Tell Me Something............Anything!

[Pigmy Pony]

I did hear that those headphones suck, though…. (Can’t believe you didn’t beat me to that one, Steve! [emoji4] )

Yeah I missed that one... I see that What Hifi? gave it 3 out of 5 stars, with more capable models from Apple and Bose coming in cheaper than their £450 asking price. And the 'colour options' which gave it a bit of a Fisher Price look came in for some stick. The active noise cancelling got some praise though - handy if you're trying to listen to Dusty in Memphis or Inspiral Carpets above the racket of their overpriced hoovers.

[Macca]

They may as well be a charity, because making hoovers with a 20+ year lifespan is hardly good business. And neither is buying one when 'there's dozens of competing products which are cheaper' I suppose this is where you tell me you bought it secondhand...


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No I bought it new. I expect to get at least 20 years service out of any appliance - my fridge and washing machine are both older than that. As is my pre-amp, power amp, Technics SL1200, the NAD amp on the TV system, my Sony Trinitron computer monitor.

My Sanyo microwave is from the early 1980s - still going. It's made of metal - remember when stuff was made of metal? My landline telephone is from the 1970s! 50 years old, still works fine.

Now I've said that they'll probably all fail by the end of the week.

[Pigmy Pony]

You still have a landline? Does anybody call you on it?

Always the case that older, more basic things made of proper materials are more reliable than new stuff. My 'landline' comprised two tin cans joined by a piece of string - never went wrong, though long distance calls were a bugger. And every so often I had to change the string.

My first washing machine was a Hoover "Keymatic". You selected different programmes by inserting different coloured plastic "cards", bought secondhand in 1983, still going strong ten years later when we, er, upgraded to a Zanussi which lasted until just after the warranty expired, after which we got to be on first name terms with our local repair guy. That's progress for you.

[Macca]

You still have a landline? Does anybody call you on it?

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No it isn't even plugged in as the only calls I get on it are from the 'Are you the home owner' sales wankers. But you have to have a landline subscription as part of the cable tv/broadband dealy I have.

Simple is better I agree you won't catch me buying some talking fridge or one that connects to my phone. Absolute bollocks that no-one needs.

I would like a fridge with an icemaker. Thing is the fridges with them are so big if I got one I wouldn't be able to get into the kitchen.

[Pigmy Pony]

And you've already got two fridge-size speakers. I agree, simple is best - I don't want a fridge that says "Oh no not you again" or "Do you really need to eat that" every time I open the door.

Our standard size half-and-half fridge freezer suits us fine, though we do have a chest freezer in the garage

[Macca]

And you've already got two fridge-size speakers. I agree, simple is best - I don't want a fridge that says "Oh no not you again" or "Do you really need to eat that" every time I open the door.

Our standard size half-and-half fridge freezer suits us fine, though we do have a chest freezer in the garage

Yeah, my speakers are actually bigger than my fridge in all dimensions. It doesn't have a freezer section or an ice box though. I used to have one with a freezer but I never used it so when it died I bought a larder fridge. Uses less power, less to go wrong.

[Macca]

I watched a Youtube thing about a bloke who bought a 'smart' refrigerator, he had terrible troubles with it. Took him days to get it working right. Days!

I mean why would you need a fridge that connects to the internet and has to have firmware updates? WTAF?

Are people's lives not complicated enough already? I just don't have the patience for any of that stuff. One of the reasons I don't do streaming.

[Barry]

Ah - the IOT (Internet of Things), whereby your "smart" fridge knows exactly what you have in it, and when you run low on anything it will send a message to your friendly supermarket ordering replacements which will arrive promptly!

Who needs it? Those that are too lazy to walk to the shops.

[Macca]

Living in the future - we were promised flying cars, Mr Fusion, wheels in space. And what did we get? Talkie Toaster.

[Barry]

Talking of guarantees, I think for all non perishable goods, UK law requires a minimum guarantee of one year. When we were in the EU it too prescribed a minimum guarantee; the two running consecutively. (So thanks to all those who voted to leave. )
Given that, manufacturers will now design their goods, especially electrical goods, so they will just cover the minimum period.

I would agree that in the past electrical goods, possibly because they were simpler, would last much longer, and were often repairable. I have an iron which is 50 years old, a fridge which is 48 years old, my old CRT colour telly was 20 years old and still working, only changed because TVs are digital now. And I always got about 20 years useful life out of my cars.

"They don't make 'em like they used to."