather than allocating funds to our IT department. [They never got over the implied insult] I insisted he sit among the people that would use his output, learn their jargon and ways of doing business. I also insisted he fully document his code. He became so entrenched with the team that he never accepted another job offer and retired shortly after I did. I never set a deadline for his work, but like everyone else on staff he had to submit a weekly report on tasks finished, tasks in progress, his calendar for the next 30 days, and alert me to any anticipated setbacks or resources only I could provide. He was a hard worker, fluent in multiple coding languages, and obsessed with incremental improvements to everything he created.

 

[Ruger Rich]

This is a great subject and this is primarily a gun forum. So my suggestion is that readers relate to firearms and recent
developements (say perhaps the last 40 years or so) and how this obsolescence relates. I have a few suggestions but
will wait and see what others say so as not to dilute the subject.

 

[shoengine]

My 45 still works alright. What's the problem?

 

[CamoDeafie]

This is a great subject and this is primarily a gun forum. So my suggestion is that readers relate to firearms and recent
developements (say perhaps the last 40 years or so) and how this obsolescence relates. I have a few suggestions but
will wait and see what others say so as not to dilute the subject.

Counterpoint.... Hi-Point firearms just a few styling updates,one new model configuration... And that's about it, since 1995 and earlier.

And then there's AR-15s. Still largely the exact same basic functions. Backwards compatibility from most current AR variant to earliest VN era ARs, with a few quirks like Colt using big front takedown pins and larger FCG pins

 

[The Heretic]

Counterpoint.... Hi-Point firearms just a few styling updates,one new model configuration... And that's about it, since 1995 and earlier.

And then there's AR-15s. Still largely the exact same basic functions. Backwards compatibility from most current AR variant to earliest VN era ARs, with a few quirks like Colt using big front takedown pins and larger FCG pins

One word: Glocks

 

[CamoDeafie]

One word: Glocks

And 1911s

Let's not forget the Remington 870 and Mossberg 500 shotguns.

Edit or even some of the lever action models.

Heck, let's throw in Mauser bolt actions

 

[made in china]

This is a great subject and this is primarily a gun forum. So my suggestion is that readers relate to firearms and recent
developements (say perhaps the last 40 years or so) and how this obsolescence relates. I have a few suggestions but
will wait and see what others say so as not to dilute the subject.

Planned obsolescence directly affects firearm enthusiasts. Here's how:
Modern vehicles and appliances are full of glitchy gizmos and doodads, to offset this, those items are made using cheaper parts. Could also be said that the tech is used to compel people to "upgrade" far sooner than was typically expected a decade or more ago. Of course, we are a frugal group here, so the lack of reliability and high cost is the real issue.
When we need to replace something, a truck or refrigerator, the modern, new versions are very expensive and trouble prone. Gone are the days of a refrigerator or TV lasting way more than 20 years, now you're lucky to get 10. That new truck is over $60k, runs mostly on software and is made mostly of the cheapest parts available, often including turbochargers, expensive direct injectors, hybrid assist, start/stop, active grille shutters, etc. Good luck getting 10 trouble free years out of it, even Toyota is not what it used to be.
That cuts into discretionary funds, probably how most people support a hobby.

Think keeping the old stuff around is the key? It'll eventually break, and in the case of older vehicles, good luck finding replacement parts that are anywhere near the quality of the original parts. Good ol reliable older vehicles are difficult to maintain with Chinese parts, and you're forced into considering a newer vehicle. And, if you're on a fixed income, good luck with that. Assuming the fixed income is due to retirement, well, at least you have the time to deal with modern garbage, but that takes away from free time to pursue hobbies

 

[Stomper]

Planned obsolescence directly affects firearm enthusiasts. Here's how:
Modern vehicles and appliances are full of glitchy gizmos and doodads, to offset this, those items are made using cheaper parts. Could also be said that the tech is used to compel people to "upgrade" far sooner than was typically expected a decade or more ago. Of course, we are a frugal group here, so the lack of reliability and high cost is the real issue.
When we need to replace something, a truck or refrigerator, the modern, new versions are very expensive and trouble prone. Gone are the days of a refrigerator or TV lasting way more than 20 years, now you're lucky to get 10. That new truck is over $60k, runs mostly on software and is made mostly of the cheapest parts available, often including turbochargers, expensive direct injectors, hybrid assist, start/stop, active grille shutters, etc. Good luck getting 10 trouble free years out of it, even Toyota is not what it used to be.
That cuts into discretionary funds, probably how most people support a hobby.

Think keeping the old stuff around is the key? It'll eventually break, and in the case of older vehicles, good luck finding replacement parts that are anywhere near the quality of the original parts. Good ol reliable older vehicles are difficult to maintain with Chinese parts, and you're forced into considering a newer vehicle. And, if you're on a fixed income, good luck with that. Assuming the fixed income is due to retirement, well, at least you have the time to deal with modern garbage, but that takes away from free time to pursue hobbies

Speaking in all practicality... you left out the cost of hookers and blow.

 

[roseburger]

Speaking in all practicality... you left out the cost of hookers and blow.

I'm pretty sure they fall under planned obsolescence as well. Hookers get old and blow gets used.

 

[Caveman Jim]

I wish they'd just leave chit alone!!!

 

[Stomper]

I'm pretty sure they fall under planned obsolescence as well. Hookers get old and blow gets used.

That's why you only lease them (the hookers), and the CIA will continue to make it snow.

 

[Stomper]

I wish they'd just leave chit alone!!!

I hear ya, it's hard to find a properly trained hooker.