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I was complaining to someone the other day about how needlessly complex washing machines, driers, and other home appliances have gotten. I bought a luxury refr

by taude 14y ago

I was complaining to someone the other day about how needlessly complex washing machines, driers, and other home appliances have gotten. I bought a luxury refrigerator (LG) about 5 or 6 years ago. The motherboard/controller unit had to get replaced 3 times in the first year. I'm still using a washing machine and dryer from the early '80s that I somehow inherited. No one's ever said to me my clothes aren't clean. When it comes time to replace them, I'm going to get the basic models without all the fancy stuff... ...but no smart phone? Blasphemous.

philjohn 14y ago
On the other hand, I've got an 8 year old fridge freezer that's still going strong, and a 5 year old dishwasher that's still going strong. Sounds like you got a dodgy model that had problems, but don't tar every modern appliance with the same brush. I also haven't seen a dishwasher with 40 buttons, as claimed in the parent post, and my modern Bosch washing machine doesn't look any more complex than the Miele one my mother had 25 years ago.
- fmax30 14y ago
  I have got an LG washing machine that is 10 years old and works. A 20 year old sony tv that works. And a General fridge and a microwave bought in 1985 that still works. So basically the new pieces of technology keep breaking and we have to use these backups. At least the get the stuff done. Alas! , we cannot say the same for old software .... ( actually the older it is, the crappier it is).
pbhjpbhj 14y ago
>needlessly complex washing machines, driers, and other home appliances // Presumably the companies don't want to compete on longevity as shareholders want short term returns and so aren't interested, generally, in long term stability and good stewardship of resources. That just leaves quality and features to compete on. Quality costs money and features are relatively cheap. So the companies stuff in features and pretend it's a quality product all the while hoping it breaks down the second it's outside warranty ...? Too cynical?
SoftwareMaven 14y ago
I have a mid-90s washer and dryer, which is the exact same design as the 80s versions. In 15+ years, I've had a few problems with them, but every time it was a relatively straightforward for me to figure out and to fix because they are so simple. If you have a voltmeter and an ammeter, you are set. The inability for me to fix them is what keeps me from upgrading. As the OP noticed, everything is broken, so I expect I will have to get anything repaired. I'd prefer to save some money and do it myself.
count 14y ago
My 'new' dishwasher isn't needlessly complex. It's very complex because it uses less than half of the water per wash my older model did, so it has to filter/cycle. And no issues with it in 5 years. It replaced a dirt cheap, super simple 1980s style single-lever, single button model that failed after <1 full year of usage. Not everything is broken, it's just cheaper and possible to make shitty things en masse. You can still pay for quality (see: Porsche reliability vs. Chevy reliability).

by taude 14y ago

philjohn 14y ago

On the other hand, I've got an 8 year old fridge freezer that's still going strong, and a 5 year old dishwasher that's still going strong. Sounds like you got a dodgy model that had problems, but don't tar every modern appliance with the same brush. I also haven't seen a dishwasher with 40 buttons, as claimed in the parent post, and my modern Bosch washing machine doesn't look any more complex than the Miele one my mother had 25 years ago.

fmax30 14y ago
I have got an LG washing machine that is 10 years old and works. A 20 year old sony tv that works. And a General fridge and a microwave bought in 1985 that still works. So basically the new pieces of technology keep breaking and we have to use these backups. At least the get the stuff done. Alas! , we cannot say the same for old software .... ( actually the older it is, the crappier it is).

pbhjpbhj 14y ago

>needlessly complex washing machines, driers, and other home appliances // Presumably the companies don't want to compete on longevity as shareholders want short term returns and so aren't interested, generally, in long term stability and good stewardship of resources. That just leaves quality and features to compete on. Quality costs money and features are relatively cheap. So the companies stuff in features and pretend it's a quality product all the while hoping it breaks down the second it's outside warranty ...? Too cynical?

SoftwareMaven 14y ago

I have a mid-90s washer and dryer, which is the exact same design as the 80s versions. In 15+ years, I've had a few problems with them, but every time it was a relatively straightforward for me to figure out and to fix because they are so simple. If you have a voltmeter and an ammeter, you are set. The inability for me to fix them is what keeps me from upgrading. As the OP noticed, everything is broken, so I expect I will have to get anything repaired. I'd prefer to save some money and do it myself.

count 14y ago

My 'new' dishwasher isn't needlessly complex. It's very complex because it uses less than half of the water per wash my older model did, so it has to filter/cycle. And no issues with it in 5 years. It replaced a dirt cheap, super simple 1980s style single-lever, single button model that failed after <1 full year of usage. Not everything is broken, it's just cheaper and possible to make shitty things en masse. You can still pay for quality (see: Porsche reliability vs. Chevy reliability).