Back in my mother’s time , they used to buy machines or products and those would last them a life time !
Not anymore . The average age of a washing machine has come down to 4-5 years from 15 years !
The life of a phone has come down to two years and then it starts giving problems .
Cars used to be a long term investment , not anymore though , 6- 7 years and they are done for !
are you happy with the way techonology is becoming so disposable?
Re: Life Long products ..
If things didn’t get replaced the economy would crash and there would be unemployment and poverty and the new technology is so awesome. I love talking to my car, I like the heated seat, the heated steering, I love the lane departure warning, I love the front collision warning and the cameras on the back to show side traffic.
The other big SUV I have is so much more energy efficient it runs on four cylinders when I am coasting and 8 bangers when I need the power. Our kids use GPS watches to track distance when they are kayaking…so yes this is human greatness and we should cherish it.
Re: Life Long products ..
I know! It’s crazy how things (expensive things) are becoming “useless” after a few years.
I try to use my things very carefully but no matter how careful you are it breaks down more quickly now. They change one aspect of the product and you can no longer buy the older version as they stopped producing is or it’s just more expensive to keep repairing it then to buy a new one.
People have lost the art of repairing, rebuilding and re-purposing. I was watching a video of a repair cafe they have in Europe and people bring in their old irons, waffle makers, toasters etc and a technician is there to help them fix it. People no longer re-purpose their clothes and other household items because they lack the skills and perhaps desire.
Along with how they are building technology I think it also has to do with mindset and social norms. Buying the next best thing is what society tells us to do so there is a push for companies to produce the next “version” of an item very quickly.
Realistically if we look at all the stuff we throw out, how much of it is really waste? Could we have just repaired it? Could we have recycled its parts? Could we have donated it?
Re: Life Long products ..
Good topic. I think its the way its being designed right now. Actually there are a couple of aspects here.
One is the “cost” factor. The market is so competitive now (thanks to Globalization) that everyone wants to create a product that most of their clientele can afford. It becomes a easy sell when we know most of us are actually price-conscious. Back in the day,there were very few vendors and more monopoly, not anymore. Like we know how General motors and Ford ruled for decades but then came Chinese cars and sank GM literally.
Second is the evolving technology. Take an iphone or Android for example. We know that even if have our iphone 4 intact, the network gets changed, other features get adapted. We eventually have to give up on existing phone and go for another.
Otherwise hello Nokia 3310, the best phoneset ever!
But yea that provides a huge opportunity to the big manufacturers who also play with customers’ minds and purposefully design their products to be perished much earlier. But i guess it is what it is.
Btw, has anyone observed a correlation between products lifecycle and human relations? Or I guess its a different topic and much deeper.
Re: Life Long products ..
Sid is right.
It’s all by design to keep the global economy going.
Sadly we haven’t figured out how to dispose of the tremendous amounts of waste we’re generating.
Re: Life Long products ..
Good topic..
I think it’s all about quantity than quality.. manufacturing is one thing, but making spare parts is also a big deal..
& no I ain’t happy with these qualities as I do not compromise in it..
Re: Life Long products ..
A good sword can be a lifelong product…
I had to take a loan out a couple years back, one of my blades was used as security measure… was worth a small fortune and allowed me to keep my shirt on my back. I managed to repay the debt and get the blade back too. Swords are good investments when well made.