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Planned Obsolescence


Daft

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Ok, I have no idea what the hell is going on. I'm not clumsy. I look after things (except for the one time my MacBook fell of my desk and landed screen down on my iPod charger. The result, three massive crack knifing across my screen). I'm reaching breaking point myself.

 

In the last year, my 360 has broken, both my 360 controllers have broken, my iPod has broken, my Razr phone has broken, my Mac book has broken 4, yes, four times (yes one time it was my fault, the other 3 however were not my doing), my JVC Hi-Fi has broken, my PS3 has broken and last, and the most soul crushing of all, my Bose headphoes have broken.

 

Things NEVER used to be this bad! Is this the result of planned obsolescence gone mad?! Is it just me. Does technology hate me? I know ProEvo hates me, everyone at work would testify to this (although I have found the humor in this).

 

Does anyone else have a junkyard record like this?

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Guest Jordan

I don't think its physically possible... but I'd never rule it out.

 

I have some stuff in my flat that I've had for around 9 years now (in particular the CPU out of my server) and it still runs as well as the day I bought it.

 

Worst that ever happens to me was when my dog was just getting her bigger teeth and she chewed through a pair of £60 headphones twice, an mp3 player, a watch and a tv remote within one week.

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No, although if things break they go straight back to the shop I bought them from and I demand a refund or replacement, unless of course it's my fault.

 

I've always been pretty lucky with ipods, I've had a couple and none have broken *touches wood*, I've also never had any issues with game consoles, thankfully! I do however break alot of things round the house, I used to do it all the time when my parents went away, like the dishwasher, the tv cabinet, the tv itself and a glass chess set that I knocked over.

 

I've always been clumsy so it's nothing new to my parents or myself.

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I don't think its physically possible... but I'd never rule it out.

 

I have some stuff in my flat that I've had for around 9 years now (in particular the CPU out of my server) and it still runs as well as the day I bought it.

 

That's part of the problem. All my older tech works like the day I bought it. My VCR works fine, my Sony 16 year old TV works like the day it was bought, all my old games consoles work perfect. I'm now using my Nokia 8310 which is 7 years old. I've had beer pints spilt over it and it work like the day I got it.

 

As soon as I buy something like an iPod now I know in a years time the battery is going to die and I will have to get a new one. I dread every software update because bit by bit it is slowly putting my product out of date, and for what? The new iPod will do exactly the same thing as my last 5.

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Worst that ever happens to me was when my dog was just getting her bigger teeth and she chewed through a pair of £60 headphones twice, an mp3 player, a watch and a tv remote within one week.

I'd say you deserve it if you shelled out £60 for some smegging headphones.

No, although if things break they go straight back to the shop I bought them from and I demand a refund or replacement, unless of course it's my fault.

I buy it again then take it back the next day with the faulty model in the box. I replaced my mini fridge this way.

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I have an ipod nano 2nd generation and i've had it for nearly 2 years. In that time it's been through the washing machine twice, had my baby sister suck and chew on it for countless hours and been thrown around like an abused circus animal but it refuses to die. This angers me as I want an excuse for a new one, but at the same time it's saving me money so I'm happy.

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My record is pretty good. I havn't had anything break recently, the last thing to go was my PS2 many, many years ago. I did buy GH3 not long back and the guitar was broken, however i was able to exchange it, so that doesn't count.

 

I think my laptop is on it's last legs, the CD drive barly works and it keeps freezing giving me the blue box (of death?) telling me some crap about it not working.

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I have a good record. All my consoles are in fine working order, stretching back to my NES. Only things that seem to break are phones - I've had two phones become pretty much unusable because some of the buttons started being unresponsive most of the time. Sony Ericsson seem to be the worst for that with the little directional sticks they have on their phones, they just don't last.

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My friend planned his TV's obsolescence. Apparently it "accidentally" fell from the wall one day when his Dad was hanging a picture, because the "technician" who installed it hadn't put all the screws in properly.

 

Fortunately it was just about still within warranty and he was given a free replacement two sizes bigger - what a stroke of luck.

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Guest Jordan
I'd say you deserve it if you shelled out £60 for some smegging headphones.

 

Yes, they were expensive... but there were totally awesome. Retractable cables baby.

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Only thing in recent months that has broken for me was my 360, which kind of melted from the inside (smelled burning). Other than that, my N95 seems to last forever, had a scare with it once when it turned off and never came back on for 3 hours. MP3 player fine, TV is on last legs, GC and DS working fine same for PC.

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sound equipment of all kinds is worth spending money on. Wish i had some big ass headphones.

 

My headphones were around £100 and they just broke this morning. Only had them 9 months.

 

It seems money doesn't buy durability.

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I'm clumsy (well I'm always falling over) but have been quite lucky with technology. The only thing I can't seem to keep hold of is my mobile phone. Ever since I accidently went swimming with one in my pocket (and broke it) I have been cursed. I just seem to be working my way through the back catalogue of old phones that are strewn around my house. People keep asking why I don't get a new one (cus the one's I've had to use are pretty bad) but I know if I spend £100+ on a new phone it'd be fated to break.

 

One day the curse will lift. Maybe once I learn my lesson and look after my phone more (a bit like 'Groundhog Day')

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My original phat PS2 is still working, despite it falling from the top of my wardrobe to the ground and smashing off the front of the disc cover. My mini disc player still works, though i never use it, and that's years old. My TV's been going for about 10 years, maybe a few more, with no fault. MacBook hasn't had any probs but it's only a year and a half old.

 

My N73 fucked up many times however, and my N95 was faulty as fuck as well. My Zen Micro Photo, from my time about 2 years ago when i was an Apple hater (surprising i know but true) just constantly restarted, like it was stuck in a loop about 9 months into it's working life.

 

I figure it must be technology moving so fast that reliability is forfeit.

 

Also, Daft-alicious, which headphones were these? :heh: :heh: :heh:

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I think my headphones have been a part of this planned obsolescence.

Cost me some money and I got no sound after having them for 3 months.

Fortunately for me most if not all have a 1-2 year warranty so I got new ones, 2 months later same problem.

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I break things all the time, by accident of course..

 

When i was about 14/15 I broke very expensive (and non replaceable! eek!) crystal glasses that my dad got when he finished his raf service!

 

Mostly seem to damage myself more than things around me.. knocked out 4 discs when I got out of bed and crippled myself for 3/4 months, among various other incidents.

 

And headphones wise, I have my sennheiser HD 215s for an age, and they still work. I think its 'cause the cable is coiled like a phone cable (therefore never gets knotted or tied) and is also replaceable (unplugs from both sides!)

 

Best. Headphones. Evar.

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