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Computers are becoming more reliable and less user serviceable in the same way that cars did. My dad tells me stories about how he and his father used to servi

Computers are becoming more reliable and less user serviceable in the same way that cars did. My dad tells me stories about how he and his father used to service the family car, replace parts etc. My father and I used to do the same thing with the family computer. I hope my future son and I get to play with the family 3d printer.

ghshephard 15y ago
As systems become more reliable (Computers, Cars, Operating Systems) - the need for expertise is reduced. That's a godsend for those of us who use to spend days (weeks?) of every year providing computer support for relatives who's systems were constantly self-destructing. I found this (recent) article in the NYT interesting: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/automobiles/as-cars-are-kept-longer-200000-is-new-100000.html?pagewanted=all http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/automobiles/as-cars-are-ke... Little details like this are what start to make a big difference: "“The California Air Resources Board and the E.P.A. have been very focused on making sure that catalytic converters perform within 96 percent of their original capability at 100,000 miles,” said Jagadish Sorab, technical leader for engine design at Ford Motor. “Because of this, we needed to reduce the amount of oil being used by the engine to reduce the oil reaching the catalysts. “Fifteen years ago, piston rings would show perhaps 50 microns of wear over the useful life of a vehicle,” Mr. Sorab said, referring to the engine part responsible for sealing combustion in the cylinder. “Today, it is less than 10 microns. As a benchmark, a human hair is 200 microns thick."