Nobody Asked For An Upgrade
I’ve put a hoodie on because it’s cooler today but my brew is warm so that’s a win. I like this hoodie, it’s one I’ve had for years. It’s faded from the washing, but it’s warm and comfortable. No need for an upgrade.
And it struck me that’s what’s wrong with loads of our gear these days, everything needs an upgrade. Except they don’t.
I like new things. Like anyone. But spending money on a new thing because a company is telling me I need the latest version pisses me off. Why not make a version of your product that’s built to last? How we did years ago.
There’s an old saying from the war: “Make do and mend”. It might be an old saying, but there’s a lot in it. Why keep bloody upgrading when the one we’ve got is fine?
I know there are certain items that you have to replace now and then, light bulbs, cooker elements etc. Because they wear out through use. Fine. No problem with that. But many of the things we use every day could be used way past the time we get lured into buying an upgrade.
Take my ageing MacBook Air. I bought it in 2020. Does it look outdated? Nope. Does it still work? Yep. Anything wrong with it? Ah. I have a battery issue, it tells me — itself. But aside from that? No. It works fine and I use it every single day.
My iPhone. A 15 Pro Max. A few years old now. Would you know it? Nope. Does it work? Yes. Anything not working or wrong with it? Nope. Works as good as new.
So, do I need to replace either? Nope. And the cost if I did? Bloody hell, wait while I apply for a new mortgage.
But the problem is this. Companies like Apple and many others, survive on selling us their products. And new versions of the same product. That’s a commercial reality. But the disease of us wanting new and shiny spreads across everything.
You need the latest streaming services so you can watch this series or the other. You need a fridge that can connect to the internet so it can order milk for you. Oh, and the smart kettle tells you when you’ve put enough water in.
Why?
Why do we need those things? There are certain areas where the upgrades are great. AI in medical technology, for instance. There are precise, long-lasting surgeries happening now, because an AI helps surgeons do their work. Brilliant. Let’s do more of those upgrades.
But back to technology. How many people have upgraded the latest version of their computer’s operating system? Then waited ages for the update to finish. While sitting there with bated breath, ready to enjoy the new version…
Oh. What’s changed? Nothing much at all. Not until you fiddle around for ages, trying to find what’s new. Security updates. We all want those. But another button to click to do something you didn’t need to do before? Hmm.
Now, look, I get it. There’s the commercial reality and all that. Fine, but there are genuine upgrades and there are ripoffs.
Right, I’m going to make a fresh brew. Using a kettle we’ve had for years. Because it boils the water. Like a kettle. There are people who would say I’m old and grumpy. A candidate for upgrade. Fine. I’m keeping my old hoodie though.