1. Plannedobsolescence –built-infailure
Russell Grenning
How oftenhave youbeenirritatedbythe failure of alightbulbandhave hadto change itwell before
itsadvertisedlife-span?
Considerthis –a lightbulbinthe Livermore-PleasantonFire DepartmentinCaliforniaisstillburning
about120 yearsafterit was manufactured. Originallya30 or 60 watt hand-blowncarbonfilament
bulb,itnow continuously emitsthe equivalentof a4 wattnightlightanditisstill workingdespite
havingbeenshiftedseveraltimes.
So muchfor advancesintechnology.
The historyof the lightbulbprovidesaninsightintowhathasbecome knownasplanned
obsolescence.In1924, the world’smajorlightbulbmanufacturersmetinGeneva andfoundedthe
Phoebuscartel,asupervisorybodythatcarvedupthe world-wide marketwitheachmanufacturer
assigneditsownproductionquotasaswell asengineeringof ashorter life-spanbulb.By1925, this
was codified toamaximum1,000 hoursfor the pear-shape householdbulb,downfromthe
previouslycommon1,500 to2,000 hours.Andtheycost more.
It was an industryrespondingtothe challenge of amarketclose tosaturationpoint.
In the USA, the domesticautomobile marketwasreachingsaturationin1924 and to maintainsales,
General Motors introducedannual model-yeardesignchangestoconvince carownersthatthey
neededregularnewvehicles.Withhisengineer’snotionsof simplicity,economiesof scale and
designintegrity,HenryFordresistedthistrendand, by1931, GM surpassedFordinsales.
The more thingschange,the more theystaythe same.
In 1932, the AmericaneconomistBernardLondonauthored “Ending theDepression through Planned
Obsolescence”whichproposedthatthe governmentimpose alegal obsolescence onconsumer
articlestostimulate andperpetuate consumption.Nogovernmentshadtodothis – manufacturers
had alreadyembracedthe idea.
BrooksStevens,anAmericanindustrialdesigner,gave aspeech in1954 entitled “Planned
Obsolescence”whichhe definedas “instilling in thebuyerthe desire to own something a little newer,
a little better, a little soonerthan necessary.” He couldhave added “and a bit more expensive”but
that wasclearlyimplied.
It is a strategythat manufacturersacrossthe widestspectrumhave relieduponforyears – a classic
case wasthe nylonstockingwhichinevitablyladdered thusforcingwomentobuynew pairsandfor
yearsthisdiscouragedmanufacturerstolookfora fibre thatdidnot ladder.Inany case,the fashion
industryisdeeplycommittedtobuilt-inobsolescence –whowantsto be seenwearinglastseason’s
styles?

2. “The Economist”(UK) has noted, “The strategy of planned obsolescenceiscommon in the computer
industry too.Newsoftwareisoften carefully calculated to reduce the valueto consumersof the
previousversion.Thisis achieved by making programsupwardly compatibleonly;in otherwords,the
newversionscan read all thefiles of the old versions,butnottheother way around.Someone
holding the old version can communicateonly with othersusing the old version.Itis asif every
generation of children cameinto the world speaking a completely differentlanguagefromtheir
parents.While they could understand theirparent’slanguage,theirparentscould notunderstand
theirs.”
Some parentsmightthinkthatis happeningalreadybutyougetthe point.
“The Economist”noted,forexample,that “Intel”,the US semiconductorcompanyisworkingonthe
nextgenerationof PCchipsbefore ithasevenbeguntomarketthe lastone.
Nowthat majormanufacturingcountrieshave –to a greateror lesserdegree –lawsagainstanti-
competitivebehaviourandthatlife cycle of manyproductshas increaseddue toimproved
excellence,plannedobsolescence hastobe approachedmore carefully.
All sortsof tricksare used.Forexample –some inkjetmanufacturersemploysmartchipsintheirink
cartridgesto preventthemfrombeingusedafteracertainthreshold(numberof pagesprinted,time
of use etc) evenif the cartridge still containsinkorcouldbe refilled.
Plannedobsolescence is nota strategyforhigh-endmanufacturerssupplyingniche markets–Rolls
Roycetrades inmanyways onthe ideathattheircars are tomorrow’santiqueswhile PatekPhilippe
advertisesitswatchesare somethingthatthe owneronlyconservesforthe nextgeneration.They,
and othersimilarluxuryitemmanufacturers,appeal tothe upwardlysociallymobile.Theyhave snob
value.
My mobile phone isprobablyadecade old.Itworksas I want itto workand allowsme to make and
receive callsandsentandreceive texts.One youngfriend –whowill queue upall nighttogetthe
latesttechnologyphone –askedme once whyI didn’tupgrade toa “better” and “newer” model.He
had no answerwhenIasked, “Will thatmean to get to hear fromnewerand better friends?”