[sdiy] Humans are not Becoming Smaller (was: SMD comming your way)

[harrybissell]

"Roy J. Tellason" wrote: <snip'd>

> In other words,  it's for the convenience of the manufacturers.  The
> convenience of the hobbyist,  the hacker/modifier,  or the repair person is
> not being considered in this economic picture.  The fact that this stuff ends
> up getting thrown out and not repaired is not a cost that the manufacturer
> has to bear,  in most cases,  it's instead borne by other folks.

Its good for the manufacturer... they WANT you to throw away the old one and
buy a new one. They don't have to service anything, stock anything.

Society as a whole has to bear the burden of the throwaway mentality. RoHS
was CAUSED by this.

The fact that it is harder or impossible to repair is a win-win for
manufacturers...
1) you have to buy a new one
2) the cost to 'start up' and compete with them goes way up with the more
expensive
technology.  Sure, the per-unit cost is down... but only if you are making a
million
products.
3) third party service cannot compete.

My company 'used' to provide schematics to customers... now they don't... and
our customers have to send repairs to US.   We make it hard on third party
repairmen.

This p***es off our old-time customers... but the kids today think this is a
normal
way to do business (since they buy cell-phones and MP3 players etc...)

The Who used to say "hope I die before I get old..."  Never was there a better
time to do that.   ;^P

H^) harry

>
>
> > > Again, please pay attention to this, some people on this list don't
> > > appear to realize, or be able to comprehend, the following: humans are
> > > not shrinking in size so as to be able to find vastly smaller
> > > components more convenient for SDIY.
> > >
> > > There's no need to make everything so small that circuit design,
> > > building, modification, troubleshooting, repair, etc. becomes an
> > > inconvenience.  Hobbies should be fun, as should careers, so there's
> > > no reason to be working with such small devices in many instances, for
> > > the purposes of an income or a hobby.
> >
> > I have been in to this since i was i kid and done this just for fun.
> > And it is my hobby. Why should time stopp?
> >
> > Are you making tube synthesizer
>
> Some people are,  apparently.
>
> > Or typing this text on tube based computers?
>
> I wouldn't want to try!
>
> > > Remember, if it's a nuisance to assemble, it's going to be even more
> > > of a nuisance to modify.  The more tiny parts that hobbyists, small
> > > businesses, etc. start buying, the fewer the larger, through-hole,
> > > components will be sold, and that might be enough to convince some
> > > lower-volume suppliers, that sell to hobbyists and small businesses,
> > > to stop carrying the larger components.
> >
> > Start learning SMD electronic before it's too late.
> > Hobby SMD-DYI should been starting 10 years ago.
>
> It did,  for some folks.  I'll pass,  thanks -- I have *NO* intentions of
> going there,  for as long as I can manage to avoid it.