Tag: common sense Page 1 of 3

For ages, people have been looking for durability in the products and services they choose.

Whether it’s a new car, home improvement project or a personal computer, something that is of high quality and lasts is a must.

As we know, though, nothing is perfect nor lasts forever.

We soon realize this and end up settling for virtually indestructible.

We don’t like performing maintenance on our homes so sometimes we choose to buy something like pre-cut cedar homes which used to be advertised as virtually indestructible.

Virtually has taken on a new meaning since the birth of the Internet. Pre-Internet virtually meant almost. Now it could have connotations for a computer setting–as in a virtual meeting where a team may meet virtually–or by computer, phone, tablet, etc.

It gets confusing whether we want to admit it or not. But, we can search for durable items online.

What lasts often comes down to the individual reviewing whatever product or service we are considering.

Sometimes the most durable product or service offering is not the most attractive.

I typically opt for function over form, except when I know it has to look somewhat decent in order to satisfy a person other than myself.

In those times the little voice in my head says you’ll be replacing this sooner than you’d like. Or, you will have more maintenance than if you had chosen the other model or type you wanted to go with.

Since life is full of compromises and periodically we only have so many financial resources available, we tend to select an item somewhere between crappy and out of sight great.

Take tires for example.

You have barely adequate (read cheap).

You have not bad for a few years (middling quality).

And you have a lot of money for something that never gets the mileage they are advertised for.

This is usually referred to as good, better, best.

Is durability subjective?

Durability in the form of tires can be a guessing game. On the surface, you’d think the best tires you can buy will be the best overall value and bang for your dollar. That is not always the case and can lead to buyer’s remorse–especially if you have modest financial means available. A middle of the road tire may end up being the best overall value for someone in this demographic.

Durability can be subjective, too, to further complicate things. And it can also be in the eye of the beholder.

Take for example the Apple Macintosh or Mac as it is referred to by anyone who owns one.

They are expensive relative to other desktop computers running either Windows or Linux operating systems.

The total cost of ownership (TCO) is a phrase thrown out there a lot in defense of the high upfront cost of owning a Mac. This might have had relevancy and merit at some point in time in the early life of the Mac, but now it does not, especially when considering you can install a modern, secure operating system that is completely free onto an old PC you have collecting dust.

What really hurts TCO for the Mac most, though, is when Apple decides your particular iMac or Mac Mini no longer meets the specifications hardware- and software-wise to run the most current version of the Mac operating system or macOS. This averages about 5-7 years for a new Mac purchase.

At this point, you are stuck in time, cut off from further updates other than a security update or two. You run your computer at risk for vulnerabilities when it is no longer able to run a modern, secure operating system.

We live in a throwaway society even with all the efforts by communities to recycle and repurpose items that are obsolete.

And so it really does pay to be choosy and find something that is durable–giving you good service through the years.

You can even locate it virtually, too.