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The Hidden Costs of Bargain Electronics

Posted by michael on from the what-goes-around dept.

Fill Dirt writes "Mike Langberg of Knight-Ridder newspapers wrote an interesting article on the the hidden costs of bargain priced consumer electronics. I saw it in the Seattle Times business section with the title Can't lose with bargain DVD player, but low cost carries price ."

6 of 689 comments (clear)

  1. Ok, I'm stupid. by SharpFang · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    But can I use such a $20-40 DVD player with a PC? Does it have any kind of such output or can I hack it to make it an IDE device?

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  2. Maybe it's because I'm evil by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Maybe it's because I'm evil but I cannot be the only person who values stuff more when a child being paid 2 cents an hour is building my stuff.

    They are poor, I am not, screw them.

    Too bad we can't keep slaves either.

  3. But wait! by Infonaut · · Score: 1, Flamebait
    That would mean that... *shudder*... there may actually be a difference in hardware quality between a $600 "cut as many corners as possible" computer and a $1,000 computer. By extension, this would lead to the notion that in some cases, the cheapest possible computer hardware is not actually the most cost-effective.

    I know we're talking about electronics here, which are a world apart from personal computers, but I just couldn't help but let my imagination run with this one.

    Some crazy people might be tempted to bring this wild line of reasoning into discussions about the differences between Wintel and Apple hardware. Gosh, I hope that never happens.

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    Read the EFF's Fair Use FAQ
  4. No, it's a wonderful job opportunity for them! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Those third-world workers are making far more than most other people in their countries. And they love the opportunity! Otherwise they'd probably have to resort to living in the sewer and eating rats. But a stupid hippie Starbuck-infused leftie Seattle guilt-ridden columnist never mentions those points counter to their anti-corporation agenda.

  5. Re:that article by haunebu · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Not sure about Canada, but the US got where it is today by:

    1. Stealing land from others.

    This tired old line is complete and utter bullshit. It's not like the settlers sneaked into the Western territories, under cover of night, and swiped the land right out from under the Indians' noses while they were sleeping. Pioneers fought and died for every inch of it. And those scalping Indians were every bit the savage in their attempt to drive the white man out.

    That's the law of nature - that's survival of the fittest. And that's how the West was won. That bullshit you just wrote is nothing more than talking shit about the people who fought & died for those sweet fruits you're enjoying.

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    Blue skies, Barthy Burgers, girls...

  6. Congratulations! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    You're the most insightful post in this thread!

    *cue music*

    This is J. A. C. Joyce speaking, and I'd like to thank you for being the first person to realise I was talking out of my backside. I don't have a master's in EE - I don't have ANY qualification in EE - but I do know that the 555 timer chip is far from being "unreliable".

    Keep up the good work, good sir.