Newer and worse

10 years ago, I bought a Marantz (Phillips) universal remote. You would connect it to your computer’s serial port, and, using a simple piece of software, you could draw all the buttons, lines, graphics you wanted to create your own image to use as remote control for your living room gadgets. Teaching the remote new commands was as simple as pointing the original remote to it in “learn” mode for the new buttons.

This was 10 years ago

This Christmas, Bergfrid gave me a brand new universal remote from Logitech. It is thin, sleek, has a USB connection, and is expensive. very expensive! An accompanying CD with software makes it possible to connect this remote to the internet. This way, you can access almost 200 000 pre-programmed devices simply by choosing the name of the device, and the logitech remote will then download it’s codes.

So far, so good, but in spite of a colorful LCD display, I cannot draw a single line myself. This was decided by Logitech. The commercials all say “Access to over 170 000 pre-programmed components”, but they say nothing about this only being the very basic commands. I cannot execute the command that will allow me to adjust the output volume of my left front speaker because this command does not exist in Logitech‘s version of my pre-amplifier remote.My original pre-amplifier remote is dead. That was one of the reasons why Bergfrid bought the logitech one for me to begin with.

My 10 year old Marantz universal remote needs a re-charge about once a month. It just doesen’t lose power. It also has reach. The new, and twice as expensive Logitech remote can barely hold itself for 2 days before requiring a charger. The reach of the logitech remote is hilarious! I actually have to get up from the couch and go stand next to my devices to do anything with them. Sure, Logitech sells a repeater thing that will increase this reach. Greedy bastards!

Unfortunately Logitech is just one of many companies that deliver poorer and poorer products to higher and higher prices. I recently bought a workout cellphone from Sony-Ericsson (w580i). After barely 3 months of use, it died. The night before, it was working fine, the next morning, it was dead. Yesterday, the shop where I bought it (Spaceworld) called me to say “We’re sorry, there seems to be moisture in here, so you’re void of any warranty” and just like that, my rights as a consumer are reduced to nothing. Is Spaceworld to blame? I wouldn’t say “entirely” but it is more than clear that they are siding with the manufacturer of the products that they sell, and not the customer’s rights.

I put in an image of the moon. It is more or less unchanged from the very first time I laid eyes on it. As a consumer, it is clear that we are moving towards miserable times, and my question ultimately is: Will the greed ever end.