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Logitech has an idea for a “forever mouse” that requires a subscription
(arstechnica.com)
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this post was submitted on 31 Jul 2024
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I have a (mostly) forever mouse already. It has high quality Omron switches rated for millions of clicks, an Aliexpress page bookmarked as well as a soldering iron for when they need replacing. Anything that is "forever" only needs good quality components and the ability to repair whatever may go wrong. Any company that claims to sell something that either will not break or wear out is one to avoid. A good example I can think of is BMW who no longer put drain plugs on their transmissions for fluid replacement, their reasoning: "The fluid is for lifetime usage." while the small print states the "lifetime" is roughly 120k miles. Similar story with their "lifetime" timing chains too, except those weren't even lasting the small print mileage. Didn't stop them trying to sell customers the whole replacement engine too.
Source: God, don't make me replace another BMW transmission. I'm tired.
What mouse if you don't mind sharing?
My Logitech G602 technically has high quality Omron switches but only on left/right click, the middle click and the rest use crappy little tactile switches that last about 6 months before I need to replace them.
I've got a G502 Hero. I'd heard lots of complaints about the line after buying it but I haven't had any issues despite having it for a good few years now. I also had a M305 for something like a decade. A very simple little thing but lasted a long time. I replaced the switches for higher grade switches than factory and only replaced it because the rocker mounting for the mouse wheel tilt snapped, which I'm pretty certain was caused by a house move than any lack of quality.
You can get rugged or smooth.
Lots of expensive brands prioritize smooth because their buyers will buy often and not care about resale or cost of new.
A Toyota Hilux and a Range Rover aren't really made with the same priorities, even though both could go offroading.
Someone that buys a brand new off the lot beamer likely isn't planning to still own it 120,000 miles later. Probably not even three years later.
Doesn't mean we should open a revolving door to the scrap heap. Also this perception of pick one is extremely false. It's more than possible to have a perfectly smooth transmission than can be maintained. Fill and drain plugs don't effect any of the internals so it's little more than self-sabotage (see: planned obsolence) to make it impossible to perform basic maintenance. Besides, no trans is going to remain smooth if the fluid isn't replaced frequently.
If we were only talking about a transmission sure
I don't how anyone would think that's what I meant. But here you are.
I think the problem might stem from the fact you specifically responded to my example of a transmission. You see, the subtle nuance of an example like I made is that it's still transferable.
What you may have missed in my spiel about an industry leader going out of their way to enshittify their products, effectively creating scrap-ready vehicles, no matter the price tag category, is maintenance is a crucial requirement in helping the longevity of a product, thus meaning less products going to the scrap heap (or landfill, if we're honest). I'm using cars as an example because it happens to be one of my areas of expertise that happens to be an every-day item for a large quantity of people. However, the example is just as applicable to inkjet printers that clog up, rendering them useless, mobile phones that have limited lifespans thanks to non-replaceable batteries (as well as plenty other components), laptops with similar problems, and pretty much every form of manufactured e-waste you could ever think of. There's no good reason any product shouldn't be repairable or have some means of making it last as long as physically possible before it simply doesn't make sense to do so anymore and it just so happens the automotive market serves as a terrific example of a multitude of little ways manufacturers have been slowly cutting away at reparability to the point that even a trained mechanic can't repair something without some insanely expensive equipment or still needing to resort to needing to take the vehicle to a dealer to have a certain component flashed to the car before it can be used. So no, we're not only talking about a transmission but you have fun with that thought while the rest of us have a real conversation that uses anecdotes and stand-ins to discuss a terrifyingly huge problem this world is facing.