The Fuzzy Screen of Green Technology

In planning for this trip, Jon and I considered a multitude of technological options involving how to write, edit pictures, and of course, be able to communicate with my worrisome mother.  In the end, as was the 'greenest' and monetarily most sensible option, we decided to eschew the latest in technological marvels and lug along my 5-year old, well-loved 15-inch Mac Powerbook.

We padded it kindly in a soft canvas case, wrapped up in a durable waterproof 'Lifeventure' bag, and made its new home inside the comfortable middle compartment of Jon's carry-on backpack.  And for awhile, it was good.  It provided some entertainment on our lonely nights in a very dead Montevideo, thanks to iTunes movie rental; it has successfully been the middle man in lots of photo editing; it's wireless connection has allowed me to email my mother on all occasions to say, "Hi mom.  Good news: still not dead. Love, Megan."

Anyway, when we arrived at our home stay in Buenos Aires last week, we started noticing a few problems.  The screen started sparkling and wavering like a Britney video for a few days, and then more recently, it has begun fading into complete whiteness, leaving us computer-less and feeling rather unmoored in this great world.  It was then that I remembered one of Apple's recent recalls, and, in particular, a battery recall named on my machine.  I checked out, thanks to another functional computer at our host family's, the web page, where Apple told me my computer serial number was included in those affected, but I would have to call for more information.

So I rang the good people of Apple, all the way from Argentina, where an Australian woman put me on hold for a half an hour while she tried to figure out how my computer's serial number fell under the affected recall, but the actual battery number (which is inside the computer which fall's under the affected recall), does not.  She asked her manager, and came back to me with the very astute observation:  "Your computer is 5 years old."

Now, dear readers, here is exactly where my angry consumer began to mix with my environmental consciousness, and I became a bit fiery.

You see, before we left for this trip, I strolled into the Apple store on Regent street and asked the tech specialists if they could install more memory on my machine, because it was running very slow.  They looked at me, smirked at each other, and said they didn't even make memory for that kind of machine anymore, and I would be better off purchasing a new machine if I wanted it to run better.  After realising they were probably coached to direct me to the sales floor, I rebuttaled and asked them suggestions to slim my computer's waistline. We ended up chucking all our big files on a portable drive, which is besides the point, if only to say that my poor little mac had been rebuffed by the product-pushing bullies at Apple once previously, and now that she was losing her screen, all Apple could do was waste about £60 of my international phone bill and tell me I needed a new machine.

I can accept that my computer is now low on the technological totem pole - or as one person told me, 'a functioning antique' - that lacks built in web cams or super-duper-drives, and I can even admit that having a new machine would perhaps make my life a teeny bit easier, but you know what? She has done me well in the past fives years, and as everything else on her is working admirably, I am woe to trade her in for a sexier new model.

I guess my question is, how such 'green conscious' technological companies like Apple, who say "environmental considerations are an integral part of [their] business practices", can advise their consumers to chuck away big chunks of metal, titanium, plastic and wires every couple years, and upgrade to more, bigger, better ones. Much like the "disposable mobile" crisis, the problem comes with manufacturing products in such a way that they naturally only have a minimal lifespan - often because there is lots of pressure to design, build and release products as fast as they can in such a rapidly paced technological environment.

I have always liked Apple products - sleek design, really consumer friendly, and terribly easy to use - but I guess up until now perhaps I have always had some disposable income and a mindset in which I wanted their latest and greatest - without a second thought towards the one that was headed for the bin.  It was only when we've been considering how to consume less, that we began to mourn the fact that there are very, very few technological products out there that are built for the long haul.

And man, for a company like Apple, who prides itself on fabulous design, that is a big hit that they can't design something that can withstand technological advances, new memory chips or even a few months (with lots of support and padding!) in a backpack.  And there are many more companies out there like them - who push design and top new advances, without a second thought to all the products that people are replacing, or that some consumers might just want their favourite little wonder to last a tad bit longer,

For now, I write on a Powerbook now sutured by half a roll of masking tape, which is balanced on my knee in such a way that the pressure stops the fuzzy music video affect (although the heat from the non-recalled but still ridiculously overcharged battery might be burning a hole in my jeans), and I am leaning over so that the power cord is propped up by my bag and still giving the ol' girl a charge.

I am - as Jon has when he went in to get his 2nd generation iPod fixed three months ago, only to be told they "never fix them", and he should get a new one - going off the idea of the great technological revolution, the wonder of MP3s and super sonic wifi phone machines. I'd rather just keep my moral compass pointed in the right direction; I'd rather be "a functioning antique."

Comments

[suesun]

It's called Planned Obsolescence, and it's evil. I just purchased a new ipod from Voelker because the cost to repair my old one was higher than the cost of a new one. It's an old story, played out by companies all over the world. I could have shelled out the extra 30 bucks, but I caved, like most of us do, when it came to the sleeker, squarer, black model.....

I was terrified when I arrived home and wondered if my new toy would fit into my old ipod player in the kitchen. Luckily, to my amazement, it did.

I assuage my guilt by knowing that my old one MAY be used for parts for someone's ipod that only needs a small repair.

[Clark's Last Biscuit]

I like to tell people I hate Apple "for no good reason," just to come off as some sort of prick, but there are actually many, many good reasons to hate Apple.