HighBomber said:
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My PlayStation broke, my minidisk player broke(I brought it back, it was repaired, and it broke a second time), my Sony speakers were horrible, and my 2 Sony TV's broke. I also take very good care of my electronics, and I am confident they broke because of cheap parts. For my walkman the plastic cracked when it got too cold!
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Well, it looks like we have had completely seperate experiences with the same company (note: I'm not saying you're wrong! Just noting the difference in our experiences). I've heard nothing but good from Sony.
My cousin Evan, before he joined the Navy, worked at Radio Shack. While he was there, he sold a lot of CD players. We were talking at some point or another, and that subject came up. I will quote him here, "If you're gonna buy a CD player, make sure to buy Sony." Of all the name brand CD players (Panasonic, Philips, Memorex, etc.) that were brought in for repair, only 1 out of 10 was a Sony Walkman. So, of all the name brands, he strongly recommended Sony.
Also, take in mind how the two companies took care of their customers when it came to the gaming consoles. When the Playstation 2's got the dreaded laser reader problem (which WAS a problem, I will admit), all you had to do was send it back, and they'd repair it or get you a new one (I can't remember which right now, sorry). They would fix the problem. Now, that is in a very stark contrast to what Microsoft has done.
Over five million XBoxes were manufactured with faulty PSUs that have resulted in many burns and potential house fires. What does Microsoft do? They lie to the entire world and claim, of all things, the cord is responsible! We all know the truth, yet they continue to insist otherwise. That is a filthy rotten business practice that makes my blood boil... "Oh no, your XBox caught on fire! Oh well, it was a manufacturing error... my bad... tell you what: go buy a new one and hope the problem goes away. I will continue to lie to you! Have a nice day!"
As far as the plastic goes: that what happens when things get cold. They become brittle. Unless a particular plastic is designed from the get-go with cold temperatures in mind, there is a good chance it'll break if stressed. I know this from experience; after all, I accidently tore off my passenger-side door arm rest in my 1990 Ford Escort LX that way!
The corner was stuck in the snow, so I reached over and pulled, and POW! Suddenly, I had an arm rest in my hand, and the door was still in place. It was a cold day. LoL, there were a LOT of problems with that car, but I still kind of miss it. There's always something poetic about your first car.
As far as the other Sony products go: I don't have specific examples, but again I've heard nothing but good. Remember, I'm not saying your wrong! I'm just telling my opinions and experiences.
HighBomber said:
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Maybe if they improved there quality in products, lowered there price, and got better games, I MAY buy a PlayStation3.
I purchased an Xbox because I also like supporting North American companies.
When you say, "lowered there price," do you mean for the Playstation 2? It was priced at the same price as the XBox, was it not? Probably not: I guess you were talking about their other products, such as the Walkman, speakers, etc. I guess they are a tad more expensive then some other brands, but you can do that if you're the, "name brand." Abercrombie & Fitch clothing is actually of lower quality then Walmart, but which one costs more? Note: I said clothing, not shoes! Walmart brand shoes, no offense to those that might care for them, are pretty poor in comparison to name brand shoes. I buy Walmart clothing, yet spend more on my shoes because they last much longer.
I am all for American products, don't get me wrong! But, I will sacrifice, "buying American" if I feel like that American company is hurting the market place. And that's how I feel about Microsoft. They have been hurting the computer market for far too long. That's why I use Linux (more stable and secure anyway), why I support Apple (plus, they are really innovative), and why I will support Sony in the next generation of consoles. I'm doing my part to help remove Bill Gate's Iron Fist controlling the market: I hope that hundred of thousands will eventually join me to reduce this super power.
By the way, what do you consider "American?" A company may have it's roots in the American market, but be paying foreign workers to do everything (or at least a portion of it) for very cheap. To me, this is not American. Many companies fall under this umbrella: Harley Davidson, Ford, Chevy, Microsoft, etc. There are very few companies that based entirely in the USA anymore. I admire companies that still prefer to stick around here, even though they could get Koreans or Chinese to do the same work for cheaper. Those are the REAL American companies.
Okay, too long again. I'm going to bed.
- Greg
