On Wed, 23 Jun 2004 13:45:12 GMT, "Andrew Koenig" wrote:

wrote in message
hlink.net...

Question is, is this the wave of the future? Cameras of so-so quality that
cost hundreds of dollars that have to be replaced every few years? Or are
we
in a transitional moment when this new technology is growing very fast and
will stabilize someday?

It will certainly stabilize someday. When it does, manufacturers will have
to find a way to convince people to continue to buy new hardware. If they
do not, they will go out of business.

Film SLR makers haven't had much trouble finding new features to tempt
their clients. I don't see why digital will be any different.

I think it is only a matter of time before manufacturers of electronic
devices such as cameras and computers start putting hardware lifetime
limiters in them. So you buy a camera with the understanding that after
three years or 10,000 pictures, it will self-destruct and you have to buy a
new one.

Planned obsolescence has been argued about for a long time.
Autos, which one would think would have a good argument for such,
simply don't; new cars now last much longer than they did 40-50 years
ago. Instead, they just keep making them with newer features that
people want.
As above, it's worked this long, there's no reason it won't in the
future.


Bill Funk
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