• TOPICS
    • Design
    • Manufacturing
    • Inspection
    • Heat Treating
    • Lubrication
    • Materials
    • The Gear Industry
    • Gears by Type
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Departments
    • Archives
    • Subscribe
    • Advertise
  • NEWSLETTER
    • Subscribe
  • VIDEO
    • Gear Technology TV
      • Ask the Expert Live
      • Revolutions
    • Industry Videos
  • BLOGS
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • NEWS and EVENTS
    • Product News
    • Industry News
    • Events
  • ADVERTISING
    • Brand Awareness
      • Print: Display Advertising
      • Online: Web Banners & Keyword Banners
      • Online: Native Advertising (Sponsored Content)
      • E-mail: Custom, White Papers & Webinars
      • E-mail: Newsletter Sponsored Content (Native Advertising)
    • Response & Lead Generation
      • Online: Sponsored Content (Native Advertising)
      • E-mail: Newsletters
      • E-mail: Newsletter Sponsored Content (Native Advertising)
      • E-mail: Custom, White Papers & Webinars
      • Online: Buyers Guide
    • Print Advertising
      • Print: Display Advertising
      • Print: IMTS Showstoppers
      • Print: Buyers Guide
      • Print: Manufacturing sMart
      • Print: Specifications
    • Online Advertising
      • Online: Web Banners & Keyword Banners
      • Online: Native Advertising (Sponsored Content)
      • Online: Buyers Guide
      • Online: Specifications
    • E-mail Advertising
      • E-mail: E-Newsletters
      • E-mail: Newsletter Sponsored Content (Native Advertising)
      • E-mail: Custom, White Papers & Webinars
      • E-mail: Specifications
    • Special Promotions
      • Print: IMTS Showstoppers
      • Print: Buyers Guide
      • Print: Manufacturing sMart
  • CONTACT US
  • AGMA
    • Membership
    • Events
    • Education
    • Emerging Technology
    • AGMA Media
    • Standards
Subscribe
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Home » Blogs » Gear Talk With Chuck » Fighting the Future

Gear Talk With Chuck
Gear Talk With Chuck RSS FeedRSS

Design / Software
Charles schultz
Chuck Schultz is a licensed engineer, Gear Technology Technical Editor, and Chief Engineer for Beyta Gear Service. He has written the "Gear Talk with Chuck" blog for Gear Technology since 2014.

Fighting the Future

March 31, 2015
Charles D. Schultz
No Comments
My computer repair people advised tossing one of my computers in the trash recently. This loyal travel companion had become so “buggy” from public WiFi networks that repairing it would exceed its replacement cost. Of course, buying a replacement means buying new software and relearning to use it. I don’t begrudge the software companies the income but I wonder how many of these changes are really product improvements and how many are just to make us buy new licenses. It reminds me of the old days when car companies did major external redesigns every year while flogging the same old mechanical parts for decades. A 1958 Chevy had the same chassis as a 1964 model; they used the same basic 6six cylinder motor fro 1929 to 1962. My IT vendor based the “trash it” decision in part on the lack of support for the laptop’s operating system. You’d think that by the sixth or seventh year of a system they would have identified or fixed all of the bugs. Even the car companies back in the “bad old days” eventually got their products to run well without constant intervention. There was a story once of some Silicon Valley visionary saying that if they built cars we would be getting 200 miles per gallon and paying half as much for our transportation. This was countered with a hilarious rant of your Silicon Valley car needed to be replaced every time the lines on the road got painted or needing an elaborate “re-boot” sequence at random intervals when it would just stop running for no reason. The curmudgeon in me looks forward to the rumored “self driving” cars from the high tech start ups. In a big city like Chicago it is easy to see how traffic flow could improve if cars just got in their lane and drove home without the constant jockeying for position we suffer through today. Then I consider the possible mayhem that will result from GPS glitches and software “upgrades.” If they can’t make a trustworthy spelling and grammar checker what makes them think they are ready for the Illinois Toll Road? Anyone interested in “auto complete” sending you to the wrong address?

Recent Comments

Thank you for this - Happy Saint Patrick's...

Post a comment to this article

Report Abusive Comment

Free Gear Technology Subscriptions
Subscribe
Free Gear Technology Subscriptions
Subscribe
FEATURED VIDEO
  • Laser Gear Inspection with Douglas Beerck of Gleason
February 28, 2022
RECOMMENDED
  • Kapp Niles Examines Intelligent Rolling Grinding for E-mobility

    April 25, 2022
    Opening Image.jpg
  • The New Age of Bronze

    April 25, 2022
    Barton1.jpg
  • Relationship Building — The Critical Component of Success

    April 25, 2022
    Depositphotos_80147336_XL.jpg
  • LPC Carburizing: The Affordable Alternative to Gas Carburizing

    April 25, 2022
    Nitrex2.jpg
  • Hardness Testing Gears — Know Your Options for Best Results

    April 25, 2022
    Starrett1.jpg
  • LPC Carburizing: The Affordable Alternative to Gas Carburizing

    April 25, 2022
    Nitrex2.jpg
  • Hardness Testing Gears — Know Your Options for Best Results

    April 25, 2022
    Starrett1.jpg
  • Kapp Niles Examines Intelligent Rolling Grinding for E-mobility

    April 25, 2022
    Opening Image.jpg
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Contribute
  • AGMA
Powered byAGMA
Copyright © 2022 Gear Technology
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact