Replacement. Getting a new to replace the old. It’s all caused by the commercialised world. Do we ever notice that things are no longer repaired. The work and labour of getting certain things to be repaired is a lot more than purchasing a brand new one.
My housemate just got his laptop ruin. In order to get it repaired, it is going to cause him a bomb. Then he seek for the consultation from the local computer hardware shop; the recommendation was to get a brand new laptop which seems viable and acceptable. I was talking to a patron from my friend’s shop. Appearantly, this old guy did seek out from the local electrical shop and what they suggested to him was to get a new dvd player instead repairing it. Getting a new one as compared to repairing was like the 60% difference. Not much though and most of us will get tempted for paying a little extra to get the newer one; in which it has more functions that we might or may not use it.
Come to think of it. Is it because we human like brand new things or is it because that the manufacturer excelled in concealing the knowledge so that there won’t be many people knew how to fix it. Therefore, when no one knows how to fix they ought to get a new one? Of course there are things had their “Meantime Between Failure” (MTBF) and “Meantime Between Repair” (MTBR) which nowadays the MTBR does not applies anymore. A friend of mine sold of his Honda Civic because the motherboard was causing some minor problem. Knowing that not everyone is capable to fix it and these minor problems shall remain he quickly sold it off just in case in future there might caused him further headache in terms of monetary in the sense of maintenance.
Looking back, there wasn’t much stuff that was send for repair aside from the car. I had a 10 years hi-fi system which I don’t think there would be anyone wanted to fix it. The cost of getting a brand new set is about the same for repair. Maybe the replacement parts is also the killing factor. Electrical and electronics. Sigh* Not everyone knows what and where to solder. Therefore the best way was to get rid of it and purchase a new one. Maybe if we are lucky enough, the meantime between failure happens during the warranty and we can exchange it instead of waiting to be repaired.
The other friend of mine whom dealt with the handphone shop once told me that for certain mobile phone model, please pray hard that the screen won’t spoil. Once it is spoilt, the cost of replace the screen will not be cheaper by 10% of getting the same unit brand new. 
So, how many things that we are being coaxed to buy and replace instead of fixing it?
On this day..
- The Swing - 2007
- Together-Gather Year End Bloggers Party!!! - 2006
- New Year 2006 - 2005
- Gah~! - 2005
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