Oh hell, is this what the world is coming to?

[Onkel Neal]

First, let me set the scene. I began to notice my awesome Dell laptop touchpad was not clicking
and was raised 2mm above the rest of the palm rest. Weird? Is the touchpad faulty? Is it trying to immigrate to Sweden?

https://missionrepair.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/img_0374.jpg

A search shows that the problem is the battery beneath it.
Seems high end laptop batteries are prone to swelling... not good.

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5337e949e4b0cd66c989e807/55d9a4dee4b0fd34cca84121/55e7cb3be4b06629f7c6a395/1441255351475/?format=1500w

(Don't say anything about the size of the pictures, it gets better)

Ok, so I order a new battery, and of course the teeny Torx screws, well, my smallest tool is T6 so I need a T5.
I didn't really think anything smaller than a T6 was real, more like a myth, but you live and learn so off I goes to Best Buy.

I enter the Best Buy and to speed up the process of finding their PC tools,
I ask the young fella at the door, "Can you point me to your PC repair and tools section?"

He says, "Sir, we don't stock tools, we are an electronics store."

Me: "Say wha, you don't have tools to work on PCs? Like small Torx and screwdriver kits?"

"No sir, you may want to try Home Depot, we are an electronics store."

Resisting many primal urges including one where I leap upon him and bite him furiously in the
jugular, I croak, "Ok, you sell computers here, still, right? You don't have any computer toolkits?"

"No, you may want to try Radio Shack if they are still in business but we're an electronics store..."

"Gah! I know, you've told me. Look, let's talk to one of the techs here, maybe they can help me."

I'm sure he rolled his eyes at this point and was thinking 'what's the deal with this old dude?
Maybe I can upsell him on a Lil Wayne CD....'

He found a substantially nerdier looking guy hunched over his phone and said, "This customer wants
some tools for his computer, do we have anything?"

The nerdy guy looked up, said, "We may have a kit in the (something) department". We went over and
there on a rack, alone and forlorn, was a cheap tool kit with some screwdriver bits, but it was so crap it
would have looked more in place in the $2 grab bin at a Dollar store. It didn't even list the size of the bits on the box.

I ended up getting a kit from Lowes hardware, it wasn't great but it worked. I tell you, WTH is the world
coming to when a guy cannot go into a computer store and get a basic set of tools to work on his PC?

:k_confused:

[Von Due]

This is the planet where gas station attendants know nothing about cars but can tell you the exact time a hotdog needs heating, a planet where the post office is where you need to go if you want CDs, and if you want to fetch that parcel from auntie, you better head over to the groceries.

It's called specialization and improved services. Another way services are improved: The local bus services here improved their services by replacing 4 lines by 1 hourly line.

Next year you be lucky to find anything electronic in an electronics store. Probably stocked up on tractor tyres, fishing nets and real estate contracts.

[Mariner1]

There's half a generation out there who've never made or mended anything in their lives - long live self-reliance!:roll:

[Buddahaid]

There's half a generation out there who've never made or mended anything in their lives - long live self-reliance!:roll:

Even among highly paid professionals, there are those who can't figure out how to install AA batteries. :yep:

[Jeff-Groves]

Me: "Say wha, you don't have tools to work on PCs? Like small Torx and screwdriver kits?"


I can see the exact look on your face at that moment!
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/picture.php?albumid=1069&pictureid=9375
:har:

[ValoWay]

I figure, because of amazon local businesses only have in stock what they're sure of people gonna actually buy regularly??

[Gargamel]

I figure, because of amazon local businesses only have in stock what they're sure of people gonna actually buy regularly??

I wouldn't even consider buying something like this from a local shop, unless I knew specifically they had them in stock, or else I would spend for ever trying to find it. And because it's a 15 minute drive to the closest cash register, and 30 minutes to anyplace that sells anything worthwhile.

I try to only shop IRL when the cost of shipping would be prohibitive, as in bulk lumber, or groceries. I'd have to say I do 98% of my shopping online, most of through amazon Prime (of course using the SubSim referal link). :)

[Reece]

WTH is the world
coming to when a guy cannot go into a computer store and get a basic set of tools to work on his PC?
And these stores wonder why we buy online instead of locally!!:doh:

[ikalugin]

I tell you, WTH is the world
coming to when a guy cannot go into a computer store and get a basic set of tools to work on his PC?I never knew the time where you could buy such tools in the PC store to begin with.

And for any repairs on my electronics I would get specialised help. But then I am too lazy to even zero my rifles, so who am I to talk?

[Onkel Neal]

Really? You must be much younger than me. In the 90s computer stores were everywhere; Circuit City, Radio Shack, CompUSA, Computer City, Incredible Universe.... and you could always count on support stock like tool kits, internals, and adapters. I guess Fry's is all that's left of the old world of computers. :wah:

[ikalugin]

Really? You must be much younger than me. In the 90s computer stores were everywhere; Circuit City, Radio Shack, CompUSA, Computer City, Incredible Universe.... and you could always count on support stock like tool kits, internals, and adapters. I guess Fry's is all that's left of the old world of computers. :wah:
I was born in 1992, go figure. 1990s were a dark age for me, especially the short band between 1998 and 2000.

[Buddahaid]

They do still exist.
https://www.santarosacomputers.com

[Onkel Neal]

I was born in 1992, go figure. 1990s were a dark age for me, especially the short band between 1998 and 2000.


Haha, I was in Russia before you :Kaleun_Thumbs_Up:

[ikalugin]

Haha, I was in Russia before you :Kaleun_Thumbs_Up:
Technically RSFSR/USSR :)

[Kptlt. Neuerburg]

Honestly as my family tech nerd, Best Buy is garbage when it comes to finding what are now considered "specialty computer items" like the toolkits and such. These days if I can't find it on Newegg then chances are there's no way in hell Best Buy would have it.

[Buddahaid]

http://images.dailykos.com/images/153471/large/Harumph.jpg?1436712644

[Jimbuna]

I believe there is a growing emphasis on buying a new replacement as opposed to repair on a rapidly growing list of everyday items.

I know that a breakdown in any of my household items (tv, washer, fridge etc. etc.) that is is not blatantly obvious and easy to repair leads me to the quick decision to simply replace new.

[vienna]

Really? You must be much younger than me. In the 90s computer stores were everywhere; Circuit City, Radio Shack, CompUSA, Computer City, Incredible Universe.... and you could always count on support stock like tool kits, internals, and adapters. I guess Fry's is all that's left of the old world of computers. :wah:

Even Fry's is getting king of sparse on a lot of the items you used to be able to depend on them having in stock; I was helping someone do a rebuild on a couple of old PCs and needed to replace some of the old fittings; there are three Fry's in our area and we had to go to all three before we found what had, up until then, been fairly stock items. It's the same with the big box hardware stores like Home Depot, or OSH; went looking for a small ball-peen hammer I needed quickly and none of the big boxes carried them anymore; I was lucky there was a small, independent hardware store here in Hollywood and they had several in stock. I think ValoWay has it right: if the brick and mortars, particularly the big ones, don't think something is going to be an 'everyday purchase', they just don't bother stocking them...



<O>

[Catfish]

I am astonished that you can even change the battery, lots of Apple hardware and almost all newer mobile phones do not 'allow' that.
"Life circle terminated" or how those glowing apostles of sustainability call that :doh: Yes, i hate that, too.

edit: is that device in the o. post a Dell or Apple? (MacBook?) :hmmm:

[ikalugin]

You can't enjoy the good (capitalism) without the bad (consumerism or over production crisis - you pick).

[Rockin Robbins]

It's amazing. People are learning that if you go to a store you can get what they want to sell you. If you want to find what you want to buy go to the Internet.

Like you say, it wasn't always that way, so it's not a limitation that stores can't overcome. But shopper by shopper, stores are teaching us that we don't really want to go there. They blame it on the Internet. But they are teaching their customers that their business isn't wanted.

For something like that I'd put a padlock on my wallet to avoid impulse purchases and hazard a trip to Harbor Freight. They have mondo computer toolkits of great quality for just about nothing.

[Platapus]

I would not consider Best Buy to be anything other than an electronic appliance store.

I would have recommended checking out the small local computer repair businesses as they would be more likely to have the specialized tools for sale, or they might let you borrow one.

But at Best Buy you are buying a box. What is inside that box is a mystery to the employees.

[mapuc]

That depends on what is broken among a persons stuff.

Let take me-I have discovered that my battery to my new computer is bad-It wouldn't charge *, Should I buy a new computer because my batteri is bad ? Off course not-A new computer cost a lot more than a battery substitut.

* I have done as I was told-Remove the battery, let the computer be without its battery for about 30 minutes, then press the start button for 30 sek.(with out the battery and power supply) put the battery back, put the power supply back and the battery should start to recharge again.

Markus

[Jeff-Groves]

But then I am too lazy to even zero my rifles,

:o
I don't trust anyone to zero mine!

[ikalugin]

:o
I don't trust anyone to zero mine!
You can trust a well payed proffesional to do almost anything for you.

The issue is that where do you stop? Repairing your PC? Zeroing your rifle? Socialising your wife? (declaimer I am not married)

[vienna]

You can trust a well payed proffesional to do almost anything for you.

...



Well-paid as opposed to well-qualified? Price does not always equate to quality...



<O>

[ikalugin]

Well-paid as opposed to well-qualified? Price does not always equate to quality...



<O>
Well-qualified is implied. If a person is well-qualified and proffesional he would do his work well if he is also well payed to do it.

[vienna]

Well-qualified is implied. If a person is well-qualified and proffesional he would do his work well if he is also well payed to do it.

Oh, I don't know; I've worked with an awful lot of 'well-qualified', 'professional' people over the decades in a wide variety of fields and it is surprising just how many of them are not all they are cracked up to be; it is easy to find incompetency at any price, and the higher the price, the higher, it seems, the risk. Sometimes it can be in the simplest of transactions: a long time ago, I had a problem with the electrical system in one of my cars; I took it to a few of the 'well-qualified' and 'professional' service shops where some of them even hooked up the car to complex diagnostics devices and the result was they could not find the problem; a drinking acquaintance of mine suggested I take the car to, as he put it, "a guy I know"; I drove out to a place in the boondocks and found the garage; it looked like a location out of the film Deliverance; a very taciturn fellow emerged from a shed and asked what I wanted; I told him about the problem and he went back in the shed, came back with a multi-meter, opened the hood, took some readings, closed the hood and told me to wait; he climbed into his truck and drove away; about 45 minutes later, he came back with a part that he then installed in the car; the problem was resolved and, to top it off, he charged me at a rate about a third of the other places who couldn't even resolve the problem. Now, the other places were major chains or well-regarded 'professional' establishments with beaucoup certificates and documentation of just how 'well-qualified' they were, yet the guy with the ramshackle garage was the one with the experience, know-how, and just common sense to get the job done. Sometimes you don't get what you think you were paying for...



<O>

[Commander Wallace]

In my experience, Best Buy is not in the business to help you at all. They will lie to you if it means they can sell you something you don't need or want.

I took a laptop computer in to Best Buy while purchasing another upscale unit from them as well. I needed a charger for the other unit that was 4 years old. I was told my older unit was out of commission and they would be happy to " take it and dispose of it " for me. There was nothing wrong with my older unit other than it needed a battery charger of the proper voltage and configuration.

It amazed me their " tech " people had the degree of clairvoyance to know that my unit was internally trashed even though it never powered up in the store and they were not able to see it run or not. As I said, my older unit still works well and I use it a great deal. There is no point in complaining to Best Buy as their people are trained to " rip " you off every chance they get.

As far as tools, Any outlet that deals in tools will have every tool imaginable. I know when I go, I tend to look at tools for hours I'm told. :D You just have to know where to look.

[vienna]

True that. Several years ago, a local newscast ran a story on an investigation they did on the subject of people being ripped off by less than honest or ethical computer techs. They had an expert from the state's consumer fraud department, on camera, disable a desktop PC by loosening up a cable connected to the boot drive. The reporters then took the PC to various repair services offered by places like Best Buy, etc. They recorded al the transactions on hidden cameras they took along. All of the repair places gave mostly widely varying 'diagnoses', ranging from such things as needing a new hard drive, motherboard, power supply, etc.; a couple even gave the same sort of "you'll need to buy a new PC, this one's dead" response you got in your case. One of the places they went to was a little, independent "mom & pop" storefront shop in a strip mall. The owner of the shop opened the case, immediately found the loose cable, reattached it and closed up the case. When the reporters asked how much the repair cost, the owner replied there was no charge at all. They then revealed to the owner the true nature of why they were there and that he was on TV. The owner was surprised and a bit bewildered as was his wife. When the reporter asked why he hadn't tried to "up sell" or even charge them for the repair, he said the repair wasn't any trouble at all and he thought it wouldn't be fair to charge for something so minor. When the footage was broadcast, the newscasters praised the guy's honesty and ethics and made sure the shop's name and address was prominently displayed...

...and the other bigger stores who tried to make a profit mountain out of a mole hill? They were mentioned by name also, and, oddly, their representatives were "unavailable for comment" when the reporters sought to ask why their operations were run in such a manner...



<O>

[Commander Wallace]

I have done the same thing Vienna, disabling my computer and then trying to get " it repaired. " I even had a trusted Tech guy I have used in the past try to rip me off. Now and then, you have to test them. I ended our business relationship and told him why.

Unfortunately, those sort of business practices are prevalent in other repair businesses like auto repair and others. It pays rich dividends to know something about your equipment like computers or vehicle maintenance like Chris / AVWarhawk or Gary / GT182, Peter / TheBerbster or Rockin Robbins . It's even better if like these gentlemen mentioned, you can do the repairs yourself .

[Rockin Robbins]

With lithium based batteries, there is an optimal charge state, just over 50%, where the battery does not deteriorate. Both above and below that the battery breaks down chemically, outgassing and filling the bag it come in with the gas. This causes it to swell over time in a laptop, where the charger is keeping it at 100% all the time.

Because of that, there are minimum space requirements around these batteries, which are well-known by manufacturers. But because slim devices are so stylish right now, otherwise smart companies like Samsung and Dell push the limits.

The result is the Galaxy S7 and the Dell XPS, which do not have the clearances to accommodate inevitable battery swelling. It's a design problem, pure and simple, for a long known and normal battery behavior when it is mistreated, as it is in a laptop. It should still last three years as long as the computer itself is properly designed. Unfortunately.... And unfortunately, as the Galaxy S7 debacle proves, the situation isn't just a cosmetic problem. It can result in fires and explosions.

[Onkel Neal]

I went in a Radio Shack today. Signs everywhere announcing 80% off, store closing.... :(

[BrucePartington]

This is the trend now. Even for car parts. If you have a less than recent car, chances are some parts can only be traced on ebay.
For the most part, people no longer bother with repairing, they just strut in and buy a newer version of whatever. I think it is the result of a few factors in modern society: affordability, fast paced lifestyles, and instant gratification.
I found my best desktop PC leaning against a trash can. The reason? A burned graphics card.
If I were living in the US I'd just walk into a Sears store and get a Craftsman tool set. I'm sure they have even the smallest of sizes.

[vienna]

This is the trend now. Even for car parts. If you have a less than recent car, chances are some parts can only be traced on ebay.
For the most part, people no longer bother with repairing, they just strut in and buy a newer version of whatever. I think it is the result of a few factors in modern society: affordability, fast paced lifestyles, and instant gratification.
I found my best desktop PC leaning against a trash can. The reason? A burned graphics card.
If I were living in the US I'd just walk into a Sears store and get a Craftsman tool set. I'm sure they have even the smallest of sizes.

Sorry to let you know, but Sears is just about to go down the same path as Radio Shack. Sears is closing stores all over the US; I just heard on the news this morning about the closing of one of their biggest stores in Orange County, CA. Sears has already sold off their Craftsman tool line to another company and has been selling other assets in an effort to stay afloat. A lot of talk has been circulating that Sears will shrink down to being a sort of real estate holding company and abandon retail altogether; Sears apparently owns, outright, a large number of the buildings housing their stores in prime real estate areas and will seek to lease those properties to other businesses. Its the sad passing of another US retail institution...



<O>

[Buddahaid]

Sorry to let you know, but Sears is just about to go down the same path as Radio Shack. Sears is closing stores all over the US; I just heard on the news this morning about the closing of one of their biggest stores in Orange County, CA. Sears has already sold off their Craftsman tool line to another company and has been selling other assets in an effort to stay afloat. A lot of talk has been circulating that Sears will shrink down to being a sort of real estate holding company and abandon retail altogether; Sears apparently owns, outright, a large number of the buildings housing their stores in prime real estate areas and will seek to lease those properties to other businesses. Its the sad passing of another US retail institution...



<O>

Yep, I wouldn't even go to sears for tools anymore. Craftsman is sold through Orchard Supply Hardware out my way. And besides, the band saw I purchased two years ago from Harbour Freight is the very same one sold as Craftsman brand.

[vienna]

Sears just basically sold the value of the Craftsman name and reputation; I'm sure whoever owns it will stick it on anything they think they can make a buck on, just like how HP really has nothing to do with the original Hewlett-Packard. Sometimes the name has more value than the product. Decades ago, I found out Panasonic had a sort of sub-brand called National Electronics; essentially, the products' innards were the same, it was the outside and the brand name were different; where you might get metal knobs or controls on the Panasonic item, say, a radio, the National would have plastic controls; the case design may also have been a bit more spartan, less chrome and such; I saved a pretty penny or two by seeking out the National versions...




<O>

[em2nought]

If I were living in the US I'd just walk into a Sears store and get a Craftsman tool set. I'm sure they have even the smallest of sizes.

You'd be wrong, none of their normal sets would have what you need. Maybe they would have a micro set which would be what you'd need. I found a little PC tool kit at Office Max the other day surprisingly. I hate that store, I walk around two or three times before I usually find the item I'm looking for, but I do get lots of ink rewards. :D

[moose1am]

It's a racket these days with all the different type of security screw heads that are made and used in various electronic products. You can't survive or open up anything these days without 10 different sets of security screw drivers or hex heads. I had to go online to buy a 2.5 mm hex head driver bit for the screws on my 10 dollar cheap reading glasses. They are held together with hex headed tiny screw head type screws. It's cheaper to buy a new pair of eyeglasses than to pay for the screw drive set and shipping. But I don't like to throw stuff away. I'm old school and like to repair as many things as I can. So I went online to get the new driver that fit the screw heads.

What if the government had not standardized the rail roads back in the 1800's? The track gages would all be different as no one would have coordinated the track gage size so that trains could run on the same sized track all across the country.

I have more driver bit tools now than I had back in the 1990's. Back in the 1950's is was much simpler. My grandfather had a wooden box for his tools and he could build a barn or fix his washing machine with all those tools in that wooden box. He worked for the Washing Machine Company and also owned his own TV and Radio Repair Shop during the depression in the 1930's. Raise four kids and plenty of grand kids using his hands and his tools.

[moose1am]

I went in a Radio Shack today. Signs everywhere announcing 80% off, store closing.... :(

All our radio shacks closed down and shut the doors. I wanted to buy another radio headset to replace two that I own. I needed the foam covers on the ear things. I can go online and buy some but I'd have to guess as to the size of the holes in the middle of the foam cover and the OD of the foam ear covers. If I get them too small they tear while putting them on. If too large then they fall off the ear things.

[moose1am]

With lithium based batteries, there is an optimal charge state, just over 50%, where the battery does not deteriorate. Both above and below that the battery breaks down chemically, outgassing and filling the bag it come in with the gas. This causes it to swell over time in a laptop, where the charger is keeping it at 100% all the time.

Because of that, there are minimum space requirements around these batteries, which are well-known by manufacturers. But because slim devices are so stylish right now, otherwise smart companies like Samsung and Dell push the limits.

The result is the Galaxy S7 and the Dell XPS, which do not have the clearances to accommodate inevitable battery swelling. It's a design problem, pure and simple, for a long known and normal battery behavior when it is mistreated, as it is in a laptop. It should still last three years as long as the computer itself is properly designed. Unfortunately.... And unfortunately, as the Galaxy S7 debacle proves, the situation isn't just a cosmetic problem. It can result in fires and explosions.

When I purchased my smartphone I chose to the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 instead of the Note 5. The reason is that in the Note 5 the battery is sealed inside the unit and you have to take the smartphone to the Samsung dealer to get a new battery installed. The Note 4 I can take apart and replace the battery myself. While the Note 4 is not water resistant and can leak water inside I don't plan on dropping it into the water any time soon. But I may have to replace the battery some day.

[moose1am]

The result is the Galaxy S7 and the Dell XPS, which do not have the clearances to accommodate inevitable battery swelling. It's a design problem, pure and simple, for a long known and normal battery behavior when it is mistreated, as it is in a laptop. It should still last three years as long as the computer itself is properly designed. Unfortunately.... And unfortunately, as the Galaxy S7 debacle proves, the situation isn't just a cosmetic problem. It can result in fires and explosions.[/QUOTE]

It was the Galaxy NOTE 7 that had the battery fire and explosion problems and it was discontinued.

The Galaxy S7 didn't have those problems with fire or explosion as far as I am aware of.

I have the Galaxy Note 4 and It's battery is easy to get to without tools and can be easily replaced. And there are no problems with it's battery that I'm aware of.

It was the battery that caused the problems in the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 units from what I read. :yeah:

[moose1am]

That depends on what is broken among a persons stuff.

Let take me-I have discovered that my battery to my new computer is bad-It wouldn't charge *, Should I buy a new computer because my batteri is bad ? Off course not-A new computer cost a lot more than a battery substitut.

* I have done as I was told-Remove the battery, let the computer be without its battery for about 30 minutes, then press the start button for 30 sek.(with out the battery and power supply) put the battery back, put the power supply back and the battery should start to recharge again.

Markus
I have a Logitech h800 Wifi gaming head set that I purchased at Best Buy for $80 two years ago. The unit has a plastic square thin shaped battery inside the headphone area. It quit working and would not charge.

I too the battery out and got a magnifying glass out to read the label. Went online and ordered a new one from Amazon.com. It a week it arrived and I replace the battery with the new one and the unit was working again. I didn't want to spend another $80 for a new head phone set. The battery was about $12 plus $6 shipping.

[Sailor Steve]

It's funny hearing about Sears, because Sears, Roebuck & Co started life as a mail catalogue sales company - the original "online" sales, if you will. It was nearly forty years before they opened their first store.

[BrucePartington]

Sorry to let you know, but Sears is just about to go down the same path as Radio Shack. Sears is closing stores all over the US; I just heard on the news this morning about the closing of one of their biggest stores in Orange County, CA. Sears has already sold off their Craftsman tool line to another company and has been selling other assets in an effort to stay afloat. A lot of talk has been circulating that Sears will shrink down to being a sort of real estate holding company and abandon retail altogether; Sears apparently owns, outright, a large number of the buildings housing their stores in prime real estate areas and will seek to lease those properties to other businesses. Its the sad passing of another US retail institution...



<O>

That bit of news made me sad. It used to be a joy to find just the right tool at Sears.
It seems we have fewer options every year. Also, it seems corporations are deliberately making it difficult for us to fix things. No surprise there.

This made me realize how long it has been for me. I should cross the pond soon, to see how much things have changed.

[vienna]

It's a racket these days with all the different type of security screw heads that are made and used in various electronic products. You can't survive or open up anything these days without 10 different sets of security screw drivers or hex heads. I had to go online to buy a 2.5 mm hex head driver bit for the screws on my 10 dollar cheap reading glasses. They are held together with hex headed tiny screw head type screws. It's cheaper to buy a new pair of eyeglasses than to pay for the screw drive set and shipping. But I don't like to throw stuff away. I'm old school and like to repair as many things as I can. So I went online to get the new driver that fit the screw heads.

What if the government had not standardized the rail roads back in the 1800's? The track gages would all be different as no one would have coordinated the track gage size so that trains could run on the same sized track all across the country.

I have more driver bit tools now than I had back in the 1990's. Back in the 1950's is was much simpler. My grandfather had a wooden box for his tools and he could build a barn or fix his washing machine with all those tools in that wooden box. He worked for the Washing Machine Company and also owned his own TV and Radio Repair Shop during the depression in the 1930's. Raise four kids and plenty of grand kids using his hands and his tools.

About a dozen years ago, I got a really nice gift from a co-worker who I had saved from a potentially very embarrassing problem by using some tricks I had picked up in my many incarnations in IT and accounting. Some time after the rescue, he went on a skiing vacation trip to Switzerland. Before leaving, some of the other employees were more or less joking with him about bringing them back something from the trip as souvenirs. I didn't ask for anything, so he asked me what I would like to have brought back; at first I said it was alright, I really didn't want anything, but he pressed on the matter, so I jokingly said "OK, since you're going to Switzerland, how about a Swiss Army Knife?" He said "OK" and I thought he meant it in the same joking manner as my "request" and I didn't give it a second thought.

He came back from his vacation and gave the other co-workers such things as Swiss chocolates and other items. He came into my office and gave me a gift I really hadn't been expecting: a Swiss Army Knife: but just any Swiss Army Knife, but a then recently released new model that not only had a lot of the old standard Swiss Army accessories, it had a full set of tools to be used in servicing PCs and other devices; here is a link to a description of the knife:

https://www.swissarmy.com/us/en/Products/Swiss-Army-Knives/Medium-Pocket-Knives/CyberTool-M/p/1.7725.T

I still have the knife and I have been very grateful for the gift ever since. I hadn't really known the cost of the knife until I just looked up the above link; I'm going to have to thank him again, if I ever see him. I have carried the knife instead of a toolkit and have used it to do minor repairs, all the way to using it as the only tool to assemble custom desktop PCs. It is amazingly handy and versatile and I take very good care of it...


That bit of news made me sad. It used to be a joy to find just the right tool at Sears.
It seems we have fewer options every year. Also, it seems corporations are deliberately making it difficult for us to fix things. No surprise there.

This made me realize how long it has been for me. I should cross the pond soon, to see how much things have changed.

I remember Sears from my very earliest childhood. There was Sears store at the top of Geary St. in San Francisco, just up the street from our earliest home on Steiner St. and my family used to go there all the time. It opened about a year after my birth, so it was always a part of my growing up. As a kid, I thought it was one of the most glorious places to explore; I also became adept at knicking sugar cubes from the little food stand in the store. We also had copies of the Sears catalogs at home and, when each new edition came out, I would spend hours poring over all the items on the pages. Sailor Steve mentioned Sears was, in a way, the prototype for "online" shopping; they also had a service by which you could order something in the catalog and have it sent to the local store for pickup. This also ironic because, just recently, Walmart is expanding its 'order online, pickup in store' services and offering discounts to shoppers who use the service. Everything old is new again. This "new" move by Walmart is being seen as a challenge to Amazon, since Walmart can use its own transport system and warehousing to get merchandise to consumers faster and with the assurance of a local place to address any claims or concerns about the orders...




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[STEED]

People people its crystal clear modern equipment is rubbish and I too have noticed different types of screws out there now. We are all doomed and they know it unless people wake up which is a fat chance. :arrgh!:

[vienna]

Regarding the various new and different screw types, it just occurred to me that perhaps the intent of the manufacturers is not not to make their products more secure, but, rather, to make the products more difficult for the casual consumer to repair; if you can't easily fix it, you gotta buy a new one... :hmmm:



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[Jimbuna]

Regarding the various new and different screw types, it just occurred to me that perhaps the intent of the manufacturers is not not to make their products more secure, but, rather, to make the products more difficult for the casual consumer to repair; if you can't easily fix it, you gotta buy a new one... :hmmm:



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My thought for quite some time :yep:

[Platapus]

I have often wondered why the need for so many different types of screws.

I can understand companies that make different screw drivers may like different screws, but why would manufacturing companies use them?

"Hey Mr. Manufacturing factory guy, I have developed this new type of screw. It is asymmetrical and based on an inversion of the Fibonacci sequence. Would you be interested?"

"Uh, no."

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[Buddahaid]

They don't want us clumsy ignorant consumers fiddling with the guts is why. Product liability also plays a part.

[vienna]

IIRC, the Phillips head screw was developed as a means of speeding up assembly processes, particularly automated processes. The conventional slot head screw had the drawback of the toll used to fasten them slipping and sliding around and losing contact with the screw, slowing down assembly lines. By creating a cross patterned, concave slot, the head became automatically self-centering and greatly reduced tool misses and down time...

Everyone does know about the biggest problem with Phillips head screws (other than not finding the Phillips screwdriver when you need it): the screw was designed to facilitate fastening, not removal...



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