Software-dependent devices: do they now need expiration dates?
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Software-dependent devices: do they now need expiration dates?
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Re: Software-dependent devices: do they now need expiration dates?
#2A good example would be Chromeboxes and Chromebooks. They really should put an expiration date / EOL on the packaging and system itself.
Re: Software-dependent devices: do they now need expiration dates?
#3Perishable software is a huge problem - things keep operating only in dynamic equilibrium, such that they would fall apart as soon as we stop putting energy into fixing flaws.
I have been thinking for years that as a society, we need 100-year products. It would be a global good to counteract the local incentives for producing perishable software.
However, over time I have realized that there are legitimately unforeseen circumstances that come up - for example, the general realization of the need for stricter security around logins (e.g. two-factor authentication). Maybe a 10 year time window is realistic for now.
In the meantime, requiring expiration days would go a long way towards calling out how perishable our devices and software are.
Re: Software-dependent devices: do they now need expiration dates?
#4A perfect example: the Sonos debacle from a few weeks ago.
Re: Software-dependent devices: do they now need expiration dates?
#5No, they need expiration dates more than milk, because at least the dairy farmer isn't coming into my house to curdle my milk in the middle of the night.
Re: Software-dependent devices: do they now need expiration dates?
#6A good example would be Chromeboxes and Chromebooks. They really should put an expiration date / EOL on the packaging and system itself.
Chromeboxes and Chromebooks should not have expiration dates. The company that built them should be fined for dropping them.
Re: Software-dependent devices: do they now need expiration dates?
#7Maybe a better analogy isn't milk, but car seats? I was surprised to learn about car seat expiration when I became a parent, but it makes sense -- the materials themselves break down over time, and safety standards and research evolve. I don't think it's too big of a leap to see software in a similar way. Even if the code itself still runs just fine in ten years, likely the context it runs in has long changed.
Re: Software-dependent devices: do they now need expiration dates?
#8A good example would be Chromeboxes and Chromebooks. They really should put an expiration date / EOL on the packaging and system itself.
Chromeboxes and Chromebooks should not have expiration dates. The company that built them should be fined for dropping them.
Indeed they shouldn't, and it should be easy to flash a custom OS to give them a second life.
Re: Software-dependent devices: do they now need expiration dates?
#9Maybe a better analogy isn't milk, but car seats? I was surprised to learn about car seat expiration when I became a parent, but it makes sense -- the materials themselves break down over time, and safety standards and research evolve. I don't think it's too big of a leap to see software in a similar way. Even if the code itself still runs just fine in ten years, likely the context it runs in has long changed.
Seatbelts too. And airbags.
Afaik you're supposed to replace those every 10 years or so. Most people of course don't.
Another good one most people forget: Hard drives last about 5 years. CD-Rs are rated for 10 years. A flash drive can go for 10 years. SSD holds data for about 2 years.
The electronics themselves in many modern consumer devices are basically kaput after 4 to 5 years.
Point is you are likely overestimating the lifespan of your devices even without taking software into account.
Re: Software-dependent devices: do they now need expiration dates?
#10I don't know about expiration dates, but I think a hard-to-miss warning in the product description and packaging would be highly desirable.