I was just thinking in the back of my head about how cheap LEDs have made types of lighting that would’ve cost way too much (both to install, and in electricity usage) no longer stupidly expensive.

For example, I noticed on Amazon some cheap furniture that has LEDs/power outlets sort of integrated right into them. Looks pretty cyberpunk-ish to my eyes. And I know years ago that sort of thing would’ve been marked up to high heavens.

Fancy lighting in general has changed drastically in price/design.

So…what are some things, due to changes in demand or changes in tech or changes in anything…that would’ve been really expensive back in the day, but which no longer seem to be, making them more frugal than they used to be?

  • @VirtualOdourEnglish
    0•3 months ago

    True to an extent and for certain products but if you’re buying an 80$ Samsung USB hub instead of a 5 dollar straight from the factory generic then you just spent 75 bucks on adverts, ceo bonuses, and graphic design.

    SD cards I only buy from big names for the reason you mention but the machines can trace and solder at far higher precision than is needed for most electronics.

    • themeatbridgeEnglish
      1•3 months ago

      It depends on what you’re doing with the usb hub, but yeah. With that price differential, you can buy two so that when one breaks, you have a spare. At $5, they are disposable. That was my point in the first place. There are a lot of things that can fail on a usb hub, from the board being poorly printed, the solder points being weak, the fuses or caps failing at a higher rate, or the power supply giving inconsistent voltage. And if it’s built into your Generic Lay-Z-Bro gaming recliner, it will likely be a bitch to replace.