Apple co-founder Steve (“Woz”) Wozniak thinks the endless personal computer upgrade cycle is leveling off, according to a Computerworld article.
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End users “pretty much have as much computer as they need, and they really don’t need twice the speed anymore,” Wozniak said during an interview with Computerworld. He feels that the “inefficiencies” built into microtechnologies meant computer makers were building products with forced obsolescence in the past. End users wanted products with a long lifespan, but had to face up to the reality that today’s hot computer was outdated in three years. However, that’s changing, Wozniak said.
“You reach plateaus where technology can advance and make things less costly, but it can’t necessarily change their essence. And I think we’re at one of those plateaus now,” he told Computerworld. “We’re sort of in a stable point. It’s good for the end user.”
Of course, it’s not good for computer vendors. Companies like Apple depend on a certain percentage of their user base to upgrade to the latest and greatest machine on a regular basis.