Planned Obsolescence: What is it?

grip · May 10, 2014

I started this thread as a result of a discussion from another one I started about the New Firefox design. It got me wondering why the developers change everything so fast. As soon as you become comfortable, familiar and adept at using something it's too old.

Planned obsolescence in design and functionality is a policy of planning or designing a product with a limited useful life, so it will become obsolete, unfashionable and no longer functional after a certain period of time. The consumer is then under pressure to purchase again.

The big industries have been practicing it since the mid 1930's. I've heard they once could make rubber tires and shoes that never wore out. And that a light bulb never actually has to burn out, they're simply made that way. Well, that's all fine and good to some point but the speed at which corporations want you to buy houses, cars and electronics is too fast to afford anymore. The average middle class person doesn't have the disposable income to afford to throw away their timed out junk. LED TV's, computers, new cars etc are starting to price themselves out of existence.

Was the goal of Microsoft, making Windows 8 Metro, an attempt to push PC users into touch screen devices ie. Tablets/smartphones or to be a cross-platform operating system?

Without the easy access to the typical OS menu and Start button, it appears to be a controlling measure that didn't workout well. Though with Windows 9, they'll include the option for a more classic PC desktop, I don't believe Metro will disappear but rather morph and expand. And the new Windows may very well have gesture recognition. Adding built-in gesture support would make sense given that Intel is heavily pushing the technology, and that Microsoft has its own Kinect sensor to sell.

Current rumors indicate that Windows 9 is scheduled for release in April of 2015.

I haven't even gotten out of Vista yet, though I've worked with Windows 7 and don't see the big diff. And I won't change my OS, until my current PC gives up the ghost (hopefully years). Then I'll switch over to a large screen- laptop for good. I don't need anything larger than a 17" and find bigger screens (21"+) have too much panoramic head swiveling. I also cannot comfortably use a tablet full time and find smartphones unbearably awkward and useless.

There's no real good reason for me to stay with the PC box anymore, since you can get the same computing abilities and accessories on a notebook. For years you had to stay with the box design to get the power, screen size and pricing but those days are finally gone, except for extreme gamers... and they even make some pretty hopped laptops for them.

I'd say within 5-7 years there won't be a personal computer in the form they exist now,, for sale. The only thing that will change this is if the economy doesn't pick up enough for the majority of the population to afford the latest and greatest in technology. I think there's going to be two versions of everything, nice and new for the affluent, and old fashioned and used for the rest of us.

Don't even get me started on appliances and clothing wearing out too soon.

AlbqOwl · May 10, 2014

Well it is indeed frustating that as technology changes, the old software that we used to love won't run on the newer machines, and some of the newer software won't run on the old ones. Even with the new digital HD TVs, it is dicey trying to get the older DVD players and some of the older formatted DVDs to work on them.

I do hope that I don't outlive the desktop PC though. I have high powered laptops, one with 17" screen, that is fine working in other locations in the house or away from home, but it just isn't the same as my desktop PC with almost unlimited power and space, a sturdy heavy duty keyboard, great speakers, and a 24-inch monitor that allows me to spread out and work on several different documents simultaneously. So yeah, I use my laptop, but when I want to do serious computer work, I go back to the desktop.

I have Windows 7 on my laptop; Windows 8 on the desktop. I HATED Windows 8 for months, but over time I have made peace with it and now find myself irritated that the Windows 7 laptop lacks some Windows 8 features that I have come to use and appreciate.

grip · May 10, 2014

AlbqOwl said:
Well it is indeed frustating that as technology changes, the old software that we used to love won't run on the newer machines, and some of the newer software won't run on the old ones. Even with the new digital HD TVs, it is dicey trying to get the older DVD players and some of the older formatted DVDs to work on them.

I do hope that I don't outlive the desktop PC though. I have high powered laptops, one with 17" screen, that is fine working in other locations in the house or away from home, but it just isn't the same as my desktop PC with almost unlimited power and space, a sturdy heavy duty keyboard, great speakers, and a 24-inch monitor that allows me to spread out and work on several different documents simultaneously. So yeah, I use my laptop, but when I want to do serious computer work, I go back to the desktop.

I have Windows 7 on my laptop; Windows 8 on the desktop. I HATED Windows 8 for months, but over time I have made peace with it and now find myself irritated that the Windows 7 laptop lacks some Windows 8 features that I have come to use and appreciate.

Some version of the PC will probably be available, as an all-in-one machine for awhile, till us dinosaurs are replaced. The youth of today seems perfectly happy going online thru their phones only.

The manufacturers won't make the drivers necessary to run their hardware with older software. It's a planned event by all parties concerned. It wouldn't cost that much to make it an option and backwards compatible, but they'd lose sales from those who want to keep their older machines. But now the hardware, literally, won't last long enough with cheap fans gunking up, power supplies burning out or motherboards burning up contacts.

Microsoft knew people would eventually get used to Windows 8 but it was too much change from the old format. Ironically, they had been criticized for not making their newer operating systems different enough from older versions.

Smeagol · May 11, 2014

Cars that operate on the 100 year old internal combustion engine. Metal against metal friction at 1000 to 3000 rpm will eventually wear out forcing us to regularly buy replacement cars while the manufacturers have been very reluctant to introduce more efficient, longer lasting technology figuring why kill the goose that lays the golden egg as long at the public remains largely unaware anything else could ever be practical or even possible.

grip · May 11, 2014

Smeagol said:
Cars that operate on the 100 year old internal combustion engine. Metal against metal friction at 1000 to 3000 rpm will eventually wear out forcing us to regularly buy replacement cars while the manufacturers have been very reluctant to introduce more efficient, longer lasting technology figuring why kill the goose that lays the golden egg as long at the public remains largely unaware anything else could ever be practical or even possible.

Exactly, you see machinery and cast iron products from the 1900's, because they weren't trying to make something cheaply, just the opposite.

I had to order new car tires today, not because the tread was gone, they looked like new, but because the rubber was suspect to dry rot from age. I don't drive much and the tires were 8-9 yrs old, with one having a slow leak, another plugged, so it was time. But they can be made to last much longer, though they would be more expensive and probably less comfortable. They don't offer tires on the family car that are as rugged as the ones on heavy earth-moving equipment or we wouldn't replace them.

beerftw · May 11, 2014

grip said:
I started this thread as a result of a discussion from another one I started about the New Firefox design. It got me wondering why the developers change everything so fast. As soon as you become comfortable, familiar and adept at using something it's too old.

Planned obsolescence in design and functionality is a policy of planning or designing a product with a limited useful life, so it will become obsolete, unfashionable and no longer functional after a certain period of time. The consumer is then under pressure to purchase again.

The big industries have been practicing it since the mid 1930's. I've heard they once could make rubber tires and shoes that never wore out. And that a light bulb never actually has to burn out, they're simply made that way. Well, that's all fine and good to some point but the speed at which corporations want you to buy houses, cars and electronics is too fast to afford anymore. The average middle class person doesn't have the disposable income to afford to throw away their timed out junk. LED TV's, computers, new cars etc are starting to price themselves out of existence.

Was the goal of Microsoft, making Windows 8 Metro, an attempt to push PC users into touch screen devices ie. Tablets/smartphones or to be a cross-platform operating system?

Without the easy access to the typical OS menu and Start button, it appears to be a controlling measure that didn't workout well. Though with Windows 9, they'll include the option for a more classic PC desktop, I don't believe Metro will disappear but rather morph and expand. And the new Windows may very well have gesture recognition. Adding built-in gesture support would make sense given that Intel is heavily pushing the technology, and that Microsoft has its own Kinect sensor to sell.

Current rumors indicate that Windows 9 is scheduled for release in April of 2015.

I haven't even gotten out of Vista yet, though I've worked with Windows 7 and don't see the big diff. And I won't change my OS, until my current PC gives up the ghost (hopefully years). Then I'll switch over to a large screen- laptop for good. I don't need anything larger than a 17" and find bigger screens (21"+) have too much panoramic head swiveling. I also cannot comfortably use a tablet full time and find smartphones unbearably awkward and useless.

There's no real good reason for me to stay with the PC box anymore, since you can get the same computing abilities and accessories on a notebook. For years you had to stay with the box design to get the power, screen size and pricing but those days are finally gone, except for extreme gamers... and they even make some pretty hopped laptops for them.

I'd say within 5-7 years there won't be a personal computer in the form they exist now,, for sale. The only thing that will change this is if the economy doesn't pick up enough for the majority of the population to afford the latest and greatest in technology. I think there's going to be two versions of everything, nice and new for the affluent, and old fashioned and used for the rest of us.

Don't even get me started on appliances and clothing wearing out too soon.

it is indeed planned obsolescence.mirosoft office from windows 98 does the same as current office,with an uglier interface,yet your forced to upgrde.heck some math software from dos is still in use,because some scientist spent years writing it,and refuses to rewrite it for a newer os,with no new benefit.

but i see planned obsolescence in my daily job as a mechanic.they build cars now to be unreliable,yet too expensive to fix,in order to force you into buying a new car.toyota has been a major exception,they have remarkable legacy support and parts,kia and hyundai are retarded cost wise,but provide ech manuals for free.

those car companies made more selling parts than they did not selling them,basically they are on a ship,and sunk it with the whole auto industry,knowing they will be the only ones to recieve a lifesaver from the govt bcause they are too big too fail,meaning they srvive,while mos cmpetition fails.

Planned Obsolescence: What is it?

grip

Slow 🅖 Hand

AlbqOwl

grip

Slow 🅖 Hand

Smeagol

grip

Slow 🅖 Hand

beerftw

proud ammosexual