Quote:
Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward
Where's the Porshe/Mercedes/Rolls of gadgets? Pay more and get something that is flexible and long lasting, (user replaceable battery, storage, ect.) A small market perhaps, but with no one in it, a profitable one.
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Quaint idea, but the problem with that market is there's no one in it.
There are no manufacturers aren't in it because there are no customers in it.
This market you dream of, like fine art, wines, horses, boats, and villas, is a patron market. For a patron market to exist, you need patrons. Unless you have the more-money-than-sense kind of cash lying around, you're with me -- not a patron.
The fact is very few markets select on longevity or maintainability -- in many cases, this includes even the patron markets. The PRS/Kindle/Nook readers exist in a market that doesn't (and the point of the OP).
While I appreciate your calculator and receiver are still alive, The expectation that "my ereader will still be going strong after 26 years" is meaningless with the march of a technology that is only a few years old with many capabilities yet unexplored. Longevity has no solid measure or relevance in most purchasing decisions. This is nothing new to the modern technology.
As a consumer you're free to complain about it, but until enough cash or groundswell changes what is or is not "valued" in a market, the engineering requirements will not change.
Alternatively you could fund you're own cadre of engineers and manufacturers to build your dream device, however be prepared to wait a long time for an out-dated technology with an astronomical the unit price that will last nearly forever.