What is the meaning of planned obsolescence?
- A manufacturer's planned, deliberate reduction of the service life of products such as washing machines are called "planned obsolescence.
- Understandably, the planned obsolescence is not made by the manufacturer, public.
- Neither the term nor the idea is an invention of recent times. The American businessman Bernard London published already in 1932, the essay "Ending the Depression Through Planned Obsolescence".
- The planned obsolescence is a product strategy that incorporates aware of vulnerabilities in a product. The aim is that the product is broken or no longer in full can be used. The customer is then forced to buy a new product, and this in turn means revenue for the industry.
- Undetectable the planned obsolescence, unfortunately, is not. The concepts are sophisticated, and not knitted, that a distinction to the normal wear and tear is possible.
Often the object of planned obsolescence (source:Pixabay)
Tricks of the planned obsolescence
Used to be a washing machine for decades kept long. The more you can expect from today's products.
- Theoretically, you can repair almost any defective device - then you would have to buy an expensive new device. In the course of the planned obsolescence of the device is broken is not easy.
- It is also deliberately designed so that a repair is often difficult. So many devices are screwed today, but glued to it. This does not only Open, but also Close to a challenge. A typical example of this is you know: built-in rechargeable batteries in Smartphones can be self-directed hardly replace and repairs are expensive. The result: the customer buys a new phone when the battery stops its service.
- Of printers and printer cartridges you probably know another popular Trick of the manufacturer, - the use of so-called counter chips. These monitor the useful life of the device. The manufacturer no longer specifies a time interval after which the product, then reports it to function properly. In truth, it is, but like clockwork.
- There are other Tricks to lead a unit as quickly as possible to the Defect. So, for example, heat can be installed in sensitive Capacitors to be aware of, especially warm Places.
If your appliance no longer works, read our article on warranty for electrical equipment - how long is it?
