In modern age of cheap mass production (especially with factories in China), manufacturers can sell their hardware cheaply, which makes their products cheaper to replace than to repair.
I was told by a dealer in computers that our early version of HP Pavilion was a product of their Chinese factory, and a victim of poor quality control simply because their production could not cope with the high demand. So it was, just two months after expiry of warranty, it could not switch on. Someone who could repair it warned that he could not guarantee it to last more than a few months!
Couple of years back, I bought a 3-in-1 HP printer which came with the usual adaptor and a starter ink cartridge. Recently, just when my daughter needed to print her boarding pass, I found I could not switch on the printer. There was a click sound from the adaptor. Most people would think it is easy to find an adaptor which can be used. But adaptors are usually made to suit only a particular model. I found a shop in Amcorp Mall and a shop assistant took the trouble to look for a suitable adaptor. She found one but the output was slightly less than mine (meant for printing only while mine was meant for scanning and faxing as well). I asked how much would it cost had she found one, and she replied, "More than Rm100"! If my memory served me well, I bought the printer at Tesco in Ipoh for less than Rm200! The shop has one of the same model and it was priced at Rm365.
I have come across friends throwing their printers (bought cheaply) away (together with their adaptors). How I wish I had asked to keep their adaptors! Now, the most pragmatic thing to do is the usual wasteful ways of today: to buy a new one and throw away the old (despite the printer in good working condition). Or, to look for a cheap (hopefully) printer of the same model, just to be able to use its adaptor for both!
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I was told by a dealer in computers that our early version of HP Pavilion was a product of their Chinese factory, and a victim of poor quality control simply because their production could not cope with the high demand. So it was, just two months after expiry of warranty, it could not switch on. Someone who could repair it warned that he could not guarantee it to last more than a few months!
Couple of years back, I bought a 3-in-1 HP printer which came with the usual adaptor and a starter ink cartridge. Recently, just when my daughter needed to print her boarding pass, I found I could not switch on the printer. There was a click sound from the adaptor. Most people would think it is easy to find an adaptor which can be used. But adaptors are usually made to suit only a particular model. I found a shop in Amcorp Mall and a shop assistant took the trouble to look for a suitable adaptor. She found one but the output was slightly less than mine (meant for printing only while mine was meant for scanning and faxing as well). I asked how much would it cost had she found one, and she replied, "More than Rm100"! If my memory served me well, I bought the printer at Tesco in Ipoh for less than Rm200! The shop has one of the same model and it was priced at Rm365.
I have come across friends throwing their printers (bought cheaply) away (together with their adaptors). How I wish I had asked to keep their adaptors! Now, the most pragmatic thing to do is the usual wasteful ways of today: to buy a new one and throw away the old (despite the printer in good working condition). Or, to look for a cheap (hopefully) printer of the same model, just to be able to use its adaptor for both!
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