Originally posted by squeak_D:
Boy I miss the days when they built things to last.
Amen to that!
There is a term used as to why manufacturers make their products in the way they do. You've probably heard the term before: "planned obsolescence". Because technology is advancing in such a rapid fashion, products are mostly constructed in an inferior fashion because manufacturers realize in a few years down the road the technology will have advanced to such a degree as to make the former product(s) now obsolete.
Example: Tyros1/2 and the new Tyros3. The Tyros 1/2 has USB 1.1 whereas the Tyros3 now has USB 2.0. The Tyros1/2 may last for several years (or maybe not, you never really know really) but now that the Tyros3 has USB 2.0 it has now made the Tyros 1/2 obsolete when comparing them to the Tyros3 with its USB 2.0.
Inferior materials and parts are used on most all electronic products made today for essentially the same reason. That is, technology will have further advanced in such a way in just a few scant years that it makes most, if not all, of those electronic products made just a few short years ago obsolete in the process. And because manufacturers plan for this certain and obvious eventuality i.e. "technology advancing", lesser quality materials and parts are used and play a major role in this grand scheme. This way, manufacturers keep increasing their bottom line by continuing to make new products that will meet and supply the consumer's needs and demand for these new technological advancements. But since technology advances so rapidly, manufacturers actually have a dollar incentive to use inferior parts and materials since, in reality, they want you to continue to buy the "new" products that replace the obsolete products once the new product(s) comes out. And the cycle repeats itself over and over again every few years.
Fifty, forty or even thirty five years ago etc., products were made to last because technology was basically at a snails pace (when comparing to today), and therefore higher quality parts and materials were constructed and used so as to last a much longer time between the slower intervals in advancements of technology.
Best,
Mike
[This message has been edited by keybplayer (edited 09-23-2008).]
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