Planned obsolescence

[Albm&ctd]

Looks like my olde tele (about 20 years old IIRC) with a current
street value of about $20 or less will be killed off one day by
digital transmission similar to the fate my analogue bag phone.
My question is what about new television sets we see at cheap prices
in the stores today. I've resisted buying one because of two reasons.
They will be useless too but like most things made today, do they
suddenly self destruct just out of the warranty period to make you
feel less attached to them because the part is either unavailable or
too expensive to replace? Yes, I know about set top boxes obviously
but they are expensive and seem a rather ridiculous addition to a new
throwaway television.

What about TV tuner cards for the computer. Can you actually buy TV
digital tuners for the computer?

Probably just paranoia but it appears the rapid progress of technology
with regard to consumer products has alarmingly but not alertly sped
up the rate at which goods you desire today, become tomorrows
landfill.

There was nothing wrong with my analogue bagphone but at least when I
bought it for the equivalent price of 28 bottles of quality vodka, I
knew it had a use by date. I often wonder why I didn't buy the vodka
instead so I didn't have a frigging phone annoying me. Why why sob,
now where was I.. oh yes, as is so often the case one sacrifices ones
happiness to own the latest technology rather than spending that money
on quality alcohol. There is no hope for us, well me at least because
you've all probably lost the plot by now or is it me who is losing the
plot? Difficult to say for yourself as it would take the opinions of
others to determine that for you. Consider the amount of cash you have
spent over the years, records, tapes first 8 track then cassettes, I
even bought a Beta VCR, a 386, 4 meg ram sticks all expensive and
obsolete and...snip (trust me it got worse)

As I gaze into my granite crack (can't afford a crystal ball) with
regard to computers I see a new widescreen monitor appearing that will
require a new video card that won't fit into a current agp slot so
you'll have to buy a new motherboard that won't fit into your case, so
you have to upgrade everything once again but your current software
won't run on it so you have to buy that as well.
If that happens, I'm buying quality alcohol instead, jumping on the
motorcycle and heading for a central Australian desert location where
I can spend many happy days drinking it in peace whilst talking to a
tumbleweed.

Al

2003 insult page awaits your contribution
http://kwakakid.cjb.net/insult.html

 

[Oldus Fartus]

In news:3fb602df.6140307@news.connexus.net.au,
Albm&ctd <alb_mandctdNOWMD@connexus.net.au> wrote these words:

| Looks like my olde tele (about 20 years old IIRC) with a current
| street value of about $20 or less will be killed off one day by
| digital transmission similar to the fate my analogue bag phone.

It certainly will become obsolete for broadcast viewing, but will still
be fine for VCR playback.

| My question is what about new television sets we see at cheap prices
| in the stores today. I've resisted buying one because of two reasons.
| They will be useless too but like most things made today, do they
| suddenly self destruct just out of the warranty period to make you
| feel less attached to them because the part is either unavailable or
| too expensive to replace? Yes, I know about set top boxes obviously
| but they are expensive and seem a rather ridiculous addition to a new
| throwaway television.

Yes, the STBs are rather expensive, but they do seem to be reducing in
price quite rapidly. I would think a combined STB and VCR or DVD
recorder with inbuilt digital tuner would probably extend the life of a
TV bought today.

|
| What about TV tuner cards for the computer. Can you actually buy TV
| digital tuners for the computer?

Yes, they are available at the $200 upwards price range.
..
|
| Probably just paranoia but it appears the rapid progress of technology
| with regard to consumer products has alarmingly but not alertly sped
| up the rate at which goods you desire today, become tomorrows
| landfill.
|
| There was nothing wrong with my analogue bagphone but at least when I
| bought it for the equivalent price of 28 bottles of quality vodka, I
| knew it had a use by date. I often wonder why I didn't buy the vodka
| instead so I didn't have a frigging phone annoying me. Why why sob,
| now where was I.. oh yes, as is so often the case one sacrifices ones
| happiness to own the latest technology rather than spending that money
| on quality alcohol.

I actually did that myself, and decided that rather than that new 26" TV
I would buy a carton or two of Glennfiddich, but after I drank the booze
I sobered up and very quickly tired of looking at the labels, so was
forced to buy the TV anyway.

There is no hope for us, well me at least because
| you've all probably lost the plot by now or is it me who is losing the
| plot? Difficult to say for yourself as it would take the opinions of
| others to determine that for you. Consider the amount of cash you have
| spent over the years, records, tapes first 8 track then cassettes, I
| even bought a Beta VCR, a 386, 4 meg ram sticks all expensive and
| obsolete and...snip (trust me it got worse)
|

At least I never bought 8-track. Even I could see that was going
nowhere!

| As I gaze into my granite crack (can't afford a crystal ball) with
| regard to computers I see a new widescreen monitor appearing that will
| require a new video card that won't fit into a current agp slot so
| you'll have to buy a new motherboard that won't fit into your case, so
| you have to upgrade everything once again but your current software
| won't run on it so you have to buy that as well.

Yep. It must drive the marketing gurus crazy trying to figure out a
way to convince everybody that VGA/SVGA is obsolete. They have a
solution, all they need is a problem for it to answer. What better
than to convince the general public that widescreen computing is the way
to go. (By coicidence I saw an ad the other day for a laptop which had
a 16:9 screen - so the move is definately on.)

| If that happens, I'm buying quality alcohol instead, jumping on the
| motorcycle and heading for a central Australian desert location where
| I can spend many happy days drinking it in peace whilst talking to a
| tumbleweed.
|
|
Unfortunately Al, the traditional owners of that particular desert will
probably require a "sitting getting pissed while talking to tumbleweeds"
permit and charge rent for the only rock in hundreds of kilometers.

Good luck to you though. I can relate to what you are saying.

--
Cheers
Oldus Fartus

 

[Sam Williams]

Albm&ctd <alb_mandctdNOWMD@connexus.net.au> wrote
in message news:3fb602df.6140307@news.connexus.net.au...

Looks like my olde tele (about 20 years old IIRC) with a current
street value of about $20 or less will be killed off one day by
digital transmission similar to the fate my analogue bag phone.

Nope, unlike with mobile phones, you can just get a digital STB for the TV.

Some do that now, particularly where the
digital service gives a much better picture.

My question is what about new television sets we see
at cheap prices in the stores today. I've resisted buying
one because of two reasons. They will be useless too

Nope, see above.

And it remains to be seen if the pollys will actually
have the balls to turn the analog TV system off anyway.

but like most things made today, do they suddenly self destruct just
out of the warranty period to make you feel less attached to them
because the part is either unavailable or too expensive to replace?

Nope, they kill the owner so they cant get stroppy.

Yes, I know about set top boxes obviously

So your original claim is just plain wrong.

but they are expensive and seem a rather
ridiculous addition to a new throwaway television.

No one is holding a gun to your head
and forcing you to buy one of those TVs.

What about TV tuner cards for the computer. Can
you actually buy TV digital tuners for the computer?

Yep. Unfortunately the stupid clowns went for a unique
digital format, and thats why the cheap TVs wont do that.

Probably just paranoia

Yep, its just the consequence of the stupid
decision made on the DTV format we are using.

but it appears the rapid progress of technology with regard to
consumer products has alarmingly but not alertly sped up the
rate at which goods you desire today, become tomorrows landfill.

Mindless stuff.

There was nothing wrong with my analogue bagphone
but at least when I bought it for the equivalent price of
28 bottles of quality vodka, I knew it had a use by date.

You do now in theory with cheap TVs too.

I often wonder why I didn't buy the vodka instead
so I didn't have a frigging phone annoying me.

Would have made a lot more sense to just top yourself.

Much better for everyone else too.

Why why sob, now where was I..

Completely blotto, as always...

oh yes, as is so often the case one sacrifices ones
happiness to own the latest technology rather than
spending that money on quality alcohol. There is no hope
for us, well me at least because you've all probably
lost the plot by now or is it me who is losing the plot?

Lost it years ago. Do the decent thing and just top yourself.

Difficult to say for yourself as it would take the opinions of
others to determine that for you. Consider the amount of cash
you have spent over the years, records, tapes first 8 track
then cassettes, I even bought a Beta VCR, a 386, 4 meg ram
sticks all expensive and obsolete and...snip (trust me it got worse)

See above.

As I gaze into my granite crack (can't afford a crystal ball)
with regard to computers I see a new widescreen monitor
appearing that will require a new video card that won't fit
into a current agp slot so you'll have to buy a new
motherboard that won't fit into your case, so you have
to upgrade everything once again but your current
software won't run on it so you have to buy that as well.

See above.

If that happens, I'm buying quality alcohol instead, jumping on the
motorcycle and heading for a central Australian desert location

Hopefully you'll crash enroute.

where I can spend many happy days drinking
it in peace whilst talking to a tumbleweed.

Great, do it now. Then top yourself.

 

[KLR]

On Sat, 15 Nov 2003 11:00:36 GMT, alb_mandctdNOWMD@connexus.net.au
(Albm&ctd) wrote:

Looks like my olde tele (about 20 years old IIRC) with a current
street value of about $20 or less will be killed off one day by
digital transmission similar to the fate my analogue bag phone.
My question is what about new television sets we see at cheap prices
in the stores today. I've resisted buying one because of two reasons.
They will be useless too but like most things made today, do they
suddenly self destruct just out of the warranty period to make you
feel less attached to them because the part is either unavailable or
too expensive to replace? Yes, I know about set top boxes obviously
but they are expensive and seem a rather ridiculous addition to a new
throwaway television.

TV sets in this country currently are the cheapest I have ever seen

them, and have many more features than before Even if the worst comes
to the worst you will still get several years useful life from it yet,
and when the time comes when digital is the only means of broadcast -
someone will make a killing making converter boxes for the millions of
non-digital sets that are in the marketplace, and will extend the life
or your current set for longer.

If you really want a new set - and your old one is giving you the

shits - then go out and buy a new one and enjoy it and stop worrying.

What about TV tuner cards for the computer. Can you actually buy TV
digital tuners for the computer?

Probably just paranoia but it appears the rapid progress of technology
with regard to consumer products has alarmingly but not alertly sped
up the rate at which goods you desire today, become tomorrows
landfill.

There was nothing wrong with my analogue bagphone but at least when I
bought it for the equivalent price of 28 bottles of quality vodka, I
knew it had a use by date. I often wonder why I didn't buy the vodka
instead so I didn't have a frigging phone annoying me. Why why sob,
now where was I.. oh yes, as is so often the case one sacrifices ones
happiness to own the latest technology rather than spending that money
on quality alcohol. There is no hope for us, well me at least because
you've all probably lost the plot by now or is it me who is losing the
plot? Difficult to say for yourself as it would take the opinions of
others to determine that for you. Consider the amount of cash you have
spent over the years, records, tapes first 8 track then cassettes, I
even bought a Beta VCR, a 386, 4 meg ram sticks all expensive and
obsolete and...snip (trust me it got worse)

True - but these days (if you want to be naughty) you can go and

download most of this music and movies and burn them to CD-R (or copy
from friends) for next to nothing. Surely this will recoup much of
your old losses on music you have bought already on obsolete formats.
Computer equipment is forever advancing - and as such in inherently
obsolete. Once upon a time you had to go out and buy it at full price
and couldn't really duplicate it with any quality.

As I gaze into my granite crack (can't afford a crystal ball) with
regard to computers I see a new widescreen monitor appearing that will
require a new video card that won't fit into a current agp slot so
you'll have to buy a new motherboard that won't fit into your case, so
you have to upgrade everything once again but your current software
won't run on it so you have to buy that as well.
If that happens, I'm buying quality alcohol instead, jumping on the
motorcycle and heading for a central Australian desert location where
I can spend many happy days drinking it in peace whilst talking to a
tumbleweed.

It would be cheaper that way. Better still - emigrate to another

country that has bugger all tax and excise on alcohol - and get drunk
on the cheap

Al

2003 insult page awaits your contribution
http://kwakakid.cjb.net/insult.html

 

[Albm&ctd]

On Sun, 16 Nov 2003 06:59:59 +1100, "Sam Williams" <sambo@hwwa.com.ca>
wrote:

Hopefully you'll crash enroute.

I crashed quite a few times with assistance in the early '70's. Had to

give it up.
Are you hurt bad, son? Ever seen anyone hurt good, paw?
Anyway I was getting sick of the 42 useless people that gather around
a crash site in the middle of nowhere, saying things like - musta been
dooen a hunred mice'n'hare.

where I can spend many happy days drinking
it in peace whilst talking to a tumbleweed.

Great, do it now. Then top yourself.

lol

News flash -- found floating face down in a vat of whisky.
Workers said -- we tried to get him out but he kept jumping back in.

Al

2003 insult page awaits your contribution
http://kwakakid.cjb.net/insult.html