Built in Obselescence - does this wind you up?

[Defenbaker]

I've placed this in AIBU for traffic, as I'm interested to know if others feel similarly to me about this subject.

Over the years I've become very aware of the notion of built in obselescence, and the fact that manufacturers have a vested interest in ensuring that products do not last much beyond the guarantee period, so as to encourage future sales. The history of this goes way back to the invention of the electric lightbulb... early versions had the potential to last decades, but the manufacturers deliberately tweaked the design so that lightbulbs would fail and need replacing regularly. Ironically this is less of an issue now, with low energy bulbs and long life versions available, but I think that built in obselescence is still very much favoured by manufacturers, especially those who produce household appliances. It is definitely an issue with technology, where things change at such a rapid pace.

I have a Samsung Galaxy tablet that has started misbehaving. It's 4 years old, and it keeps freezing when I do certain things like online banking and shopping. Messages appear, saying that the Android software needs updating and their systems may be incompatible with my device. It turns out that it's not possible to download the latest version of Android, unless I upgrade the software on the tablet first... which apparently is nigh on impossible to do! Grhhh!!! I've been happy with the tablet until this happened, and feel it's such a waste if time and money getting a new one, because physically the tablet is fine, but it seems I will be forced to replace it, as there is so much that I need to do online, especially during a pandemic.

So, what I'm asking is - AIBU to feel annoyed that built in obselescence is so rampant?

Also, if any techie types have any advice re my tablet issues, that would be great. Even if it's just the best way to recycle it (I kmow lots of school children are in need of tablets for home learning, but I'm unsure whether it could be upgraded for them to use).

@SomewhatBored

Yes, this is something that really pisses me off.

I recall when we got married, 52 years ago my mother telling us to buy the best quality of furniture etc because 'It'll last you a lifetime' and I was horrified at the idea, How boring that would be!! However whilst not wanting it to 'last a lifetime', though at my age it might, the 13 month duration of many household goods is ridiculous, Russell Hobbs being one of the offenders, we went through so many kettles and toasters before starting to buy Sainsbury's own brand, 10 years for the current toaster!

YANBU. The iPads I bought my DC 6 years ago are in really good condition but they are becoming useless as the operating system cannot be updated any further so can't download any newer apps. Really frustrating.

This is why I love my classic Dualit toaster (not to be confused with the more recent range). Bought it 16 years ago, after a string of toasters blowing up a month out of warranty. The clockwork timer broke on it, so we popped it out and put a new one in. If an element ever blows, we can slide that out and put a new one in. OK, so you could buy a new toaster for the price of the replacements parts but there is so much less landfill involved in replacing one small component, rather than an entire device.

I'm still getting updates for my iPad Mini 2. I went without for ages, mind, since iOs 8 and 9 notriously crippled it - I updated it at the somewhat improved 11, when stuff stopped working on it!

It makes me feel sick for the environment.

I was given a food processor as a wedding present 30 years ago. Still use it.

@midgebabe

Yes extremely annoyed It's so wasteful and unnecessary Killing the planet and my wallet I may be showing my age, but the amount of cpu and memory things take to do no more than we could do years ago

Not really beefy hardware lead to inefficient coding, better hardware lead to multi tasking.

How many apps open on your phone right now.

As for washing machines etc the biggest one is bearings etc.

Which would you prefer a washing machine with sealed non serviceable bearings. It will work for 5 years till it fails, replacing it will behard as likley it got moulded into place.
But it will work that time without you doing anything.

A serviceable open lubricated bearing, with proper maintainence can easily last 5 years, and is easily replaced as it must be acceptable.

But if you don't lubricate it every 12 months your machine dies in a few weeks.

We exchanged longevity for less maintainence

I still have a clock radio, that I was given for Christmas when I was 10. It is 44 years old now and still works. My Kenwood Chef was a wedding present, so 35 this year. My Kindle Fire was bought in 2014, and is still going strong.

I’m a digital native so none of this bothers me really. OS updates are necessary for security. I have a back-up iPhone 6s that’s fully up-to-date and perfectly functional.

I’ve had tech start getting glitchy in the past when approaching the end of their lifespan, but that’s generally beyond the five year mark and when they’ve been extremely well used.

Nothing lasts forever. This all sounds a bit generational ‘in my day’ rose-tinted glasses. I’m sure back in the day the older lot were complaining about the unreliability of these newfangled ‘household appliances’ and how wasteful it all is when a good old fashioned washboard could last you a lifetime, could be stored neatly away when not in use and only cost you in time and elbow-grease instead of money.

Nothing lasts forever

No but white goods in particular used to last decades. My mother had the same in expensive candy washing machine for 25 years, zero maintenance.hotpoint dishwasher did 20 years. Kenwood chef mixer lasted 40 years heavy use.

Things now seem to get a good 10 years at most before breaking, and they often aren't possible to repair at all.

It's not a generational thing, I'm 35 and would consider myself tech native too.

It's called capitalism

Aww thanks op. She has her moments, she's rather too good at the deadpan and her less on the ball friends have to ask "sarcasm?" Dd says it's her 2nd language 

I had the 1st Fairphone for 4.5 years. By which time the operating system was no longer being supported and their suppliers were no longer manufacturing the replacement components

Isn't this exactly what is not supposed to happen with fairphone? 

@NoIDontWatchLoveIsland it's starting to edge into white goods as they're becoming more computerised too. The people I know with such devices are constantly complaining something's gone wrong

I was given a food processor as a wedding present 30 years ago. Still use it.

My ex mil has an all singing all dancing moulinex that's almost 60 years old and still going, one of her dds keeps trying to "acquire" it

@vbhafjlb no my dd and her friends are all fed up with the current situation with tech too. Fed up with its fragility, fed up parts can't simply be replaced, fed up with update nonsense too

@vbhafjlb

I’m a digital native so none of this bothers me really. OS updates are necessary for security. I have a back-up iPhone 6s that’s fully up-to-date and perfectly functional.

I’ve had tech start getting glitchy in the past when approaching the end of their lifespan, but that’s generally beyond the five year mark and when they’ve been extremely well used.

Nothing lasts forever. This all sounds a bit generational ‘in my day’ rose-tinted glasses. I’m sure back in the day the older lot were complaining about the unreliability of these newfangled ‘household appliances’ and how wasteful it all is when a good old fashioned washboard could last you a lifetime, could be stored neatly away when not in use and only cost you in time and elbow-grease instead of money.

Tend to agree, i mean yeah its annoying but shit happens, if thats my biggest worry, id be happy lol Like you mine usually reach the 5 year mrk with heavy use before glitching starts

It's a massive flaw in consumer capitalism isn't it?

On the contrary, it’s the beating heart of it

Totally agree that much is deliberate to cost the consumer more money.
I recently discovered that many cars are unable to jump start either their own or another car, because the battery is concealed behind various other components and the terminals are inaccessible.
That was a surprise to me.
Previous to that, I had only heard of newer cars being at risk of damage being jump started. I didnt realise that car batteries had been made deliberately inaccessible.
Apparently, a flat battery is a job for breakdown recovery for many drivers now.
Not to mention how flimsy cars are now compared with just a couple of decades ago.

Something else about consumerism and updates

I think there's an assumption that everyone has a huge TV. If there's a drama showing texts on a phone for example, they used to put them on screen to be properly readable e.g. Sherlock

But that show is 10 or 11 years old now - you just see a phone as if it's front of you and I'm sure that's because of massive TVs. Easy to read on Mum's TV but not mine.

I gather it's the norm to have a massive TV in a tiny flat now.

@Completelyfrozen

Totally agree that much is deliberate to cost the consumer more money. I recently discovered that many cars are unable to jump start either their own or another car, because the battery is concealed behind various other components and the terminals are inaccessible. That was a surprise to me. Previous to that, I had only heard of newer cars being at risk of damage being jump started. I didnt realise that car batteries had been made deliberately inaccessible. Apparently, a flat battery is a job for breakdown recovery for many drivers now. Not to mention how flimsy cars are now compared with just a couple of decades ago.

I no longer drive but hate this kind of thing

Plus screens in cars where people can read their messages

And horrendously bright headlights which even blind you as a pedestrian.

I think there's an assumption that everyone has a huge TV. My Mum went to buy a new TV about 5 years ago - she only wanted a small one as she doesn't like large TVs, and has nowhere to put one. The salesman made such rude comments about only being able to afford a small TV and that her house must be tiny as well, that she walked out and wouldn't buy from him.

We only have a small TV, as I prefer a nice picture on the wall as opposed to a screen, and I don't want the TV to dominate the room.

@thegcatsmother

I think there's an assumption that everyone has a huge TV. My Mum went to buy a new TV about 5 years ago - she only wanted a small one as she doesn't like large TVs, and has nowhere to put one. The salesman made such rude comments about only being able to afford a small TV and that her house must be tiny as well, that she walked out and wouldn't buy from him.

We only have a small TV, as I prefer a nice picture on the wall as opposed to a screen, and I don't want the TV to dominate the room.

That's awful

I actually had a big backed TV till a few years ago, did 20 years never needing a repair. When it packed up, I got a cheap one from Argos so no rude comments from anyone!

@Gwynfluff

It's a massive flaw in consumer capitalism isn't it?

On the contrary, it’s the beating heart of it

Without wishing to sound like I'm defending the manufacturers but as things get more complex their liklihood of breaking down increases, I recall my SIL going through three or four all singing, all dancing washing machines in the same time I had an entry model Miele, very few people need all the gizmos. Like most peole I know I use only the 40, 60 degree washes.

Something to bear in mind with tech thst you can install apps (or view websites) on is that the basic electronics will likely last years if not placed under too much stress, bumps etc.

What slows it down and makes glitches is that the apps you've installed have more features and are needing more computing power than they did when you first installed them, as developers add more features.

WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter, Maps of 5 years ago would run fine on the hardware of the day, but since then, the developers have added more features, which need more powerful hardware, so a 5 year old tablet will struggle.

Unfortunately due to security updates, it's not really possible to keep the 5 year old versions without ever updating and getting those new features, but you definitely could do, and this happens in insustry, eg petrol pumps, cash registers ercstill running on old machines running windows xp because the software has never needed to be updated.

What would help is more modular devices, so that you could increase the memory or processing power over time (like with desktop computers back in the 80's/90's), but then you'll compromise on the size of the device.

Short version, if you want to use the apps and websites of today (rather than the 5 year old version of that app), then you need to be using equivalently modern hardware.

Ava I don't run apps really

None at all on my main computer, which is 9 years old and needs replacing or some kind of clean up to speed it up.

If you have any recommendations on how to clean it up to work faster, I'd really appreciate it - I was about to start a thread.

I can delete a lot of Word files and photos but not sure if it will make any difference.

I can only offer to buy a prosecco for about 6 months time though!

There has definitely been a switch to stuff not being 'user serviceable' any more. My Macbook is still going strong at almost 10 years old. It still has a CD drive, and has over the years had various upgrades, because you can still just unscrew the base and swap components out. Similar for the desktop. Yes it's probably a bit Trigger's broom but you keep on top of bits that could do with being better to cope with modern games/apps etc rather than dropping ££££ every 2-3 years. I did look at upgrading my laptop recently as I would like a bigger screen, but I need to decide between sticking with Mac programs or moving to a windows based laptop so I can still take it apart, so I am still with the old one at the moment. The new Macbooks are definitely designed to tie you in, make you give it back to them when something stops working and them have a chance to sell you a new one instead.

lampy my computer has a CD drive, I hope they aren't phasing those out?

Ava actually ignore me, I'm going to make it my evening to sort out the computer as best I can!