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Is it ethical for a tech company to upgrade products more than once per year?

Is it ethical for tech companies to upgrade products more than once per year?

  • Yes

    Votes: 159 80.3%

  • No

    Votes: 39 19.7%
  • Total voters
    198
miataphone said:
No. It is not fair for products to become obsolete within a year. You would not see other reputable tech companies screwing their loyal customers in this way.
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I don't think you understand what the word obsolete means.

An iPad3 runs all current software, and will continue to receive OS updates and run future software for it's expected life. It is clearly not obsolete.

Your definition of obsolete seems to be "there must be nothing better". Yes, something else exists that makes you jealous or feel inferior. That doesn't make your hardware obsolete.
 
The great thing that separates capitalism and socialism is the lack of compulsion.

You're not forced to buy anything you don't want.
 
blueroom said:
When you think about it, it's logical Apple wanted rid of the 30pin connector ASAP. So now it's done.

The good news is all those accessories & battery packs with the 30pin should be going on sale soon!
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This is the only reason in my summation, why they changed the upgrade cycle and did it early. This is a once a decade event (changing a connector, which has far ranging implications), and Apple needs to get all their iDevice lines refreshed to the lighting adapter as soon as possible. From a business perspective, it would make no sense to keep the old adapter in any of their lines throughout the upcoming holiday season, where millions would be sold devices with an already outdated connection port.

You could argue that they only should have updated the connector on the iPad, but I think once you start tinkering around with the design for something, it's probably better to make the other changes you had in mind at the same time.

If I had an iPad 3 (and I don't), I would most likely be upset as well, it's just human nature. However, when you really think about it, what Apple did makes a lot of sense and was the best thing for them to do in the long run.

I will admit up front this is much easier said when you don't own an iPad 3.
 
brig2221 said:
This is the only reason in my summation, why they changed the upgrade cycle and did it early. This is a once a decade event (changing a connector, which has far ranging implications), and Apple needs to get all their iDevice lines refreshed to the lighting adapter as soon as possible. From a business perspective, it would make no sense to keep the old adapter in any of their lines throughout the upcoming holiday season, where millions would be sold devices with an already outdated connection port.

You could argue that they only should have updated the connector on the iPad, but I think once you start tinkering around with the design for something, it's probably better to make the other changes you had in mind at the same time.

If I had an iPad 3 (and I don't), I would most likely be upset as well, it's just human nature. However, when you really think about it, what Apple did makes a lot of sense and was the best thing for them to do in the long run.

I will admit up front this is much easier said when you don't own an iPad 3.
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Exactly, having two different connectors on the shelves for the next 6 months sends out a mixed message. The only thing left is the iPod Classic (do they still sell those?)
 
I wish there was a rule that states dumb questions need to be accompanied by the OP's age and profession. I really don't understand how logic and common sense can be thrown completely out the window so often online.
 
kappaknight said:
I wish there was a rule that states dumb questions need to be accompanied by the OP's age and profession. I really don't understand how logic and common sense can be thrown completely out the window so often online.
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i thought the question was a joke but then a bunch of people answered that it is unethical so now I'm just shaking my head. Do people know what "unethical" means?
 
Not really about ethics but I am used to a one year cycle on the iPod, iPhone and iPad so this is a bit annoying really as I think the one year cycle is the sweet spot.
 
How selfish. Once those Trolls get a product, they want the tech evolution to stop, so they can say they own the best product. Children, really
 
Ethical?

Are you actually kidding me?

There are much worse problems in this world than Apple releasing a 4th generation iPad within a year of the 3rd gen being released. Grow up.
 
miataphone said:
No. It is not fair for products to become obsolete within a year. You would not see other reputable tech companies screwing their loyal customers in this way.
Click to expand...

My iPad 3 isn't suddenly any less awesome at 5PM as it was at 10AM.

It'll take at least a year (likely 2) for app developers to start pandering to the iPad 4. Until that time comes, your iPad 3 is likely to run just as well tomorrow as it did yesterday.
 
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thermal said:
Simple question:

Is it ethical for a tech company to upgrade a product more than once per year?
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Of course it is. I wasn't tempted by the iPad 3 but the improved performance of the new iPad is temping, plus the lightening support means it can share my iPhone 5 charger so I don't need to carry so much around...
 
blueroom said:
When you think about it, it's logical Apple wanted rid of the 30pin connector ASAP. So now it's done.

The good news is all those accessories & battery packs with the 30pin should be going on sale soon!
Click to expand...

Yeah i'm hoping for that too. I have put off getting a juicepack for the iPhone 4S, maybe now I could get one. A jambox has become my solution for lightning-connector stuff that will lack speakerdock options for awhile, but I need another 30-pin speakerdock now because the one upstairs won't charge a 3rd gen iPod touch I'm putting up there to replace a 1st gen one that's getting retired. So, I'm hoping to find some 30-pin speakerdock that will not break the bank and waylay my wish to upgrade my big iPad besides getting a mini. I have a feeling something has to wait until spring, though. Where is my app that prints money I wonder.
 
Ridiculous question; not even worth a vote. I'd like to see tech companies upgrade their products monthly, if there were improvements that could be made. I hate waiting months for upgrades and it doesn't bother me if what I own isn't the latest, greatest.
 
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