With gaming features and 3D functionality, these new projectors shine way beyond the boardroom.
Gaming projectors, instant home theater, pico and 3D projectors—a slew of niche projector models and ones featuring new technologies have been introduced lately. Many were announced at CES in January and are just coming to market. We've had the opportunity to review several of these projectors, including Casio Green Slim XJ-A145U, AAXA L1 Laser Pico Projector, Epson MovieMate 60, Optoma GT720, and in general we've very much liked what we've seen.
The Casio Green Slim XJ-A145U is a DLP data projector that provides high luminosity even with a long-lasting (and eco-friendly) light source. Casio does this with a hybrid technology that combines LED and laser light, which it's incorporated into several Green Slim projector models.
Though not the first laser pico projector we've looked at (that distinction went to the Microvision ShowWX ($500 street, 2.5 stars) back in January), the AAXA L1 Laser Pico Projector is the first to combine red, green, and blue lasers with an LCOS chip.
The Optoma GT720 is one of the first projectors designed for gaming enthusiasts. Vibrant sound, a short throw, 3D imaging, multiple connection options, and a backpack a are among its gaming-friendly features.
We've seen instant home theaters—combining a projector, DVD player, and stereo sound system into one compact unit—before, but there are still relatively few of them. The Epson MovieMate 60 is the latest we've reviewed. It was in testing the MovieMate that our reviewer M. David Stone had the realization that his next TV will be a projector.
miércoles, 16 de febrero de 2011
HOW TO BUY AN EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE
External hard drives promise almost unlimited storage: For under $100, you can add a terabyte of data to your PC or Mac, portable or desktop. That's enough for over 750,000 MP3s or photos, or over 230 DVD-sized movies. Every computer out there, including compact nettops and netbooks, can connect to at least one hard drive. If you're lucky enough to have multiple input/output ports, you can hook up many more. Auxiliary storage allows you to back up your system files, in case your primary system goes kaput.
Hard Drive Types
There are two types of external drives. Desktop-style drives, with 3.5-inch mechanisms inside, require a power adapter. Desktop drives are designed to stay in one place, usually on your work surface at home or at the office. Notebook-class (aka pocket) hard drives, like the Toshiba 650GB External Hard Drive and Western Digital My Passport Elite, are usually 2.5-inch or 1.8-inch mechanisms powered through the connector cable without the need for a power adapter. A 2.5-inch pocket drive can fit in a coat pocket and some pants pockets, while 1.8-inch drives can easily fit in your jeans. Desktop-style drives currently top out at 2 Terabytes (TB) per mechanism, but some drive makers put two to four mechanisms into a drive chassis for more storage (i.e., two 2TB drives equal 4TB of storage). Notebook-style drives have recently reached 1TB per mechanism, but capacities like 640GB or 500GB are more common.
External solid-state drives (SSDs) have appeared on the scene, mostly in the notebook-style form factor, but these are still rare because they're pricey in terms of cost per gigabyte. They're currently limited to smaller capacities, specifically in the 64GB to 256GB range. We recommend that you buy SSDs for use as internal rather than external drives. Besides, unless you're looking for SSD's shock-resistance attributes, the drive will be wasted if you use the USB 2.0 interface (rather than, say, eSATA) to connect the SSD to your system, since the transfer rate of eSATA is inherently so much faster than USB. An eSATA SSD might eventually be worth it if the prices come down over the next few years.
Input, Need Input
External drives connect to PCs and Macs via their external connectors. USB 2.0 ports are almost always present; others can include FireWire (400 and 800), eSATA, or more esoteric connectors like Wireless USB, USB 3.0, or iSCSI. Note that while iSCSI uses Ethernet cables, it differs from SAN or NAS technologies, since those connect multiple hard drives to multiple computers. Wireless USB and iSCSI are still very rare on drives. Wireless USB just came to market in late 2009, and iSCSI is mainly used on professional-grade drives like the Drobo Pro. USB 3.0, becoming the port of choice, provides faster transfer speeds like in the Buffalo Drive Station, which was able to transfer a 1.4GB file in 28.4 seconds in our labs.
The external drives I look at have at least a USB port, a good thing since even netbooks and ultralight notebooks have at least one USB 2.0 port with its theoretical 480Mbps throughput. Less common, but ostensibly speedier, is the FireWire port, in both 400Mbps and 800Mbps formats. FireWire 400 and 800 are signal-compatible (they can use the same wires), but they have different FW400 or FW800 connectors on the ends of those cables. FireWire can be daisy-chained; i.e., you can connect several drives or devices up to a single FireWire port when you connect them together first. The fastest interface you'll likely see in an external hard drive is the eSATA interface, which is theoretically capable of 3Gbps (3,000Mbps), an order of magnitude faster than USB 2.0. Unfortunately, while eSATA is the fastest, it does not provide power over the connector cable and will require either a USB cable for power or an external AC adapter. It's also currently the most expensive. USB 3.0 is purported to be even faster than eSATA, but so far that interface is barely newborn and won't impact consumers until late 2010 at the earliest. USB 3.0 has the benefit of being backwards-compatible with USB 2.0 (it will connect to USB 2.0 ports, but will transfer Bata at the slower USB 2.0 speeds). You can find drives with multiple ports (for example a triple interface drive with USB 2.0, FireWire 800, and eSATA), though you'll still only be able to connect a single drive to a single computer, and each additional interface adds to the drive's complexity and cost.
Is Drive Speed Important?
Some drive manufacturers will crow about the speed of their drive mechanisms. While it is true that a 7,200rpm drive is inherently faster than a 5,400rpm drive, you will only see an improvement in throughput if the drive is connected internally to the PC on the motherboard, or with an eSATA cable. USB 2.0 and FireWire 400/800 interfaces aren't fast enough to handle the raw throughput of a 5,400rpm drive, let alone a SSD, 7,200rpm, or 10,000rpm drive. I'd only worry about the rotational speed of the drive if you're eventually going to remove that drive and pop it in your laptop or desktop (like in a backup/recovery/upgrade kit). After you've slogged through the above criteria, you may have to look for other differentiators to find the drive you want. Color and design are usually a concern: A drive you're embarrassed to use won't be used at all, defeating its purpose. Included software is a concern if you don't already have a backup plan. Hands-off backup drives like the Rebit, Clickfree, and Toshiba 650GB are good choices for people who hate installing and configuring utility software. Warranty is also important: Drives can and will fail on you. That cheap drive you found on dealnews.com may only have a one-year warranty. Look for a three- or five-year warranty if you're hard on your drives.
Hard Drive Types
There are two types of external drives. Desktop-style drives, with 3.5-inch mechanisms inside, require a power adapter. Desktop drives are designed to stay in one place, usually on your work surface at home or at the office. Notebook-class (aka pocket) hard drives, like the Toshiba 650GB External Hard Drive and Western Digital My Passport Elite, are usually 2.5-inch or 1.8-inch mechanisms powered through the connector cable without the need for a power adapter. A 2.5-inch pocket drive can fit in a coat pocket and some pants pockets, while 1.8-inch drives can easily fit in your jeans. Desktop-style drives currently top out at 2 Terabytes (TB) per mechanism, but some drive makers put two to four mechanisms into a drive chassis for more storage (i.e., two 2TB drives equal 4TB of storage). Notebook-style drives have recently reached 1TB per mechanism, but capacities like 640GB or 500GB are more common.
External solid-state drives (SSDs) have appeared on the scene, mostly in the notebook-style form factor, but these are still rare because they're pricey in terms of cost per gigabyte. They're currently limited to smaller capacities, specifically in the 64GB to 256GB range. We recommend that you buy SSDs for use as internal rather than external drives. Besides, unless you're looking for SSD's shock-resistance attributes, the drive will be wasted if you use the USB 2.0 interface (rather than, say, eSATA) to connect the SSD to your system, since the transfer rate of eSATA is inherently so much faster than USB. An eSATA SSD might eventually be worth it if the prices come down over the next few years.
Input, Need Input
External drives connect to PCs and Macs via their external connectors. USB 2.0 ports are almost always present; others can include FireWire (400 and 800), eSATA, or more esoteric connectors like Wireless USB, USB 3.0, or iSCSI. Note that while iSCSI uses Ethernet cables, it differs from SAN or NAS technologies, since those connect multiple hard drives to multiple computers. Wireless USB and iSCSI are still very rare on drives. Wireless USB just came to market in late 2009, and iSCSI is mainly used on professional-grade drives like the Drobo Pro. USB 3.0, becoming the port of choice, provides faster transfer speeds like in the Buffalo Drive Station, which was able to transfer a 1.4GB file in 28.4 seconds in our labs.
The external drives I look at have at least a USB port, a good thing since even netbooks and ultralight notebooks have at least one USB 2.0 port with its theoretical 480Mbps throughput. Less common, but ostensibly speedier, is the FireWire port, in both 400Mbps and 800Mbps formats. FireWire 400 and 800 are signal-compatible (they can use the same wires), but they have different FW400 or FW800 connectors on the ends of those cables. FireWire can be daisy-chained; i.e., you can connect several drives or devices up to a single FireWire port when you connect them together first. The fastest interface you'll likely see in an external hard drive is the eSATA interface, which is theoretically capable of 3Gbps (3,000Mbps), an order of magnitude faster than USB 2.0. Unfortunately, while eSATA is the fastest, it does not provide power over the connector cable and will require either a USB cable for power or an external AC adapter. It's also currently the most expensive. USB 3.0 is purported to be even faster than eSATA, but so far that interface is barely newborn and won't impact consumers until late 2010 at the earliest. USB 3.0 has the benefit of being backwards-compatible with USB 2.0 (it will connect to USB 2.0 ports, but will transfer Bata at the slower USB 2.0 speeds). You can find drives with multiple ports (for example a triple interface drive with USB 2.0, FireWire 800, and eSATA), though you'll still only be able to connect a single drive to a single computer, and each additional interface adds to the drive's complexity and cost.
Is Drive Speed Important?
Some drive manufacturers will crow about the speed of their drive mechanisms. While it is true that a 7,200rpm drive is inherently faster than a 5,400rpm drive, you will only see an improvement in throughput if the drive is connected internally to the PC on the motherboard, or with an eSATA cable. USB 2.0 and FireWire 400/800 interfaces aren't fast enough to handle the raw throughput of a 5,400rpm drive, let alone a SSD, 7,200rpm, or 10,000rpm drive. I'd only worry about the rotational speed of the drive if you're eventually going to remove that drive and pop it in your laptop or desktop (like in a backup/recovery/upgrade kit). After you've slogged through the above criteria, you may have to look for other differentiators to find the drive you want. Color and design are usually a concern: A drive you're embarrassed to use won't be used at all, defeating its purpose. Included software is a concern if you don't already have a backup plan. Hands-off backup drives like the Rebit, Clickfree, and Toshiba 650GB are good choices for people who hate installing and configuring utility software. Warranty is also important: Drives can and will fail on you. That cheap drive you found on dealnews.com may only have a one-year warranty. Look for a three- or five-year warranty if you're hard on your drives.
Violent Video Games: Our Responsibility, Not the Courts
My 15 year old son has shot monsters, aliens, cops, horses and more. None of it in the real-world, mind you. Instead, the weapons he wields are made of pixels and the blood (red, green, yellow) his victims shed is made up of, not cells, but millions of lines of code. And yet, any time I see him do it, I wince and know I have only myself to blame.
Right now, the Supreme Court is gearing up to decide whether the multi-billion dollar video game industry should be regulated not like, say, movies, but more like alcohol and cigarettes. Today, if my son wants a "Rated Mature" video game, he needs me or my wife by his side for parental consent and purchase. No Game Stop we've ever visited has ever freely sold him the equivalent of NC-17 games. If the challenge to the California law which forbids the sale of violent video games to minors stands, it's likely that, eventually, no one in the U.S. will be able to sell mature/violent video games to a 15-year-old without fear of fine. Such a chilling effect ruling could infect the movie business and other creative enterprises. Next thing you know, it'll be illegal to bring your tween or teen to an "R"-rated film.
Years ago, when my son was just 10, I struggled over whether or not to let him play Halo 2. It was rated Mature ("for 17+") and I feared scarring for life my son's young mind. As I recounted in this column (Who's Afraid of Mature Games), I learned that Mature is not exactly like an "X" or even "NC-17" rating. In fact, the ratings, which are assigned by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB), can mean many different things and most parents won't know that until they turn over the game box to read the rather detailed sub-ratings of what's really inside the game. Sometimes "M" is for sexual innuendo or even outright sex (though nudity and graphic representations of sex are reserved for the infrequently-used "Adult" game rating). However, it's more likely that a game will earn the "M" rating for blood, gore, intense violence and language.
Most of my son's favourite games are rated M. They include Oblivion, Halo 3, Red Dead Redemption, Mass Effect, and the notorious Grand Theft Auto IV. The latter features virtually every objectionable act you can imagine. There's even a strip club in the game, though I haven't played often enough—or watched my son play—to understand what players can actually do in there.
My Slippery Slope
For years, I held the line on what games I would and wouldn't let my son play. When Grand Theft Auto Liberty City Stories shipped, I refused to let him play it for years. I held the line on Grand Theft Auto IV for a year or so, too, but eventually, I caved. Now, as he approaches 16, he's free to play pretty much any video game (at least what he can convince us to buy him).
The California law in this Supreme Court Case contends that the extreme violence in these mature video games can damage young minds. I'm no child psychologist and can't comment on whether or not exposure to certain virtual imagery or acts impacts anyone. Instead, I look at my own son. He plays these mature games with relish and intensity, happily killing anything in his path. If he's playing on Xbox Live, however, the aggression is toned down a bit in the service of team play; he won't randomly frag a team-mate and becomes highly focused on teamwork and the task of winning the tournament. Even in solo-play, the best parts of a game are not always to most violent or disgusting. He loves, for example, playing Texas Hold'em poker with virtual cowboys in Red Dead Redemption and says it's better than any other virtual poker environment he's encountered. Of course, if he doesn't like how things are going in the card game, he simply shoots his opponent.
Obviously, in this gamer world, especially the Mature one, there are virtually no consequences to the most violent act. Yet, has a few years of playing these kinds of games changed him? Is he more violent? Aggressive? Not that I can tell. While I might note his occasional lack of empathy and inability to foresee consequences, I don't think he's any different than any other callow youth, video-game-playing or otherwise.
The contested California statute hinges on legislative findings that say these games promote "violent antisocial behaviour." I think that gets it wrong. These games aren't "promoting" anything. They're simply allowing. The most popular games, like Grand Theft Auto IV offer what's called "free play". The ability to go where you want and do what you want in the gaming environment. The bigger the virtual world, the more exciting this can be. There are no signs, however, that tell you to punch or shoot someone. There are, however, all the necessary tools. In other words, it's like real life. Obviously, these games give young people access to a rather dangerous and adult world. Some may choose to play within the lines of acceptable behaviour. Most teens I know, do not. They enjoy taking advantage of the weapons, cars and dangerous action. They play the game in ways that I, as an adult, probably would not.
What They Learn
As far as I can tell, the majority of teens playing these games are not replicating these acts in the real world. When they turn off those games, they go back to being the same teen they were before they turned it on. Sure, they may have learned a few new words (the same ones they can learn from their best friend) and seen a few things (pretty much whatever they can see in at the movies or TV), but I don't think the games have fried their minds.
Would my son play differently with a game rated "T for Teen" or one rated "E for Everyone"? No. Even when he did play those games, he found ways to stretch boundaries, especially in teen games which evince many of the same violent characteristics as their "mature" counterparts. In any case, he doesn't play Teen games any more—and I don't think he's alone.
A quick visit to Gamestop.com is quite illuminating. I selected Xbox 360/Role Playing Games. This is the page I found. 12 games, every single one of them rated mature. On the second page, all but four were rated Mature. This is akin to finding all the movies at a typical multiplex rated R or even NC-17. It wouldn't happen because there are different kinds of movies for a wide and varied audience. The active gaming audience, however, is not quite that varied. It's still, at least according to the ESA (Entertainment Software Association), the computer and video game publishers trade association, mostly male (though Women are coming on strong), and at least 25% under the age 18. I don't know if the games shaped the audience or the audience shaped the game. What is clear to me, however, is that the ESRB rating is a joke. When everything is "M", that rating becomes meaningless. Dan Hewitt of the ESA, reminded me, though, that Mature games represent just 16% of the total video games market. So where are they on the Game Stop site (which makes it awfully hard to find games "by rating") and store shelves?
This Supreme Court case is driven by the fear that violent video games are destroying our youth. I don't believe they are, but I readily admit that I do not know what the kind of stimulus found in Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption (even Halo Reach) does to a young mind. If I have real concerns, it's up to me to argue it out with my son and take away the games or not buy them for him when he asks. I do know one thing, I do not want California or the Supreme Court to tell me what is and isn't right for my son.
Right now, the Supreme Court is gearing up to decide whether the multi-billion dollar video game industry should be regulated not like, say, movies, but more like alcohol and cigarettes. Today, if my son wants a "Rated Mature" video game, he needs me or my wife by his side for parental consent and purchase. No Game Stop we've ever visited has ever freely sold him the equivalent of NC-17 games. If the challenge to the California law which forbids the sale of violent video games to minors stands, it's likely that, eventually, no one in the U.S. will be able to sell mature/violent video games to a 15-year-old without fear of fine. Such a chilling effect ruling could infect the movie business and other creative enterprises. Next thing you know, it'll be illegal to bring your tween or teen to an "R"-rated film.
Years ago, when my son was just 10, I struggled over whether or not to let him play Halo 2. It was rated Mature ("for 17+") and I feared scarring for life my son's young mind. As I recounted in this column (Who's Afraid of Mature Games), I learned that Mature is not exactly like an "X" or even "NC-17" rating. In fact, the ratings, which are assigned by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB), can mean many different things and most parents won't know that until they turn over the game box to read the rather detailed sub-ratings of what's really inside the game. Sometimes "M" is for sexual innuendo or even outright sex (though nudity and graphic representations of sex are reserved for the infrequently-used "Adult" game rating). However, it's more likely that a game will earn the "M" rating for blood, gore, intense violence and language.
Most of my son's favourite games are rated M. They include Oblivion, Halo 3, Red Dead Redemption, Mass Effect, and the notorious Grand Theft Auto IV. The latter features virtually every objectionable act you can imagine. There's even a strip club in the game, though I haven't played often enough—or watched my son play—to understand what players can actually do in there.
My Slippery Slope
For years, I held the line on what games I would and wouldn't let my son play. When Grand Theft Auto Liberty City Stories shipped, I refused to let him play it for years. I held the line on Grand Theft Auto IV for a year or so, too, but eventually, I caved. Now, as he approaches 16, he's free to play pretty much any video game (at least what he can convince us to buy him).
The California law in this Supreme Court Case contends that the extreme violence in these mature video games can damage young minds. I'm no child psychologist and can't comment on whether or not exposure to certain virtual imagery or acts impacts anyone. Instead, I look at my own son. He plays these mature games with relish and intensity, happily killing anything in his path. If he's playing on Xbox Live, however, the aggression is toned down a bit in the service of team play; he won't randomly frag a team-mate and becomes highly focused on teamwork and the task of winning the tournament. Even in solo-play, the best parts of a game are not always to most violent or disgusting. He loves, for example, playing Texas Hold'em poker with virtual cowboys in Red Dead Redemption and says it's better than any other virtual poker environment he's encountered. Of course, if he doesn't like how things are going in the card game, he simply shoots his opponent.
Obviously, in this gamer world, especially the Mature one, there are virtually no consequences to the most violent act. Yet, has a few years of playing these kinds of games changed him? Is he more violent? Aggressive? Not that I can tell. While I might note his occasional lack of empathy and inability to foresee consequences, I don't think he's any different than any other callow youth, video-game-playing or otherwise.
The contested California statute hinges on legislative findings that say these games promote "violent antisocial behaviour." I think that gets it wrong. These games aren't "promoting" anything. They're simply allowing. The most popular games, like Grand Theft Auto IV offer what's called "free play". The ability to go where you want and do what you want in the gaming environment. The bigger the virtual world, the more exciting this can be. There are no signs, however, that tell you to punch or shoot someone. There are, however, all the necessary tools. In other words, it's like real life. Obviously, these games give young people access to a rather dangerous and adult world. Some may choose to play within the lines of acceptable behaviour. Most teens I know, do not. They enjoy taking advantage of the weapons, cars and dangerous action. They play the game in ways that I, as an adult, probably would not.
What They Learn
As far as I can tell, the majority of teens playing these games are not replicating these acts in the real world. When they turn off those games, they go back to being the same teen they were before they turned it on. Sure, they may have learned a few new words (the same ones they can learn from their best friend) and seen a few things (pretty much whatever they can see in at the movies or TV), but I don't think the games have fried their minds.
Would my son play differently with a game rated "T for Teen" or one rated "E for Everyone"? No. Even when he did play those games, he found ways to stretch boundaries, especially in teen games which evince many of the same violent characteristics as their "mature" counterparts. In any case, he doesn't play Teen games any more—and I don't think he's alone.
A quick visit to Gamestop.com is quite illuminating. I selected Xbox 360/Role Playing Games. This is the page I found. 12 games, every single one of them rated mature. On the second page, all but four were rated Mature. This is akin to finding all the movies at a typical multiplex rated R or even NC-17. It wouldn't happen because there are different kinds of movies for a wide and varied audience. The active gaming audience, however, is not quite that varied. It's still, at least according to the ESA (Entertainment Software Association), the computer and video game publishers trade association, mostly male (though Women are coming on strong), and at least 25% under the age 18. I don't know if the games shaped the audience or the audience shaped the game. What is clear to me, however, is that the ESRB rating is a joke. When everything is "M", that rating becomes meaningless. Dan Hewitt of the ESA, reminded me, though, that Mature games represent just 16% of the total video games market. So where are they on the Game Stop site (which makes it awfully hard to find games "by rating") and store shelves?
This Supreme Court case is driven by the fear that violent video games are destroying our youth. I don't believe they are, but I readily admit that I do not know what the kind of stimulus found in Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption (even Halo Reach) does to a young mind. If I have real concerns, it's up to me to argue it out with my son and take away the games or not buy them for him when he asks. I do know one thing, I do not want California or the Supreme Court to tell me what is and isn't right for my son.
Planned obsolescence and the environment
In an earlier article, I wrote on the subject of perceived obsolescence and its impact on the environment. Perceived obsolescence is basically about fashion and trends; usually steered by clever marketing. Planned obsolescence can be equally as seedy at times in that it's implemented as a strategy by some (many?) manufacturers in order that you buy more often.
Ever noticed how some items seem to die as soon as the warranty period has expired? Or that a single component costs so much to replace? It's not a coincidence, this is likely planned obsolescence and it's fuelling our tendency towards hyperconsumption. A colleague of mine worked in the washing machine industry, designing components for a major manufacturer. He told me that while the machines generally were of high quality, there were certain parts designed to break down within X period of time. If the company chose to spend a couple of dollars more, the same parts could last many times longer. Because the parts were specific to the machine, generic replacements were hard to come by; so customers would have pay a huge amount for the replacement - which explains why the machines were reasonably cheap to start out with.
Another colleague was an ink cartridge refiller who started out in the mid 90's in what was then a new industry. People would buy small plastic cartridges containing a piddling amount of ink and once those had run out, bin them and buy a new one. Millions upon millions of these cartridges wound up in landfill and still do today. My enterprising pal would refill them at half the cost and offered a mobile service, visiting many businesses around town. The ink refilling industry took off and the printer companies started threatening voiding warranties if people used these refilled cartridges. The new cartridges did and still do cost a fortune - and that's why they practically give away printers these days; the companies more than make up the cash in consumables. That's one of the reasons ink cartridges are so small - so you'll need to replace them more often.
Sometimes planned obsolescence isn't so much about getting you to buy high priced replacement parts, but to buy a whole new product. In many instances, the use of inferior quality parts is not just case of the company trying to save money, but make it. The cost of parts is often quite close to buying a new product; so what do consumers do when an item breaks down; particularly if the item is reasonably inexpensive to replace? Buy a new one of course. Take the example of a toaster - they are as cheap as chips these days. If a toaster manufacturer can save a dollar in parts and they sell a million units - that's a million dollars more in their pockets. Add to that the fact you may buy your next toaster from the same company and it's a great way to make a bunch of cash.
Whether it's cars, refrigerators, entertainment systems or kitchen appliances; planned obsolescence is now the norm instead of the exception. Planned obsolescence has become so much a part of our consumption, that manufacturers aren't so concerned about you switching to another brand as it's now generally accepted "stuff ain't built like it use to be". They know the line and they stay just inside it. Even my brand name electric shaver, a name that was usually associated with excellence suffered the same fate. I went to replace the shaving block and screen; two small components, and found that the cost to do so was only $10 under buying the whole darned unit! After this happened a couple of times, I decided I no longer wanted to play this game and went back to shaving with a razor.
Another trick used by manufacturers is replacement dates - recommending replacements long before the part is anywhere near worn out. Using the shaver example, the manufacturer recommends replacing the screen and block every 12 months. They even provide a sticker to put on the razor to remind you of the date. While the parts may be engineered to only last that amount of time, careful use could extend their life, so it's just another way for the manufacturer to remind you when it's time to buy, buy, buy. The cost of planned obsolescence not only hits the consumer hard in the wallet, but also our environment and millions of components are thrown away each year; usually winding up in landfill, not to mention the wasted resources that go into making junk. Planned obsolescence became more popular in the 50's when price was everything; but I think we've got to the stage now with it that many consumers are happy to pay a few dollars more in order to get a better product that lasts longer
How do we change this trend?
Planned obsolescence is somewhat a runaway train now unfortunately. There is little that we can do as individuals except to write to companies asking them to improve their quality and that we are prepared to pay more if they do so. If enough people take this action, maybe things will change. The other thing we can do is to treat manufacturer replacement date recommendations with suspicion, unless of course it's a safety issue. Additionally, when something seems broken or depleted, use the power of the web to find alternatives or perhaps a cheap fix - a great example are the ink cartridges I mentioned earlier. Instead of throwing these environmental nasties out, you can buy refill kits that will save you a ton of cash and literally help save tons of cartridges going into landfill.
Finally, and the most important thing we can do is to look after the stuff we own a little better. Items tend to wear out faster if they aren't maintained and we've generally become lazy. Gone are the days of manufacturers providing us with oodles of information for maintenance, unless of course it's going to make them money. Little things like lubricating, dusting or tightening a loose screw can extend the life of the products we buy, saving us money and also saving just that little bit more trash entering the waste stream before it really needs to.
Ever noticed how some items seem to die as soon as the warranty period has expired? Or that a single component costs so much to replace? It's not a coincidence, this is likely planned obsolescence and it's fuelling our tendency towards hyperconsumption. A colleague of mine worked in the washing machine industry, designing components for a major manufacturer. He told me that while the machines generally were of high quality, there were certain parts designed to break down within X period of time. If the company chose to spend a couple of dollars more, the same parts could last many times longer. Because the parts were specific to the machine, generic replacements were hard to come by; so customers would have pay a huge amount for the replacement - which explains why the machines were reasonably cheap to start out with.
Another colleague was an ink cartridge refiller who started out in the mid 90's in what was then a new industry. People would buy small plastic cartridges containing a piddling amount of ink and once those had run out, bin them and buy a new one. Millions upon millions of these cartridges wound up in landfill and still do today. My enterprising pal would refill them at half the cost and offered a mobile service, visiting many businesses around town. The ink refilling industry took off and the printer companies started threatening voiding warranties if people used these refilled cartridges. The new cartridges did and still do cost a fortune - and that's why they practically give away printers these days; the companies more than make up the cash in consumables. That's one of the reasons ink cartridges are so small - so you'll need to replace them more often.
Sometimes planned obsolescence isn't so much about getting you to buy high priced replacement parts, but to buy a whole new product. In many instances, the use of inferior quality parts is not just case of the company trying to save money, but make it. The cost of parts is often quite close to buying a new product; so what do consumers do when an item breaks down; particularly if the item is reasonably inexpensive to replace? Buy a new one of course. Take the example of a toaster - they are as cheap as chips these days. If a toaster manufacturer can save a dollar in parts and they sell a million units - that's a million dollars more in their pockets. Add to that the fact you may buy your next toaster from the same company and it's a great way to make a bunch of cash.
Whether it's cars, refrigerators, entertainment systems or kitchen appliances; planned obsolescence is now the norm instead of the exception. Planned obsolescence has become so much a part of our consumption, that manufacturers aren't so concerned about you switching to another brand as it's now generally accepted "stuff ain't built like it use to be". They know the line and they stay just inside it. Even my brand name electric shaver, a name that was usually associated with excellence suffered the same fate. I went to replace the shaving block and screen; two small components, and found that the cost to do so was only $10 under buying the whole darned unit! After this happened a couple of times, I decided I no longer wanted to play this game and went back to shaving with a razor.
Another trick used by manufacturers is replacement dates - recommending replacements long before the part is anywhere near worn out. Using the shaver example, the manufacturer recommends replacing the screen and block every 12 months. They even provide a sticker to put on the razor to remind you of the date. While the parts may be engineered to only last that amount of time, careful use could extend their life, so it's just another way for the manufacturer to remind you when it's time to buy, buy, buy. The cost of planned obsolescence not only hits the consumer hard in the wallet, but also our environment and millions of components are thrown away each year; usually winding up in landfill, not to mention the wasted resources that go into making junk. Planned obsolescence became more popular in the 50's when price was everything; but I think we've got to the stage now with it that many consumers are happy to pay a few dollars more in order to get a better product that lasts longer
How do we change this trend?
Planned obsolescence is somewhat a runaway train now unfortunately. There is little that we can do as individuals except to write to companies asking them to improve their quality and that we are prepared to pay more if they do so. If enough people take this action, maybe things will change. The other thing we can do is to treat manufacturer replacement date recommendations with suspicion, unless of course it's a safety issue. Additionally, when something seems broken or depleted, use the power of the web to find alternatives or perhaps a cheap fix - a great example are the ink cartridges I mentioned earlier. Instead of throwing these environmental nasties out, you can buy refill kits that will save you a ton of cash and literally help save tons of cartridges going into landfill.
Finally, and the most important thing we can do is to look after the stuff we own a little better. Items tend to wear out faster if they aren't maintained and we've generally become lazy. Gone are the days of manufacturers providing us with oodles of information for maintenance, unless of course it's going to make them money. Little things like lubricating, dusting or tightening a loose screw can extend the life of the products we buy, saving us money and also saving just that little bit more trash entering the waste stream before it really needs to.
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