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Although capitalism could provide us with used laptops for decades to come, the strategy outlined above should be considered a hack, not an economical model. It
by danradunchev 3y ago
Although capitalism could provide us with used laptops for decades to come, the strategy outlined above should be considered a hack, not an economical model. It’s a way to deal with or escape from an economic system that tries to force you and me to consume as much as possible. It’s an attempt to break that system, but it’s not a solution in itself. We need another economical model, in which we build all laptops like pre-2011 Thinkpads. As a consequence, laptop sales would go down, but that’s precisely what we need. Furthermore, with today’s computing efficiency, we could significantly reduce the operational and embodied energy use of a laptop if we reversed the trend towards ever higher functionality.
- cyrillite 3y agoContent aside for a second: I have been trying to find your magazine again for so long. This scratches an itch. Thank goodness.
- ip26 3y agolaptop sales would go down, but that’s precisely what we need. Furthermore, with today’s computing efficiency... Somehow these conversations never seem to talk about how we would not have current levels of compute if everybody kept their computers for one or two decades before buying another. Good or bad, right or wrong, the present state of affairs only happened with the present replacement cycle. I'm not arguing we have to keep the present replacement cycle, but I think it needs addressing.
- soulbadguy 3y ago> Good or bad, right or wrong, the present state of affairs only happened with the present replacement cycle. Hmmmm... I am not sure that those two things are as correlated (much less causally linked) as it might first appear. We could have the same "average" pace of innovation, just delivered between longer intervals.
- ip26 3y agoOk, you’re probably right as long as your total spend in dollars is the same. If everyone buys laptops half as often but pay twice as much. It’s the spend that funds the advancements.