The Light Bulb Conspiracy

[XR Martin]

Originally Posted by Jim Goose

Sadly no.. it doesnt corrode.
Parents had their copper hot water system from 1968 until around 2005.
As it had to be moved they decided to get a new one and dad cut it open to get the copper out. Wasnt corroded internally at all.

The copper hot water jacket in my mother's wood fired stove died after 40 years of service, it failed at the brazed joints. Also ive seen plenty of copper heater cores and radiators in vehicles fail too.

Oh and those old hot water systems were insulated with asbestos, hope your dad's one wasnt.

[Jim Goose]

It did have what looked like hessian, but more then likely it was impregnanted with asbestos. But he isnt with us anymore so unlikely to be affected now.

[mytgxl]

What great video`s I agree with everything there saying! this type of thinking would make a better place for our children to grow up in & a better social life for us all! The sooner we overthrow the greedy people of the world the better off we will be!

As for all those people who lost their appliances that they had for so long! look at all the money it saved you! good luck finding one that will last you that long again!

[Tribal]

Problem is its all about consumerism and market share, rather than good engineering and innovation.

My Remington hair clippers worked fine for over 20 years (habitually shaved my head every weekend - that's at least 1000 times) and the replacement barely lasted 3 months...

[onfire]

Originally Posted by uranium_death

Engineered obsolescence is what keeps profits rolling in.

It's what keeps the World economy flowing.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by Spudz27

You are right. Often the printer you buy is cheaper than replacing it's cartridges, but, the ones that are in the printer to begin with are often 1/2 or even only a 1/4 full (I worked in the printers and ink industry), so really the value in buying another printer is not there. Where it comes into being cheaper is on cheap brother laser printers. They have drum units in them that cost more than the printer, which comes with a drum unit. Also so many ink printers are dying 1-2months out of warranty these days. Lasers are still lasting a long time, unless you get a samsung or some cheap **** laser (excluding brother). But the inks printers and even lasers made 10-15yrs ago are still going strong. You would be amazed at how many cartridges I used to refill or replace for printers that were 10-15yrs old, sometimes older. As the saying goes, they don't make them like they used to, and that is because 10-20yrs ago a printer was almost an investment. Now days the post office will sell you a pos ink for $29, you can get a laser which once cost $300+ for $69. Excuse my rant

Don't worry - rant away. The money is made in the printer cartridges, not the printer. Which is why a printer as well as the cartridge can cost $50 each. They will lose money on the printer, but gain it on the ongoing sales of cartridges.

I once went to Office Works to do some copying, and there was a promotion that read along the lines of "Get a HP 3 in 1 printer / scanner / copier for $24.99 with any purchase over $50". No worries. Grabbed the cartridges for it ($55) and asked for the printer.

The girl told me that photocopying does not come under purchase and I said, I know... I'm buying the cartridges to get the printer ;) haaaa

[Jim Goose]

I have a HP printer and scanner... and decided to buy a generic brand cartridge (lucky only one) and put it in... and then promptly a warning comes up on the screen telling me that the cartridge isnt a GENUINE HP cartridge and therefor wont print!

Great for competition isnt it?

[XR Martin]

I seem to recall my dad paid something like $700 for a Laser printer in the mid 1990s, still works today.
But why are people expecting a printer that costs $50-100 today to last as long?
If you spent a similar amount on a Laser today, it would probably just as likely last as long.

We had an expensive Laser printer at work die 6 months out of warranty, and HP replaced the motherboard at no cost. They admitted it should have never failed, warranty or not.

Some things may not last like they used to, but people arnt paying what they used to either.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by Jim Goose

I have a HP printer and scanner... and decided to buy a generic brand cartridge (lucky only one) and put it in... and then promptly a warning comes up on the screen telling me that the cartridge isnt a GENUINE HP cartridge and therefor wont print!

Great for competition isnt it?

This is becoming more common I think. My friend has a Nikon camera and tells me he cannot buy a generic battery due to a chip embedded in the genuine products that registers it as genuine for it to work in the camera.