Keep patching it up until it dies!!
I tend to always hang on to old technology - I used a walkman up until 2006 and that thing is still around the house and gets used from time to time for my old rave tapes from 1991. I love that thing.. its played more tapes than its manufacturers ever intended but I refuse to chuck something out that I still get use and pleasure from. Just use a walkman on the tube and check out people turning their noses up. They obviously never used 'hot' recording techniques on analogue tapes when making mixes and are busy in their DRM infested cold digital technology. Something is seriously amiss with the throw away technology that MP3s are...

I have some Technics speakers from 1982 - I acquired them in 1998 from an elderly but wealthy gentleman who was sorry to see them go. (His wife was disabled and they were often in her way). If he reads B3ta (and is still around!) he would know they are still in use today and still sound fantastic. I spent some time restoring the casing to remove small marks and although I could have bought some new ones for a little more than the cost of the repairs, it just makes no sense to replace what is perfectly working machinery.

My laptop is from 2004 - its had a new hard drive, ram, DVD write drive, new battery and a new charger - ALl ebay parts and spares costing £10 or thereabouts each but those repairs and upgrades lengthened the life of this laptop beyond its 6th birthday. With a little tweaking its running windows 7 fine and efficiently as well as Linux. Why would I replace it??

I once heard a techie guy say something very true - something is only obsolete if it no one has a use for it.
(DisKo, Sun 7 Nov 2010, 12:26, 2 replies)

Love it.
Technics speakers - marvellous bit of equipment. Had a laptop for over 8 years without repairs (Toshiba), but it decided to die with no warning. Current lappie is over 2 years old and have never felt the need to upgrade for the hell of it. Onya!
(boozehound is drinking your bar dry, Mon 8 Nov 2010, 0:23, closed)

I've inherited a mostly functional Technics stereo from my mrs's dad
really really old CD player, which doesn't work, but the separate amp and speakers work a treat :-)

Will be a great accompaniment to the turntable and collection of 70s rock vinyl that one day will be coming to me.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Mon 8 Nov 2010, 11:21, closed)