Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/05/01
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]B.D. I agree with most of what you say; also with most of what Steve said. But........... > Oh, right - obsolescence. We are at the point now with digital where > people can buy in at a number of price points and be happy for quite a > few years to come with the results they get. Sure, digital will continue > to improve. But how many people will have to have the improvements? > Certainly not enough so that your concern about "digicams" becoming > obsolete every two years is relevant. This isn't the point. My understanding is that at the consumer level, product is being designed and manufactured to work well for a limited period of time and the manufacturers do not support or service their older equipment. It just happened to me with my relatively recent (4-year-old) Hewlett-Packard Laserjet printer/fax machine. It worked perfectly early last week. Then last Thursday it malfunctioned. Checking the "error" I need a new memory board. H-P no longer makes a separate memory board for this machine. But I can buy it in unit with some other important component. Price: $450. I get a trade-in of $200. for the components in the machine. But I have to find someone (and pay someone) who knows how to install the new components. Result, I spend $699. for a new "updated" Laserjet. So the photo consumer is compelled to upgrade because the maker can't (won't) fix the old machine. It's modern commerce. Yuk. Seth LaK 9 - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html