| I feel very strongly that the first thing to go in these electronic marvels
is going to be the electro-mechanical stuff, 9 times out of 10, NOT the
electronics itself. And nothing can aggravate me more than moving parts
that don't move right and therefore botch up the whole experience of trying
to use the machine, at least aesthetically if not always functionally. Like
my FORD ("Fix Or Repair Daily"; "Found On the Road Dead") Mercury Zephyr,
may its name be buried in infamy--the cap on the steering column fell of
in my lap; the latch on the glove compartment fell out onto the floor; the
collars on the door locks now slide up and down (not a "feature"); the
carburetor flubs up whenever it rains; etc., etc., etc. I personally get
tired of whacking something with my finger or hand to make it work right,
much less having to take the unit to some inconvenient location at the cost
of considerable personal time to "get it right".
You're better off buying the machine that "feels tight", looks like it's made
of solid parts and has a good repair history (ask the independent service
people for an opinion of a given model or its manufacturer.) Quality of
performance starts with mechanical reliability, in my opinion. 'Nuff said.
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| Last night druid::kardell and I did the dc blocking capacitor modification
on his Magnavox 2041. Boy, was I shocked to see what was inside! While
my Magnavox 1040 is of all metal construction, the new Magnavoxen are almost
all plastic - and air. The space inside the box is cavernous!
In defense of Magnavox, the 2041 is really worth the $169. They must have
lost money on every 2040 they sold for that price. The value engineering
on the 2041 is vastly superior to the 1040/2040. Not only did they save
lots of money on the plastic chassis and disk transport, the assembly time
must be a tenth of what it was on the 1040/2040.
I don't think the plastic parts will detract from performance. As long as
the moving parts have good bearings/lubrication they should perform as well.
Besides, when it dies, the next generation's $150 replacement will be vastly
superior and provide more enjoyment from your $nnnn CD collection.
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