micromux

Disposable Technologies

If my toaster breaks, it’s cheaper to throw it out and buy a new one. If my refrigerator breaks, depending on the vintage of the hardware it’s usually cheaper to pay a service tech a few hundred dollars to fix it. Why is it that when my computer breaks it’s expected that someone on the phone will help me fix it for free?

The computer manufacturing industry has reached the point where hardware is a commodity item. Margins on discounted computer goods are so small that one support call could easily erase any profits the manufacturer might have had.

What are the alternatives? Computer manufacturers can stay in the business of supporting hardware, but customers should be required to pay for these services. If your printer eschews the latest copy of your new novel, a support call to Dell for $40 an hour should get that fixed in a jiffy. For users who are able to fix these issues themselves, they can save on the cost of the support call just like a television repairman can save on the cost of fixing his own TV.

This is not a new concept, just like service on your automobile is not free the cost of repairing and maintaining your computer should not be free either. In fact, this is such a good idea that companies like GeekSquad and RedHat are basing a business model on this concept.

To maintain your personal computer, it should be approached in much the same way that you maintain your automobile. Have the machine checked every so often by a professional, even if everything seems to be working fine that doesn’t mean there isn’t a significant problem lurking under the hood. This will ensure the viability of the support industry with the expertise to maintain your personal computer for many years to come.

Of course, you could also treat it as a toaster and discard the unusable system at the first sign of trouble. Considering the prevalence of spyware and the wide assortment of virii that are out there, this might just be your best option.

Commentary on Hurricane Charley

As the devastation of Hurricane Charley disappears from the headlines of mainstream media, Southwest Florida is left to cope with the aftermath.

We were lucky – in our neighborhood the most severe damage were broken limbs and a uprooted trees. To the north of us, the damage is far more severe. The majority of destruction to traditional home structures appears to be in the roof, where many are missing shingles and large panels and a few of the most severely damaged are missing roofs altogether.

The real heartache comes after the hurricane has moved far away, and your living room is doused in a torrent of rain because there is nothing you can find to cover it.

I hope the popular press remembers to take a second look at our area when we have managed to rebuild. Our lessons learned would be well heeded by others in hurricane alley, especially those in our geographic vicinity who skirted this storm and still feel they don’t have to worry about this kind of thing happening to them.