ProprieTERROR!! Technology in Endless Limbo

ManicMatt · Mon 26/05/2008 19:54:57

Maybe not the same thing.. but I want to rant about it anyway now you've made me think about it.

PSP UMDs. The disc for a PSP comes in a little protective case, presumably to keep the disc stable and clean. If your case breaks, the game won't work. And I don't think anywhere in town sells replacement UMD cases, so if you don't have an online account to buy some, say off amazon, you're screwed.

The cases themselves are rubbish. In my business people sell me their PSP games. I check them before I buy them. 2 out of 10 times, the cases are broken and I reject them. They can break in a few different places too. It's like Sony made them so that wear and tear WILL destroy them so you go and buy the game again. Grr. This really puts me off ever owning a PSP.

evenwolf · Mon 26/05/2008 20:02:32

Like I said "Sony is a bunch of proprietary bastards."

I've never held a UMD in my hands but I would bet that to be the case.

Think about CDs & DVDs. They ARE plastic. They're pretty damn durable. I mean you can scratch it. But most of the time you can get it to work. Otherwise CDs and DVDs wouldn't have beaten the cassete tape. You'd have to bend it or grind a knife against it to really do damage.

So I'm looking at this dinky piece of plastic and I'm thinking one of two things:

1. Propietary mechanism: You see the UMD and think "Ooh! My discs will never be scratched thanks to this handy device!" and then of course what you said. It doesn't even matter. If you HAD scratched the disc (instead of breaking the UMD) you'd still be able to use or sell your DVD.

2. Sony was too lazy to design a proper DVD drive that they jacked up their own production costs on their DVDs. This scenario seems business unfriendly.

Either way its a backwards step for technology. CDs & DVDs hit the market. Third party companies invent CD scratch repair, buffers, etc. Sony decides to circumvent these companies by lowering the weakest chain link to a less durable peice of plastic.

--edit-- Not to mention that a new disc format means all new contracts with movie studios, game designers, & its a step harder to pirate your own shit onto the PSP. And what the hell is universal about a "Universal Media Disc"? That's marketing bullshit right there. Just naming it that.

That's just my consumer advocacy CONSPIRACY THEORY!!! dun dun duuur.

ManicMatt · Mon 26/05/2008 20:13:51

You're exactly right there! My shop offers a disc cleaning service, but we can't repair broken UMDs. I've literally thrown away PSP games cos the case is broken (And cellotaping them or whatever doesnt really work). Now I've seen replacement cases I shall see if I can get them cheap, would be beneficial.

evenwolf · Mon 26/05/2008 20:25:15

These proprietary woes may seem like pet peeves.

But they account for so many heaps of plastic waste that I find it not only inconvenient but a downright shame. People throw away these huge plastic devices every couple years while we could be enjoying 1 device that lasts us well over 10 years. And it's not attributable to advances in technology. Its the exact opposite. We're treading backwards on purpose.

These companies do their hardest to convince the consumer he SHOULD buy a new device every several years. If the flashy gimmicks don't move your butt to the store, they'll basically design a ticking time bomb in the product so you'll have to.

Last year I ruined a phone in water. I tried to remove the SIM card so I could put it in my spare phone. To my disgust, Sprint had abandoned SIM cards. There was no chip or card to remove from my phone. This was a proprietary decision to increase the profits on Sprint products. The idea of buying any phone you want and inserting your SIM card is going the way of the dinosaur.

The SIM card was a HELLUVA an idea. You just change your phone's identity by throwing a chip in it. But that was too risky for Sprint... they prefer you spend hundreds of dollars on their exclusive cheap plastic phones. So SIM cards, a step forward, are now being phased out by shittier, more proprietary technology. Nobody wants consumers to stop spending money. The business sector, the government. But now we're heading into a recession and this shit has got to be put on pause.... or stop altogether.

Ryan Timothy B · Thu 29/05/2008 00:44:01

The biggest scam that I forked over money for was the DVD infrared remote control and receiver for the original Xbox. Without it, you couldn't play DVD's. Why the hell not? It's not like the infrared receiver did anything but connect you to the remote. Why couldn't they just use the xbox controllers? A for play. X for pause. B for stop. Y for rewind/forward speed. It was just a huge gimmick to cash in on more money. I even think it was $40.
I think the 360's don't need a remote this time around though.

evenwolf · Thu 29/05/2008 03:48:47

Another good example.

You got technology that you've paid for IN your machine. But you can't access it without forking another 40 bucks.

I did buy a PS2 DVD controller even though I didn't need to. I just wanted the advanced features and the new drivers that came with it. It was also nice to go wireless. Can't remember the price but I think maybe 19 bucks.

I forgot. I own a JVC Hi-8 camera that will not boot up because of a software error. I googled the error and got tons of pages of people complaining about it. They try calling customer support and they're told it was probably their fault for leaving tapes or the battery in the camera. I THINK this one falls under manufacturer's defect but it is awfully suspicious. JVC is not a brand I recommend to anyone. Espeically for cameras. Horrible products.

Timosity · Thu 29/05/2008 04:49:34

I had a whole bunch of ink cartridge's that I thought were for my printer but they were for another model of the same brand.

The only difference I could see was the plastic key on the cartridge not fitting the slot on my printer. I snapped off the key from the cartridge and then it fitted in fine and worked.

What is the point of having different cartridges for different printers of the same brand, where the only difference is the way it slots in, surely they would make more money if it wasn't so hard to find the right one. fucken idiots getting fucked by their own stupidity

evenwolf · Thu 29/05/2008 06:08:15

I have a theory that they phase out every cartridge within a certain number of years. So if you go to the store one day and they no longer sell your cartridge....