Modern tech is really flimsy

[mcobit]

Yesterday I went to work and saw a Zalman Trimon 22" 3D display on the hallway at the university, covered by other junk, that the cleaning people will throw into the trash.


I took it with me and plugged it in and it flickered and shut down after a minute or so.


Somebody really threw this on the trash


I opened it up and the capacitors on the power supply were mostly dead and vented, so I bought the spareparts at a local electronics store for about 10€ and replaced them.


The screen works brilliant again without an issue (except for one dead pixel). It works with Real 3D polarisation glasses from our local cinema Thats a bonus and I am happily watching 3D youtubevideos now.


The screen is only about 2 1/2 years old and I really wonder what kind of cheap crap they stuff into these things and if this is supposed to be like a built in timebomb, that makes the devices unuseable right after the warranty period and if you ask them to repair them they come up with stuff like " it's cheaper to buy a new one" and if you don't have any technical knowledge, you will believe them and buy another one. Two years ago these displays were around 350€. Too much for me to see thrown away.


That makes me a bit angry, but also a bit happy, as i have a good as new 3D display now.


Just wanted to vent a bit and share this story.

 

[elwing]

doh, you are for sure really lucky...

 

[Nintendo]

Speaking of modern technology. IMHO, the 3DS is as solid as they get in terms of overall hardware build quality and software.

 

[EvilDragon]

Most of the current devices have capacitators that will die after 2,5 years (after warranty period).


Some are even of too low capacity and heat up too much, so to make SURE they'll die after 2,5 years.


It's always an easy fix. Grabbed an HD Humax Sat Receiver the same way.

Speaking of modern technology. IMHO, the 3DS is as solid as they get in terms of overall hardware build quality and software.

Nintendo usually does high quality stuff. All my original classic Nintendo stuff still works (GameBoy, GameBoy Advance, NDS, etc.), whereas a lot other old consoles (all my GP32, the GP2Xs, etc.) don't work anymore.

 

[Nintendo]

Ok, but why isn't your GP32 and GP2X no longer working? You seem like the kind of bloke that takes good care of all your electronic devices, etc?

 

[Ziz]

I think, it depends, on how often you use it - and in this case, nobody uses his/her handhelds more than ED. ;-)

 

[mcobit]

Well, maybe they are of lower quality...

 

[Nintendo]

@ Ziz & mcobit


I guess there are a few factors involved.

 

[Asmo]

I am a serial saver of repairable items from skips and other sources. It's crazy what people will throw away, some people clearly think changing a fuse or replacing a power cable is akin to Brain surgery.


There's a small computer shop near me that periodically has a skip outside full of discarded parts from their repairs (everything from laptop screens through all manner of drives to peripherals). Within 48 hours, so long as it hasn't rained, it's practically stripped bare by techy treasure hunters.


Speaking of old tech quality, I dug up my old Super-8 projector the other day. Over 30 years old with many miles on the clock, worked perfectly first time!

 

[Nintendo]

...some people clearly think changing a fuse or replacing a power cable is akin to Brain surgery.

a skip outside full of discarded parts from their repairs (everything from laptop screens through all manner of drives to peripherals).

You should go to Japan...it's a gold mine there.

 

[Blue Protoman]

Before I even read the thread, I thought "What else is new?"

 

[TDT]

I wish I knew more about electronics here. I'm kinda one of those people that, if it's not easily fixable, then I throw something out. Luckily not a whole lot breaks for me, but troubleshooting and repairing it is more difficult for me.


As far as the GP2X. Personally, I thought the build quality was pretty decent with that. I used to use mine fairly heavily (before the pandora) and it didn't seem to have problems. My 3DS is by far better than the GP2X, though, in terms of build quality. The 3DS is better than the DS too.


I still wouldn't trust dropping any of this on the ground

 

[EvilDragon]

Ok, but why isn't your GP32 and GP2X no longer working? You seem like the kind of bloke that takes good care of all your electronic devices, etc?

Sure, but that alone doesn't help.


Parts can die even when you don't use them.


My GP2X doesn't switch on anymore, one GP32 crashes as soon as I run ANY game and the other two also don't start up anymore.


I haven't used them for four years and tried to switch them on for the Pixelmacher TV Report about the Pandora.

 

[Nintendo]

Damn~ Poor quality indeed, it seems.

 

[sirthunder516]

I'm surprised that no one's mentioned keyboards yet. Desktop keyboards have been getting flimsier and flimsier...


Recently, I cleaned up an IBM Model M keyboard. I'm never using a "modern" keyboard again.


But yes, my battered GBA from my childhood works like a charm. My Dingoo and Caanoo have been having some issues though, and I don't think my last cell phone lasted more than 1.5 years.

 

[Prometheus]

I'm surprised that no one's mentioned keyboards yet. Desktop keyboards have been getting flimsier and flimsier... Recently, I cleaned up an IBM Model M keyboard. I'm never using a "modern" keyboard again.

I've noticed this with laptop keyboards, where they can too often be a pain to replace, too! My previous main box (a Lenovo ThinkPad) snuffed it from a motherboard issue and had this problem too, so I gave up on laptops entirely, got a desktop box, and invested in a nice mechanical keyboard made by Cherry, since I am really harsh on keyboards. What a difference! Sometimes you don't know that something needs addressing until you address it!


Also, as with everyone else, all of my Nintendo stuff still works perfectly and is in the same solid, well-built shape it's always been in - it just keeps going and going and going, and I've half a mind to suspect that it will outlive me. :lol: I can't say the same for any of the other consoles I own or have owned, though (except my Pandora, of course, which has taken on the duty of emulating them and doing a better job :lol: )...

 

[mjohansson]

I dropped my 3DS and on the lid to, I was devestated until I picked it up and so no mark whatsoever, no scratch nothing, it works and looks as new still. I hadnt put it in my pocket properly so it slid out when I moved, a bitter misstake I will never do again.

 

[skeezix]

You 'get what you pay for' (sometimes.. you're rarely surprised with better than, but you hope that if you pay more, you get more, you know?); with consumers expecting and demanding super cheap equipment, they get super cheap materials. Also, capacitors are an especially problematic thing where you often don't even get what you pay for.. they're all made in disreputable places, so you may buy good caps, and get crummy ones :/


I mean, there was always a lot of crap, years ago too; its not a new thing, thats for sure. You buy a cheap wrench at a autoshop 30 years ago, it'd bend the first time you used it, too


jeff

 

[slaeshjag]

My Dingoo suffers from broken speakers and a glitchy SD-slot (remove the memorycard and it is highly unlikely Dingux will ever boot again...)


However, my last cellphone lasted me 3.5 years before I dropped it one time to many, the SIM-holders solder joints cracked, so I started using a $40 phone from DX. I have since fixed that SIM-slot, and it feels like that DX phone wont even last a year


...Hmm... I should try reflowing that SD card holder, might work


Laptops seems to last about two years before I wear them out (my EEEpc's screen is barely attached to anything, and last few weeks I used it, chips of plastic started coming out of it)

 

[Prometheus]

Laptops seems to last about two years before I wear them out

That's the problem I was finding, too, and I'm incredibly gentle with my stuff.


I do miss when the same sort of money (it's not even like they've gotten substantially cheaper) would get you something better-built that would last longer...