Bikeshedding, or why I want to build a laptop

> I don’t care one bit about upgradability or customizability. After a year or two, I’m happy to throw it out and buy a new one. It’s not like upgradability is a bad thing, but it usually comes with tradeoffs to weight and power draw, and I’d rather it all be in one solid package glued together. And I don’t like customizability because I like when all the testing and polish work is put into one configuration.

Jesus christ. What a wasteful and selfish way to look at things.

To defend OP somewhat: his throw out should be someone else’s pre-owned and then we are square.

Not in defense: This is a customer who sees itself as an ultra pro user that only wants the best on all dimensions regardless of economics. Nice that there are about a few hundred of these customers in the world. This is a market that doesn’t exist and frankly, give this customer their wish and they only have other or more wishes.

Selfish how, because he clearly does not say that upgradability or customizability are bad things? Its also not like hes proposing something that isnt reality for most manufacturers, especially Apple.

I think the selfishness here is related to being fine with generating a pile of electronic waste that becomes a problem for everyone else, as long as he can avoid carrying a few ounces extra.

It's hard to recycle electronics, because separating materials that are chemically bonded together is very labor intensive and isn't worth it from the price of aluminum, copper, lithium, etc alone.

It would have to cost more to dispose of a laptop for this to work out financially.

not only does OP imagine a powerful customer base, theyre all aligned enough that one configuration fits all. im doubtful

It literally works this way already, it’s called MacBook.

You’ve identified the real problem. This person’s preferences (and yours and mine) are guided by externalities being priced poorly.

If the consumer was responsible for the real cost of disposal and someone said “I don’t care about repairing it” then it wouldn’t be selfish at all.

But it’s extremely hard to do that. Because if you price proper disposal higher you’ll just get improperly disposed stuff.

A tax on the products to account for this is highly regressive. It’s a complicated muddle.

The MacBook currently has two models, each available in two sizes, each size has three to six default configurations. There are dozens of MacBooks before you even get into the customization options.

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You can absolutely put your money where your mouth is, today, right now. Upload a picture of your Framework 13 or Thinkpad T/X-series pre-T440, etc.

I presume most of the people on this site make enough to make purchases based on values instead of solely economics.

Alternatively, you can run for government on policies to price in externalities like this. Good luck winning your election!

Could you please not post in the flamewar style to HN? You've done it repeatedly in this thread, unfortunately, and we're trying for the opposite here.

If you wouldn't mind reviewing https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and taking the intended spirit of the site more to heart, we'd be grateful.

Could you please not post in the flamewar style to HN? You've done it repeatedly in this thread, unfortunately, and we're trying for the opposite here.

If you wouldn't mind reviewing https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and taking the intended spirit of the site more to heart, we'd be grateful.

That's unfair. I'm going unfairly called out even though I stand by my beliefs and I'm only trying to defend myself. How are the replies to my comments in any way acceptable and according to HN guidelines???

"Put your money where your mouth is", come on. That's not acceptable and it's provoking. How can you defend bullies like this?

I'm not a mod (and I flagged the comment you had originally replied to so I'm on "your side"), but I'd apply "two wrongs don't make a right" here.

I think the feedback is fair. I'd say just take it (the feedback) and move on.

I specifically responded with an identical reply to the other main commenter you were arguing with, who was also breaking the rules.

Still, someone else breaking the rules doesn't make it ok for you to do so, and pointing the finger at others instead of taking responsibility is not a helpful response.

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