I had a similar feeling about my dishwasher. It's a Whirlpool, but what does that matter in these days of mass-produced simulacrum of durable machines. There was a time in recent memory where a product was built to last. The make do and mend mentality of the past bred a whole industry of people who could repair things. Now, you replace. Even now, repairs are often wholesale replacements of sub-systems. Often, it's the computer in something that goes and needs replacing. Argh. You can feel my frustration. I hope your frustration is corrected soon
With typewriters, we can experience the "writing feel" of different decades - exact years and months, even - but with computers we are creating a blank for future historians and enthusiasts. When you unbox your new computer, and turn it on for the first time, it asks you your name, wants all your personal details but won't commit to a life-long relationship!
Too bad about the Mac. Typical though of modern anything. Modern is not better, just not made to last or be repaired. Long live the mechanical contrivance called a typewriter!
So how old was your Macbook? My older one is going on 9 years old and still working. My 'new' one is less than a year old. You're right, my relationship with them is utilitarian, so unlike my fondness for Olivettis.
I spent some time today sketching with an interesting old tool I found in a drawer. It's yellow and hexagonal in cross section, made of wood with a round black rod inside. On the end is a red rubber lump which seems to have no function, but it may be for using this thing to tap on a desk with, like a drum stick.
Sorry to know about your MAC. Sometimes, these machines fail at the most critical of the times and there we are, shaking our head. Yes, things in the past were built to last but how can companies generate sales and profits if people changed their devices after every 5-10 years? So better make products that have a life of few years and spare parts even expensive so that cost ratio between repair to buying a new one is slim and people dump the old contraption for a newest one.
While corporations rake in profit, the enormous amount of e-waste like unusable floppies, monitors, old junked laptops, smartphones, tabs etc will keep piling up and one day we will face a huge ecological disaster and yes we are near that kind of unenvious situation right now.
Oh, the joys of modern obsolescence.... erm, "technological advancement" at its best. Durability is not a concern for manufacturers (actually, I'm wrong: they are so concerned about durable products that they do their best to reduce the usable life span of items to the minimum). We as consumers are not only encouraged to update ALL our stuff (be it computers, phones, and media like CDs), but we´re EXPECTED to do so at a specific time. No matter if something works good for us, if manufacturers can have a say on it, they'll make sure our stuff, bought with our hard-earned dollars, gets obsolete and non-functional by the time they release their "new and improved" versions (right, Microsoft?)
Me, I'm the perfectly happy owner of a 2005 Sony Vaio laptop, running Windows Vista, which still serves me well and is perfectly suited to my current and future computing needs. Right now, after seven years of use, it's starting to develop some hard-drive issues. But I'm not replacing the machine; right now I couldn't afford to do it even if I wanted. instead, I'll replace the hard disk and reinstall all the original software in it, and I know I will get at least another three years of use out of that laptop, or more. I'm not upgrading the software either; why should I, if it does what I need it to do? I guess that makes me the nightmare of both hardware and software manufacturers, right?
And just to make techies shivver a bit more, here´s my mantra when it comes to computer stuff: Technology is overrated; modernity and obsolescence are relative. If it ain't broken, don't expect me to fix it. But if it breaks and it's fixable, by Golly I'm not buying a new item and throwing away the old device!
But — as I started to notice with my old machine, running an older OS — you start to run into websites that won't work and scold you for using an "obsolete" browser. Or you need some app but find that it requires a newer OS, which in turn requires a newer computer. Or you buy a printer, but find that it isn't compatible with your old machine. The systems are so interconnected that it is hard to resist.
Like I said, obsolescence is relative. My current system works great for me, so it lets me postpone replacing it for a few more years.
I have to say that I have the advantage of being able to do my own repairs both in software and hardware, so it won't be a big deal to open the computer and replace the hard drive when it finally gives up the ghost. It will take about five minutes to replace the hard drive, and 10 hours to restore all the software and data, updates included, but it can be done.
Oh, how I know your pain. That bitter feeling of my Mac doing strange and new things that it had never done before. Yes... the memory is very fresh for me.
I had a similar feeling about my dishwasher. It's a Whirlpool, but what does that matter in these days of mass-produced simulacrum of durable machines. There was a time in recent memory where a product was built to last. The make do and mend mentality of the past bred a whole industry of people who could repair things. Now, you replace. Even now, repairs are often wholesale replacements of sub-systems. Often, it's the computer in something that goes and needs replacing. Argh. You can feel my frustration. I hope your frustration is corrected soon
ReplyDeleteI'm reading your comment on my replacement computer, which so far is working pretty well.
DeleteWith typewriters, we can experience the "writing feel" of different decades - exact years and months, even - but with computers we are creating a blank for future historians and enthusiasts.
ReplyDeleteWhen you unbox your new computer, and turn it on for the first time, it asks you your name, wants all your personal details but won't commit to a life-long relationship!
And they call US the "users" . . . .
DeleteToo bad about the Mac. Typical though of modern anything. Modern is not better, just not made to last or be repaired. Long live the mechanical contrivance called a typewriter!
ReplyDeleteSo how old was your Macbook? My older one is going on 9 years old and still working. My 'new' one is less than a year old. You're right, my relationship with them is utilitarian, so unlike my fondness for Olivettis.
ReplyDeleteIt was four years old. Never did work properly; it crashed at least once a week.
DeleteI spent some time today sketching with an interesting old tool I found in a drawer. It's yellow and hexagonal in cross section, made of wood with a round black rod inside. On the end is a red rubber lump which seems to have no function, but it may be for using this thing to tap on a desk with, like a drum stick.
ReplyDeleteSorry to know about your MAC. Sometimes, these machines fail at the most critical of the times and there we are, shaking our head. Yes, things in the past were built to last but how can companies generate sales and profits if people changed their devices after every 5-10 years? So better make products that have a life of few years and spare parts even expensive so that cost ratio between repair to buying a new one is slim and people dump the old contraption for a newest one.
ReplyDeleteWhile corporations rake in profit, the enormous amount of e-waste like unusable floppies, monitors, old junked laptops, smartphones, tabs etc will keep piling up and one day we will face a huge ecological disaster and yes we are near that kind of unenvious situation right now.
Oh, the joys of modern obsolescence.... erm, "technological advancement" at its best. Durability is not a concern for manufacturers (actually, I'm wrong: they are so concerned about durable products that they do their best to reduce the usable life span of items to the minimum). We as consumers are not only encouraged to update ALL our stuff (be it computers, phones, and media like CDs), but we´re EXPECTED to do so at a specific time. No matter if something works good for us, if manufacturers can have a say on it, they'll make sure our stuff, bought with our hard-earned dollars, gets obsolete and non-functional by the time they release their "new and improved" versions (right, Microsoft?)
ReplyDeleteMe, I'm the perfectly happy owner of a 2005 Sony Vaio laptop, running Windows Vista, which still serves me well and is perfectly suited to my current and future computing needs. Right now, after seven years of use, it's starting to develop some hard-drive issues. But I'm not replacing the machine; right now I couldn't afford to do it even if I wanted. instead, I'll replace the hard disk and reinstall all the original software in it, and I know I will get at least another three years of use out of that laptop, or more. I'm not upgrading the software either; why should I, if it does what I need it to do? I guess that makes me the nightmare of both hardware and software manufacturers, right?
And just to make techies shivver a bit more, here´s my mantra when it comes to computer stuff: Technology is overrated; modernity and obsolescence are relative. If it ain't broken, don't expect me to fix it. But if it breaks and it's fixable, by Golly I'm not buying a new item and throwing away the old device!
Good for you!
DeleteBut — as I started to notice with my old machine, running an older OS — you start to run into websites that won't work and scold you for using an "obsolete" browser. Or you need some app but find that it requires a newer OS, which in turn requires a newer computer. Or you buy a printer, but find that it isn't compatible with your old machine. The systems are so interconnected that it is hard to resist.
Like I said, obsolescence is relative. My current system works great for me, so it lets me postpone replacing it for a few more years.
DeleteI have to say that I have the advantage of being able to do my own repairs both in software and hardware, so it won't be a big deal to open the computer and replace the hard drive when it finally gives up the ghost. It will take about five minutes to replace the hard drive, and 10 hours to restore all the software and data, updates included, but it can be done.
Oh, how I know your pain. That bitter feeling of my Mac doing strange and new things that it had never done before. Yes... the memory is very fresh for me.
ReplyDeleteA similar thing happened to mine but I got it fixed for free under this: https://www.apple.com/support/macbookpro-videoissues/
ReplyDelete