Disposable Electronics Returns

In the 1980s, the AT&T portable phones allowed us to carry our phones around the house without having to deal with phone cords.  They broke easily and AT&T refused to repair them, so we never bought AT&T phones again.  

In the early 1990s, the PCs didn’t have the big processors needed to handle internet connectivity, but the 1993 Gateway PC, running Microsoft Windows was great. 

When the bigger 3.0 GHz processors were available in 2002, we all got new PCs and Internet accounts. Windows 3.1 worked, but Windows was not as good as it was in 1993.

After that, we saw a glut of new Windows versions, with each new version being worse than its predecessor. Now I have Windows 10 and my HP 8600 printer doesn’t work and my Geek Squad Tech told me to throw it away.

We are in the age of disposable electronics that can’t be easily repaired.  It reminded me of the AT&T cordless phone debacle.

I’ve had lots of HP printers over the years and I am as unhappy with their short lives.  Microsoft appears to be following the 1950s US car manufacturing playbook, when a car only lasted for 100.000 miles before you threw it away. 

Perhaps there is an opportunity for the Japanese to replace Microsoft and HP.  They led the way into hybrids that you can drive forever and get over 50 miles to the gallon.

Granted, new PCs and printers are cheaper, but I would have preferred buying PCs and printers less often than every 2 or 3 years.  I wish “reliability” had been factored in to the design criteria for PCs and printers. 

We now have the same problem in electronics that we had in car design and we should know better.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader