"Disposable" products commentary

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Burt

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/07/16/BAGB4DOT0Q1.DTL
is the link to an article printed in the San Francisco Chronicle today. It
describes the fact that there are fewer repairmen of appliances today due,
primarily, to the fact that appliances are not built to last as long as in
past years and are not cost effective to repair. An interesting read, but
not exactly breaking news for people who use, among other things, computer
printers. The only thing in this article that one might take issue with is
the equating of "made in China" with poor quality. As companies push for a
"price point" for their products, many skimp in areas that affect longevity
or functionality. This may happen regardless of the country in which the
product is made. Case in point - Some GM and Ford products when compared to
their Japanese counterparts, some of which are produced in the US.
 
It
describes the fact that there are fewer repairmen of appliances today due,
primarily, to the fact that appliances are not built to last as long as in
past years and are not cost effective to repair.
Click to expand...

In corporate terms it makes excellent sense, if it can't be repaied
you have no choice but to buy a replacement. Economies (and
companies) would collapse if there was a long product life. The
aim is for things to last until the warranty expires.

You also make sure that replacement parts are not available.
Ever tried to buy a replacement Epson print head, stepper motor,
or main PCB?

Eventually oil and minerals will run out, then what?
 
Then we will start "mining" the landfills.

It's all pretty base-ackward, but so are many things when accountants
and bean counters get at them.

Art
 
Burt said:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/07/16/BAGB4DOT0Q1.DTL
is the link to an article printed in the San Francisco Chronicle today.
It describes the fact that there are fewer repairmen of appliances today
due, primarily, to the fact that appliances are not built to last as long
as in past years and are not cost effective to repair. An interesting
read, but not exactly breaking news for people who use, among other
things, computer printers. The only thing in this article that one might
take issue with is the equating of "made in China" with poor quality. As
companies push for a "price point" for their products, many skimp in areas
that affect longevity or functionality. This may happen regardless of the
country in which the product is made. Case in point - Some GM and Ford
products when compared to their Japanese counterparts, some of which are
produced in the US.
Click to expand...
Lets also not forget that the average labor rate at a repair center has gone
from approximately $25 per hour to approximately $70 per hour in the past
10+ years. Things have gotten easier to repair yet labor rates have nearly
tripled. So a combination of the two (reduced product cost + increased
technical support charges) are what is creating the disposable society.
 
In corporate terms it makes excellent sense, if it can't be repaied
you have no choice but to buy a replacement. Economies (and
companies) would collapse if there was a long product life. The
aim is for things to last until the warranty expires.
Click to expand...

I think you are over-dramatizing a bit here. Economies and companies would
hardly colapse.
Now what may happen is the executives of these companies may have to go back
to the days of their predecessors when they simply became well-off and had
comfortable lives as opposed to todays standards of felling they deserve an
income equal to or greater than the GNP of most third world countries.

You also make sure that replacement parts are not available.
Ever tried to buy a replacement Epson print head, stepper motor,
or main PCB?
Click to expand...

This is a result of trimming bottom line and micro-managing inventories. If
you have even a slight increase in expected failure rate on a product that
uses a unnique part, you will soon be in short supply of replacment parts.
 
Arthur said:
Then we will start "mining" the landfills.
Click to expand...

Speaking of "landfills", Art. I went for a pleasant bike ride around my
quiet suburban town in a section where there were some apartments.
Outside one, I noticed a mountain (not quite Grouse Mountain), of at
least 100 or more units of computer towers, most with some parts still
in them. I did notice power supplies, etc., though I didn't stop to
examine more closely. Perhaps I should have, you never know what you can
find. It was a strange sight, something you don't expect to see in a
residential area. This isn't the first time I've noticed tons of
computer parts outside this apartment. I don't know what goes on in
there and don't know who will pick up this collection of "yesterday's
computers" come collection day. But if anyone needs a part . . .
(kidding, so don't anyone even ask!) ;-)

-Taliesyn
 
Burt said:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/07/16/BAGB4DOT0Q1.DTL
is the link to an article printed in the San Francisco Chronicle today. It
describes the fact that there are fewer repairmen of appliances today due,
primarily, to the fact that appliances are not built to last as long as in
past years and are not cost effective to repair. An interesting read, but
not exactly breaking news for people who use, among other things, computer
printers. The only thing in this article that one might take issue with is
the equating of "made in China" with poor quality. As companies push for a
"price point" for their products, many skimp in areas that affect longevity
or functionality. This may happen regardless of the country in which the
product is made. Case in point - Some GM and Ford products when compared to
their Japanese counterparts, some of which are produced in the US.
Click to expand...
Contributing to this is fact everyone wants more for less and this has
brought on automation in manufacturing. You'll find a lot of
manufacturing operations where humans are only there so insure
machines keep running and do qlty audit.

Manual repair can't compete with this. and as for spare parts it
places a burden on Co's to stock and dist spares for anything other
than the most common parts in any one product. End user in need of
parts end up paying for the added cost and for some products it is
cheaper to replace than repair. As inventory is controlled to a
greater extent, having to stock same part in shipping container and
possibly instructions and then take orders and dist on onesy twosy
basis to individual "customers" adds greatly to the cost for repairs.

As for "made in china", for many it does equate as poor qlty but that
is not necessary especially for large international Co's with
production in China. I've been to China several times on business and
have seen operations that range from junk to world class. I worked in
the medical electronics business and I can assure you any medical
equipment made in china has to meet and is inspected by the FDA. "Made
in China = junk" isn't necessarily true.

Mickey
 
Maybe one of the charitable "computers for schools" groups is running
from that location...

You should have taken a picture of it... when your kids are all grown up
and have their own kids you'll be able to show them how badly we dealt
with e-trash back in 2005!

Art
 
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