You know why did you only few years old electronic item broke down? Because producer of the item created it so that it wouldn't last long. Why you ask? Because more items you need to buy means more items they will sell. Good example is that i still have micro that is 25 years old. How many micros you had past 25 years? There is good reason why electronics are so cheap, it's because they make out of low grade materials. If they made them last, they'r price would sky rocket because you only had to buy one every 10 years. I mean there is light bulb that's lasted over 100 years. If your light bulb would last 100 years they would in order to maintain same profit increase the price to 100 times. Problem isn't that we have to buy more items since it fair, because they sell them at lower price, but problem is that they are wasting natural resources for no good reason. Sure your micro would be 10 pricier, but you would only need 3 your entire life span.
Manny.
15 comments:
I've always thought about this too. I would kind of cripple the economy though.
that's true
I go through headphones like a sick person goes through tissues.
You're right on about the wasting of resources. Think of how many useful metals that are in electronics are tossed every year, not to mention plastics.
I think it's a bit unrepresentative to say this across the board. Sometimes this probably is the case, but sometimes things are built to last but they end up getting replaced by newer models of the same product.
phtalo
I never thought of it that way. I guess your right. That can be the case too.
interesting points
phthalo
That may be, but for example computers. I there is a newer model out why do we have to buy completly new computer? Couldn't we jsut switch the part that got update?
Business is business to them regardless of how shoddy their product actually is. People will continue to buy it without questioning it. There's nothing anybody as a single entity can do.
This is true for most cases, but most items are actually built to last, as if it breaks from cheap materials, a law suit would cost them more. Eg, cars.
Those sneaky bastards....
this is why the industry is polluting so much...
sound logic. thats the problem with capitalism, it relies heavily on scarcity. so it is in a producers best interest to create a vaccuum for his goods, even if its 2 years down the track when the warranty is void
RE "If your light bulb would last 100 years " etc
The issue is extensively covered in an essay on Standards and Markets here:
ceolas.net
also using light bulbs as specific example....
I can see what you mean about producers having a vested interest in repeat business but I don't think 'capitalism' itself can be blamed. If a producer continually makes shoddy products the customers' business is bound to go to someone else who makes better products. This principle is at the core of capitalism's 'progress' spirit.
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