I don't see how "built to last" means "built out of cardboard." I can't find the original Rob Walker piece, but it sounds like it's talking about timeless quality vs. empty fashion, not about the environment.
An iPhone lasts a long time, and the author should be comforted that not everyone can afford to buy a new one every time Apple bumps the version, naturally limiting Apple's ability to fill landfills with barely-used iPhones by launching new product features.
The net footprint of a big company like Apple is surely complicated, as there are many ways to offset one's impact. I'm no expert, but Apple has a whole website on their strategy (http://www.apple.com/environment/) that shows they are making an effort, perhaps a large one.
No, he's saying that products that are destined to be obsoleted quickly should not be built to last. If something is disposable, make it look disposable. Of course, that's not going to happen.
Comments
I don't see how "built to last" means "built out of cardboard." I can't find the original Rob Walker piece, but it sounds like it's talking about timeless quality vs. empty fashion, not about the environment.
An iPhone lasts a long time, and the author should be comforted that not everyone can afford to buy a new one every time Apple bumps the version, naturally limiting Apple's ability to fill landfills with barely-used iPhones by launching new product features.
The net footprint of a big company like Apple is surely complicated, as there are many ways to offset one's impact. I'm no expert, but Apple has a whole website on their strategy (http://www.apple.com/environment/) that shows they are making an effort, perhaps a large one.
No, he's saying that products that are destined to be obsoleted quickly should not be built to last. If something is disposable, make it look disposable. Of course, that's not going to happen.
Even if all our electronics were redesigned to biodegrade overnight if left outside in heavy rain, what's the point in making them look disposable?
It's more "honest". (Note that I'm not saying I agree with this argument.)