As every single one of my computers is at least 5 years old (come, come,
the parts out of which
my Frankenstein Pentium 4 are composed must have a half century between
them), I have a
choice:
1. Chuck them out when bits go bust.
2. Learn, and repair things.
The former is probably the root of what we could call the "Western
sickness"; try whispering
that in Gordon Brown's shell-like ear (well, its really a flappy, great,
Scots lug!), or that of
Barak Obama (similarly large) and see where it gets you! As a right-wing
eco-green sort of chap
(work that one out), I find both the reliance of socialists on state
support, and
the horrors of rampant greed-fueled consumerism as awful.
Now, Alexander Taylor Annal, a man who my older son is named after, who
died at 99
2 years ago, kept a 1938 Fordson tractor going until 2000; and cried
when it finally died.
If he could do that, there doesn't seem any earthly reason why I cannot
try to keep
a few computers going a spot longer than their warranty. And every time
I do it is one
in the eye for King Camp Gillette, the inventor of inbuilt obsolescence.
Oddly enough, have just disembowelled a 40 year old Russian fridge and
got it
working again :)
sincerely, Richmond Mathewson.
stephen barncard wrote:
I guess the EU has lobbyists too. How nice for the manufacturers.
-------------------------
Stephen Barncard
San Francisco
http://barncard.com
2009/4/21 François Chaplais <[email protected]>
Le 21 avr. 09 à 18:32, Richmond Mathewson a écrit :
<
.....
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am bemused by all the commercial hype to endlessly upgrade; most PCs
currently on the market
can do a lot more than the average consumer will ever require.
I run a G4 Mac (Mirror Door 2003, Dual Proc.), a PPC Mac Mini, a G3 iMac,
and a "Bits-and-Bobs-flung-together-from-
the-discard-pile" Pentium 4: between them they satisfy all my computing
needs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My ability to get old computers working is strictly restricted to bunging
an install disk into the CD drive!
If the computing world would sit back and think a bit, instead of
continually spending money on ever more
spiffy computers, and filling up landfills like nobody's business; they
might see the virtues of hanging on to
older hardware and "milking it" as long as possible: this is, ultimately
far more 'green' than buying
Steve Jobs' "latest thang", which, supposedly, is so 'eco' that it gives
free massages to members of greenpeace :)
A few years ago I went to my favorite Apple reseller to repair my wife's
iBook. The technician told me it was not possible anymore; more precisely,
the older French law forced manufacturers to supply spare parts for ten
years, whereas, in a later application of a E.U. "regulation", only five
years of spare parts supply were required now; which means that, you
actually cannot spare parts after five years.
Which also means that, if a company does not have a brand policy,
everything will be designed to break apart after 5 years.
Recently tested with a washing machine.
Best regards,
François
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