Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/05/01

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Subject: RE: [Leica] Darkroom
From: "bdcolen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>
Date: Thu, 1 May 2003 17:24:01 -0400

You're probably right on that Seth, but...true story. In about 1989 I
took some book contract money and bought a Compaq luggable computer and
HP Laser Jet - 300 dpi, 6 ppm if memory serves, for an obscene price. I
seem to recall the Laserjet as being multi thousands, but maybe I'm
crazy. Anyway, some time in the mid-90s I bought a much cheaper 12 ppm
laserjet, and sold the first one to a friend. And today, 14 years after
I bought that printer, he's still using it to crank out book
manuscripts....so some things actually take lickins and keep on
ticken...:-)

- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
[mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us] On Behalf Of Seth
Rosner
Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2003 5:07 PM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: [Leica] Darkroom


B.D. I agree with most of what you say; also with most of what Steve
said. But...........

> Oh, right - obsolescence. We are at the point now with digital where 
> people can buy in at a number of price points and be happy for quite a

> few years to come with the results they get. Sure, digital will 
> continue to improve. But how many people will have to have the 
> improvements? Certainly not enough so that your concern about 
> "digicams" becoming obsolete every two years is relevant.

This isn't the point. My understanding is that at the consumer level,
product is being designed and manufactured to work well for a limited
period of time and the manufacturers do not support or service their
older equipment.

It just happened to me with my relatively recent (4-year-old)
Hewlett-Packard Laserjet printer/fax machine. It worked perfectly early
last week. Then last Thursday it malfunctioned. Checking the "error" I
need a new memory board. H-P no longer makes a separate memory board for
this machine. But I can buy it in unit with some other important
component. Price: $450. I get a trade-in of $200. for the components in
the machine. But I have to find someone (and pay someone) who knows how
to install the new components. Result, I spend $699. for a new "updated"
Laserjet.

So the photo consumer is compelled to upgrade because the maker can't
(won't) fix the old machine. It's modern commerce. Yuk.

Seth             LaK 9

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