life expectancy of electronics these days?

[Stevo]

The thread recently started about the failing Xbox 360 got me to thinking about this.

IS it just me, or are electronics failing very quickly now as compared to 5-10 years ago? I had three lcd monitors fail, and yet my 12 year old 16" screen compaq monitor still works fine (ol' backup), motherboards seem to last maybe 18 months-2 years, hell I even had a new hard drive crap out and start knocking like it spun a rod bearing after 8 months of service. I know of other people's stuff crapping out about like mine, shit costing hundreds of dollars, what is the deal? :confused:

Stevo

[stangcrazy]

Yes, the manufacturing process for electronics is getting more lax and the companies are allowing a higher percentage of failure for their products.

I've noticed it as well, but electronics just seem to hate you. :D

[JimD]

Pretty good luck here, hope my 360 doesn't take a shit on me tho.

[Hunt4m3x]

10 hourzx

[AbecX]

You guys must mistreat your hardware. I've had the same LCD running for 5 years, abecx.net has been running NON STOP for almost 1,000 days without a fucking reboot and is using a 40GB hard drive AND a 80GB hard drive. My file server at home uses a fucking 8GB drive, and it runs non stop no problems. My PS2 still works, its 5 years old, the list just goes on and on. Learn to take care of your crap.


14:32:53 up 977 days, 4:58, 8 users, load average: 0.03, 0.09, 0.12

[Stevo]

I do not mistreat any of my shit, I still have two TV's made in the mid 90's, two playstations made before 2000, a fucking microwave made in the 80's that outlived a brand new one bought in 2005. Hell, I have a laptop with a 200mhz processor that still works fine, but the last new laptop I bought overheated and took a shit setting on my computer table as I was loading software.

How the fuck do you "mistreat" a fucking desktop computer that only has to sit in one spot and work? How do you "mistreat" a fucking LCD monitor that only gets looked at? :rolleyes:

Any non-asshats want to chime in?

Stevo

[ozzeran]

[QUOTE=Stevo]I do not mistreat any of my shit, I still have two TV's made in the mid 90's, two playstations made before 2000, a fucking microwave made in the 80's that outlived a brand new one bought in 2005. Hell, I have a laptop with a 200mhz processor that still works fine, but the last new laptop I bought overheated and took a shit setting on my computer table as I was loading software.

How the fuck do you "mistreat" a fucking desktop computer that only has to sit in one spot and work? How do you "mistreat" a fucking LCD monitor that only gets looked at? :rolleyes:

Any non-asshats want to chime in?

Stevo[/QUOTE]

lol

[AbecX]

[QUOTE=Stevo]How the fuck do you "mistreat" a fucking desktop computer that only has to sit in one spot and work? How do you "mistreat" a fucking LCD monitor that only gets looked at? :rolleyes:[/QUOTE]
I never throw anything past end users, I'm sure your CDROM dobules as your cup holder. Simple answer to your post, HEAT. As hardware has progressed hand over fist, the size of the hardware has stayed the same but generating more heat. Simple solution, keep ample temperatures, air flowing, or heat off hardware.

Killer of Xbox 360s = Heat.
Killer of Motherboards = Heat.
LCD Killers = Heat.
Harddrive Killers = Heat.

[ceyko]

Damn it...got beat to the answer again. Just because you're comfy does not mean your gear is cool enough.

[jakesford]

You are either really hard on your gear, or really really unlucky... My current desktop has been running strong for 3 years now, and its been overclocked on air the entire time. 3.0 pressy running at 3.4 on air :cool:

My POS acer notebook gets beat to hell and it keeps on ticking, but I really need to do a fresh install :mad:

[0 GT 2]

[QUOTE=AbecX]I never throw anything past end users, I'm sure your CDROM dobules as your cup holder. Simple answer to your post, HEAT. As hardware has progressed hand over fist, the size of the hardware has stayed the same but generating more heat. Simple solution, keep ample temperatures, air flowing, or heat off hardware.

Killer of Xbox 360s = Heat.
Killer of Motherboards = Heat.
LCD Killers = Heat.
Harddrive Killers = Heat.[/QUOTE]


i think his point is that solving the problem should be in the hands of the company rather than a problem of a consumer.

[kangol]

[QUOTE=AbecX]Killer of Xbox 360s = Heat.
Killer of Motherboards = Heat.
LCD Killers = Heat.
Harddrive Killers = Heat.[/QUOTE]

I knew I should have never let those Miami Heat bitches in my office.

http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/8661/015671143ob4.jpg

[D]

I know my 30g iPod didn't last very fucking long...

[AbecX]

[QUOTE=0 GT 2]i think his point is that solving the problem should be in the hands of the company rather than a problem of a consumer.[/QUOTE]
Changing my cars oil is stupid. Vendors should figure out how to make it so I don't have to, and while they are at it, they should make infinity tires and windshield wiper fluids that replace themselves. I shouldn't have to maintain or take care of stuff after I buy it.

[Hunt4m3x]

[QUOTE=AbecX]Changing my cars oil is stupid. Vendors should figure out how to make it so I don't have to, and while they are at it, they should make infinity tires and windshield wiper fluids that replace themselves. I shouldn't have to maintain or take care of stuff after I buy it.[/QUOTE]


Only if my webhost was like that...

[0 GT 2]

[QUOTE=AbecX]Changing my cars oil is stupid. Vendors should figure out how to make it so I don't have to, and while they are at it, they should make infinity tires and windshield wiper fluids that replace themselves. I shouldn't have to maintain or take care of stuff after I buy it.[/QUOTE]

you preform regular maintenance on your hard drive?

let alone in the first 8 months that it was bought

[AbecX]

[QUOTE=0 GT 2]you preform regular maintenance on your hard drive?

let alone in the first 8 months that it was bought[/QUOTE]
Yes, I keep it in a cool environment and deframented to lower the amount of seeks it needs to retrieve data.

[momo stallion]

2 major things...

1. DUST. creates more heat by slowing down fans and sitting on circuit boards. dust your shit and use air.

2. POWER. power surges blow shit up. those cheap 6 outlet strips might save you in the event of a huge surge but for expensive electronics you really should use clean power filters.
the voltage fluctuates in your house and it takes wild swings. that's not good for electronic parts that are designed to operate on 110 volts

that being said... you probably dont want to spend 100 per power center.

[Stevo]

Well, I failed to say we have (or had) three computers at the time, two of the monitors failed about the same time on different setups, the last was one of the replacements. All of the monitors were the same brand and model, I believe they were fucked from the beginning, but at over $300 a pop, they should be able to work past the warranty date. And yes, I believe that electronics should be "plug and play", you should not have to put them in a separate environment of humidity-free cool air, they should be designed to operate in a normal household environment, with the usual cleaning/dusting that most houses have done weekly.

Now the power outlets are something I will check further. I updated my power supplies as I was told that might have been an issue with the internal components, but I cannot see how that was an issue with the LCDs.

Stevo

[ceyko]

Without seeing your setup it is impossible to determine if it is something you could fix. However, most electronics are good to go and don't require a lot of maintenance...really.

A lot of people tend to stick their PCs under their desk where there is little ventilation or cool air flow. Think of it like your car, your car requires fresh air and your electronics need it too. Dust interferes with air flow as well.

Then some of the other maintenance the others mentioned will help. The other part is to buy quality components......and some people just have bad luck.

[I Stang U]

make sure you don't buy crap equipment too... some of this shit they are putting on the market now will not last till the water gets hot... much less work worth a damn.. if you buy good equipment in the first place and take care of it you shouldn't ever have any issues... now my wife on the other hand can't even keep a mac running well cause she doesn't understand that it gets warm in our home office and the crap needs to be turned off.... but hey who am i to tell her what to do :eek:

but seriously the best is when my dad used to sit at the computer smoking and playing zuma.... then the pc would die in about 4weeks and he would be pissed :D

[TexasDevilDog]

The problem of dieing electronics should get worse is the future. All electronics are going to lead free solder and lead free component processes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tin_whiskers

We can't have a gram of lead in new electronics but we can have ten pounds of it in a battery. :rolleyes: