On Sat, 27 Dec 2008, joeturn wrote:

Date: Sat, 27 Dec 2008 13:43:21 -0800 (PST)
From: joeturn
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.homebrew
Subject: Radio Shack Pro 2011 scanner schematic

Throw aways:
Actually I saw that coming about 20 years ago with the works in a
drawer by magnovox.
I ordered a surface mount hearing kit from Ramsey!! Had to use a
toothpic and super glue the components into place before I could
solder them! Back then the flex monuted magnifier was saficient,
now ,it requires a jewlers loop to see them!!..
However GRE should have offered to fix mine as it was the GRE
400/500 .They never answered my email??
Oh well I'll catch someone who wants to tinker or find a junk one in a
pawn shop??


Well, there has been a lot of useful technical progress but I am a little
bit bothered by this trend to _also_ (besides not being able to fix
anything because it is 'throw away") the trend to make stuff so that it
actually has to be fixed by bringing the unit in for some kind of
aftermarket repair, adjustment, etc., and it costs some money in addition
to the inconvienience.

Cell phone viruses, for example, are known and the stories say they are
already out there (one will drain your battery on you), and, so as we get
more web access via PDA-type devices, what do you do if your thing starts
acting up? Go to a URL and download a "fix" and if the virus fixes it so
you can 't do that, then you have to send in your whole thing with $100 or
so to have _them_ fix it? This is about what it's going to start taking soon.