Author: Curt Doolittle

(Issue: “Right to Repair”)
I’m off Bowers and Wilkins @BowersWilkins for life, for the same reason I’m off Phillips for life.
I’ve purchased two B&W Zeppelins for my home – a product that, in my opinion, produced the best sound at the best price – both in the 2010-2012 time frame. And for my 25×40 Great Room in Kiev it was extraordinary – it would fill the room.
In the past I’ve owned Klipsch Forte I speakers from the mid 1980’s – which even as ‘vintage’ products, still sell for thousands used. And that’s what we should expect from our hardware.
I presently have a 2010 17″ Macbook pro, and two 2014 15″ macbook pros. Why? Because ‘ports’. Until the 2024 (new) Macbook Pros, there hasn’t been enough of a performance update to compensate for the loss of ports and function keys, and local repair shops readily replace batteries, screens and keyboards if needed. (Which happens).
Living in Kiev, there are little electronics places everywhere that repair all sorts of equipment. But in the USA, personnel and rental property costs – plus the lack of an educated population, mean that we don’t have that choice. (Note that you can get some of these things repaird in London).
By comparison, both of my B&W Zeppelins have ‘Bricked’ because of the fragility of the components on the main board. And the company no longer produces replacement main boards. So while the speakers are technically functional, it can’t perform any of it’s wireless or bluetooth functions, it can’t connect to apple phones or ipads, and you can’t update the software.
So it’s a Brick.
I lost a three year old Samsung TV to a mainboard failure last year. After researching it, I discovered it’s a common problem.
So the TV was a Brick.
We deserve better. Why? Because it will drive bad products, bad companies, and bad service out of the market.
And that’s the direction all of us need to take our economies: back to quality rather than disposability.
Because really? How much innovation in our electronics have we seen other than screen resolution and data transmission if I can use a laptop that’s almost fifteen years old for anything other than playing 3d video games, and I can’t tell the difference? And how much innovation in audio where you can tell the difference? Even in video the only difference is the price per inch of screen space.

Now, what if we get started on automobiles?
Laptops and desktops?
Every other gizmo in yor home?