[Tfug] Western Digital "red" drives?

[Timothy D. Lenz]

My first Tv was a Sony XBR line. Lasted some 25 years. Still had a great 
picture, but the HV went out and you could no longer get parts. New tv 
also a sony, But I can see the lack of thought in it's design 
everywhere. Simple things that could have been done better in the 
software like allowing for duplicate channel numbers like our cheap 
converter box can do, when you turn it on, you get a pic right away, 
then it goes black and the TV has to finish "turning on" for anything to 
work. Channel changes same thing. Get pic and sound right away as you 
should, but then goes dark for several seconds while it does what ever 
it is doing.

So much of it is the engineers and programers just putting in their time 
to get a pay check doing as little as they can get away with, not taking 
a minute to think how the product works, or what would make it better 
and more user friendly. Instead they dumb everything down removing 
controls/functions that where standard before all they had to do was 
write a few lines of code to put it in.

On 4/1/2013 1:38 PM, Bexley Hall wrote:
> Hi Timothy,
>
> On 4/1/2013 1:13 PM, Timothy D. Lenz wrote:
>> Quality on nearly everything has gone down.
>
> I think that is generally the case with consumer devices -- but,
> primarily because consumers put lots of emphasis on *price*
> AND *want* to replace things, often.  They don't want to be
> seen with "last year's iPhone", etc.
>
> They also don't want to be bothered with *investing* any time
> to understand/maintain their "possessions".  And, cringe at the
> costs associated with letting someone *else* do that on their
> behalf!  ("Sheesh!  I might as well buy a NEW one...")
>
> Short term focus sums it all up!
>
> We have a pair of cheap "sound systems" (those plastic blobs
> that try to *look* like "component stereos" but are really
> just one large box with everything inside -- CD, cassette,
> radio, EQ, amp, etc.).  They see almost continuous use.
> The first is 25 years old, the second -- identical model -- is
> probably 22 or 23.
>
> Approximately every year or two, the little plastic worm
> gear that drives the CD changer spins off it's motor's
> shaft rendering the CD useless.  It takes about 20 minutes
> to disassemble (7 screws), fish the worm gear out of the
> bottom of the case, put a drop or two of super-glue on it
> and push it back onto its shaft -- followed by the expected
> reassembly process.
>
> I can invest those 20 minutes *or* spend several *hours*
> researching a replacement device, purchasing it, setting it
> up, learning how it works, etc.  (and, end up with another
> device that has some *similar* problem "pending")
>
>> Stuff that used to outlast
>> it's usefulness, now barely makes it to the next "updated" version, let
>> alone the end of the warranty.
>
> There are still lots of things that have good quality and long
> useful lifespans.  But, are you willing to make a *commitment*
> to them?  Or, will your interest wane when the next "pretty little
> thing" comes along to turn your head?  :-/
>
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