this post was submitted on 17 Feb 2022
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Is this really a year old post? It was a good read regardless.
To comment on the topic, this is going to happen more and more, especially as proprietary stuff becomes more and more complex. With implants it's obviously more serious, but this also applies to anything from cars to game consoles.
I'm no stranger to scrounging junkyards for car parts or ebay to replace components from an old console. However that cannot go on forever, as parts get more rare. This is somewhat remedied with eg. nintendo consoles, where some reproduction parts are available (cartridges, screens etc.). With more niche and increasingly complex products this option is often not available.
Let’s say I need a new microwave oven, and I have two options: a regular dumb box that heats up my food and goes “ding” at the end or a smart device that relies on a mobile app. I have always selected the dumb option, because I just can’t be sure that the app will continue to work after 5 years. What if the company goes bankrupt or simply decides it’s time for me to buy a new microwave? I want to keep on using that machine as long as it works and mobile apps don’t seem to be compatible with that idea.
What happens, when the non smart microwave finally breaks and only smart ones are being sold? You could buy used, but what happens when that used inventory is used up?
Fortunately in case of microwaves, the simpler ones have the same internal parts as smart ones, and as such some supply is most likely going to be available.
Eventually you just have to move on and pick the least bad option out there. Mobile phones have already reached that stage and TVs are getting there.
In the case of most honestly. Most electronics that have smart features aren't extremely tied to them, as they just work without an internet connection/offline. The ones that do usually are advertised as reliant on apps at least where I live.