Quote:
Originally Posted by cvkemp
I can tell you this I worked in the electronic industry and I know that companies that I will not call by name designed devices, circuit board, etc., that would fail soon after their warranty period. Then if the customer wanted the device, circuit board repaired we would replace the bad components with the correct replacements that should have been in the original build of the device, or boards.
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I don't think anyone is doubting that the idea of planned obsolescence exists, but even the situation you're describing may not be exactly what it seems, even perhaps to some of the workers involved in the very products.
There are far more people spouting theories about motives they could not know than there are actual decision makers releasing info about their evil-doings.
For example, however it may have looked to the tech assembling the product, the company MAY not have "designed the product to fail right after the warranty," rather they may merely have used the least expensive part they were able to source at the right price in the right quantity at the time they needed it. It's no secret that mass-market consumers tend to favor 'good enough' cheap products over over-engineered expensive ones.
There need not be any mustache-twirling "design it to last exactly 13 months!" orders, there may merely have been a "can we ship it on time at a price people will pay?" decision.
In the case of Apple, however, I would believe there were some twirled 'staches involved.