this post was submitted on 30 Jul 2024
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I hate this approach to business.
Coupling subscriptions with forced obscolecence is a nightmare. If HP made the best printer money could buy, using it with a subscription model would be a hard sell. But they make shit printers that die at the drop of a hat, so coupling them with a subscription is asinine.
Logitech makes a decent mouse, passable webcams, and shit keyboards.
Just in case anyone from Logitech ever reads this, I own 2 MX Verticals, an MX Ergo, and an MX Master 2S. I love them all, but I'd rather use an OEM bog standard Dell mouse than pay for a subscription.
They don't even make good mice technically because of planned obsolescence.
Their switches die, intentionally, long before the life time of any other components on their mice. And have for nearly 10 years now.
They way I got introduced to hardware as a service is that it was a solution to planned obsolescence.
In theory, a hardware subscription means that if you pay for X months of that hardware, you gonna get it. Doesn't matter if it breaks, it should be replaced while your subscription lasts.
So taking that into account, the less the hardware breaks, the more profit they have. So not only should it eliminate planned obsolescence, it would make engineering for durable products an actually very profitable business.
So, what is the difference between this approach and just selling an extended warranty?
With subscription you don't own the product, but also you don't pay up front.
With subscription, you should be able to buy as many months as you want. With extended warranty, I think companies usually only sell 1 extended warranty per item.
(I'm pulling the prices out of my ass, don't try to calculate which one is more "worth it".
Extended warranty:
30€ for the mouse (3 years warranty) 5€ 1 year extended warranty.
You are sure to have the item for at least 4 years. After that, you can use it until it breaks.
Subscription:
1€/month
You get to use the mouse for exactly the months you paid for. No more, no less
Also, with subscriptions you are likely to get a second hand item. But when you buy the item you are gonna get 1st hand unless you shop at Amazon.
I personally wouldn't buy a subscription, I prefer to own it. However, I'll admit that it's not black and white, and subscriptions also have some benefits.
Another way instead of per time window is per use. For example, in the case of a mouse, per clicks.
So if you buy 1.000.000 clicks and rarely use the computer, you get to own the mouse for a very long time for very cheap, just in case you ever want to use it. This is basically today's planned obsolescence, except the item doesn't become trash, the company would just reset the counter and you or the next client can keep using it. If you use it a lot, it's going to become real expensive real fast though.
I used to just buy Logitech when I needed something because it's good quality and good value, they seem to be intent on moving away from both
The Logitech UltraX Flat was hands down the best keyboard I ever used in my life. Sadly after decades of use (with a ps/2 to usb adapter) at some point some key pressure sensors started failing, so I had to switch. But I swear if I ever see a new one on ebay, I'll get it in a heartbeat.
The Logitech k120 is a worthy warrior. Id never get an expensive keyboard from them though
It's really insane that they want the good press and loweree manufactured volume of a quality item... But also for it to fail and you need to buy up whenever they arbitrarily say so.
It's horrifying. Absolutely broken fucking mindset that only works if we truly are trapped having to buy from them and I just don't see how that can be true before someone says fuck it and competes.
It's so grossly profit seeking I just will feel really defeated if it actually works.