#1
This needs to be boycotted into the ground.
#2
#3
As the examples roll on, a clear pattern emerges: no industry seems to be immune. The frustration extends far beyond the tech world, creeping into our kitchens with short-lived appliances and even our closets with fast-fashion clothing designed to fall apart. It's a universal tale of declining quality for the sake of repeat business, and the online community had receipts for all of it.
#5
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Wondering if your phone suddenly got dumber overnight? According to industrial design expert Dr. Miles Park, it’s not just in your head. He confirms there's "a little bit of truth" to the idea that companies are making things not to last. So go ahead and give yourself a pat on the back because your paranoia is officially expert-approved.
#7
#9
They were THE standard up through the 70's. Even their machines from the 80's can still be going strong today (except when the plastic gears break you can't buy parts anymore, so they're solid till they aren't...)
But the Singer machines you can buy for $150-500 at Walmart (used to be Joann's) today can't be fixed at all. They are all cheap, brittle plastic. You can barely pull the covers off to regrease them without them breaking in a way that they'll never go back together right.
They aren't meant to be maintained or repaired (and why would you when they cost $150 and a standard machine service costs $100-150 from a reputable sewing machine tech?). Which means they have a lifespan of 2-4 years depending on how much you use them. If they last longer than that, you got lucky!
Even a $200 Brother machine can be serviced and repaired (you can buy parts for it). Low end Singers are essentially disposable.
This whole scheme isn't new, by the way. For a truly vintage example, look no further than the lightbulb. Back in 1924, the world's leading bulb manufacturers formed the "Phoebus Cartel" with one shady goal: to intentionally shorten the lifespan of their lightbulbs from a robust 2,500 hours to a measly 1,000. They literally engineered a worse product just to sell more.
#10
Needless to say I threw out that purifier and bought another one.
#11
#12
One of the most popular phones of all time. They nuked the battery life with an update, just straight up destroyed the entire phone. It lasts about 90 minutes now. Will never buy another Google phone again, and neither should you.
It all feels like a toxic relationship, doesn't it? We love our gadgets, but they seem determined to break our hearts (and our bank accounts). As Dr. Park points out, manufacturers often blame us, saying "it’s people who just want new stuff." But as this thread proves, most of us just want things that work. The frustration is certainly a shared one, and this thread continues to gather more furious responses daily.
#14
#15
The most sinister sabotage is often invisible. It’s not a snap, crackle, or pop, but the slow, agonizing demise of your device via a "mandatory update." Your once-zippy laptop is suddenly chugging along like it’s running on Windows 95, and your phone’s battery life mysteriously halves overnight. This digital decay is the modern manufacturer's way of turning your hardware into a paperweight.
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#18
reimaginealec replied:
iPhones don’t last long enough for their price, I’ll give you that, but a Mac? I think my MacBook might outlive me. Get the batteries replaced once a decade and you’re golden.
#20
It all feels like a toxic relationship, doesn't it? We love our gadgets, but they seem determined to break our hearts (and our bank accounts). As Dr. Park points out, manufacturers often blame us, saying "it’s people who just want new stuff." But as this thread proves, most of us just want things that work. The frustration is certainly a shared one, and this thread continues to gather more furious responses daily.