2004-10-16
Batteries Included
It's funny how there seem to be certain unwritten laws about what electronics manufacturers do and don't include.
For example, I bought another DVD player tonight. This one supposedly has progressive scan, so it'll become the main one I watch movies on, while my other one will go downstairs where the kids watch stuff. Just $38 at Walmart, which seems crazy cheap to me. Anyway, no matter how cheap these things get, they still include the audio/video cables (I think Radio Shack wants about $10 for those alone!) and the batteries! It seems that VCRs and DVD players just must include the batteries.
Contrast that with the Lexmark X1155 printer/scanner/copier I also bought tonight, for the surprisingly cheap price of $77. Even though it's absolutely useless without, a USB cable simply isn't included. I was going to rant about that, but then I thought back to buying my Panasonic KXP-1124 dot-matrix printer for $350 in 1990 or so, and I'm almost certain that the parallel printer cable necessary for that printer also wasn't included, which just supports my unwritten law theory.
So, how did these conventions start? I don't have a clue. It's not about necessity, because batteries (included) are needed for the operation of the DVD remote, while a usb cable (not included) is necessary for the operation of the printer. It's not about accessibility, because the (included) batteries are really easy to find in any store, or in a drawer at home, while the (not included) usb cable isn't as common. I mean, you can't just run into the 7-11 and grab a usb cable. It's not about price either. Despite Future Shop wanting an insane $35 for a USB cable (or was it the ethernet cable?) you can grab one at the dollar store for $2. By the way, you can pick up an ethernet cable, and those previously mentioned AV cables there for $2 as well.
For example, I bought another DVD player tonight. This one supposedly has progressive scan, so it'll become the main one I watch movies on, while my other one will go downstairs where the kids watch stuff. Just $38 at Walmart, which seems crazy cheap to me. Anyway, no matter how cheap these things get, they still include the audio/video cables (I think Radio Shack wants about $10 for those alone!) and the batteries! It seems that VCRs and DVD players just must include the batteries.
Contrast that with the Lexmark X1155 printer/scanner/copier I also bought tonight, for the surprisingly cheap price of $77. Even though it's absolutely useless without, a USB cable simply isn't included. I was going to rant about that, but then I thought back to buying my Panasonic KXP-1124 dot-matrix printer for $350 in 1990 or so, and I'm almost certain that the parallel printer cable necessary for that printer also wasn't included, which just supports my unwritten law theory.
So, how did these conventions start? I don't have a clue. It's not about necessity, because batteries (included) are needed for the operation of the DVD remote, while a usb cable (not included) is necessary for the operation of the printer. It's not about accessibility, because the (included) batteries are really easy to find in any store, or in a drawer at home, while the (not included) usb cable isn't as common. I mean, you can't just run into the 7-11 and grab a usb cable. It's not about price either. Despite Future Shop wanting an insane $35 for a USB cable (or was it the ethernet cable?) you can grab one at the dollar store for $2. By the way, you can pick up an ethernet cable, and those previously mentioned AV cables there for $2 as well.
