# Eat Shit and Die Sony **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 6, 2011, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eat-shit-and-die-sony/577367 "2011-04-06T05:19:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eat-shit-and-die-sony/577367/81 "2011-04-08T18:14:20Z")
They would promptly go out of business if they repaired every 30-year old laptop at no charge. Business models are not one-size-fits-all. (I know you are just engaging in a bit of mental foreplay) ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eat-shit-and-die-sony/577367/82 "2011-04-08T18:15:25Z")
… I’m not sure “mental foreplay” is exactly what you were going for there. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eat-shit-and-die-sony/577367/83 "2011-04-08T18:25:24Z")
I just like Zippo. And foreplay. I like foreplay as well. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eat-shit-and-die-sony/577367/84 "2011-04-08T19:24:56Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Of course not. His problem is that he can’t plug his laptop in anymore because the plug inside the machine is broken. Did you even read the thread? Have you? Guin was clearly talking about Hero’s claim that batteries will die soon if you don’t let them discharge. I almost always keep my Toshiba plugged in, and never have had a battery problem. Neither has my daughter, who is very hard on laptops. My old Toshiba Satellite went for four years before it lost a disk, which I replaced for under $100. It is now used for backup because it was too slow. However, Sony has a slightly unusual take on batteries as [some of you may recall.](http://news.softpedia.com/news/Sony-Exploding-Batteries-Chronicles-37848.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eat-shit-and-die-sony/577367/85 "2011-04-08T19:49:46Z")
> [@Hero\_From\_Sector\_7G](#): > > What design flaw? > > A laptop is intended as a portable device. The most expensive part is the battery which is also crucial to performing the device’s intended purpose. Why build components that will last longer than the principle element? > > [Dell answers how long they expect their batteries to last](http://www.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/batteries_sitelet/en/batteries_faq?c=us&l=en&cs=19#faq1), which is about 18 months. > > Most of the outrage comes from people who buy laptops but use them mostly to check their mail in bed. If you want a home PC, buy a home PC. If you want a laptop that will last forever, pony up and spend 3 or 4 thousand on military grade laptops. You don’t know much about designing computers, do you? The the letters MTBF mean anything to you? Are you able to calculate the MTBF of a laptop if each component had an MTBF of 18 months? While we’re at it, do you have a cite that modern batteries work better when charged after a full discharge? Oddly, all the experts in computer reliability I hang out with plug their laptops in during meetings, when possible. [This article](http://gigaom.com/apple/whats-the-ideal-strategy-to-maximize-notebook-battery-lifespan/) seems to say it is not a big deal these days. Articles from 11 years ago might give different advice. In any case, the problem the OP had was a mechanical problem, and anyone who sees reliability data knows that mechanical components die far faster than electrical ones do. BTW, I managed to find the user manual for my Toshiba laptop, and it specifically says that it is not necessary to discharge the battery - but doing so once a month helps to calibrate the battery meter. However operating it on AC power for more than a month continuously might be bad for it. That I believe. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eat-shit-and-die-sony/577367/86 "2011-04-08T21:31:21Z")
Wait, wait, wait, I totally missed that someone was essentially advocating that you throw your laptop out and buy a new one every time the battery dies. That’s hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2011, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eat-shit-and-die-sony/577367/87 "2011-04-09T00:04:48Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Of course not. His problem is that he can’t plug his laptop in anymore because the plug inside the machine is broken. Did you even read the thread? No shit, sherlock. However, I’m talking about **Hero From Sector 7G** , and pointing out that you CAN sit on your bed, or the sofa, and use a plug, and a lap desk. Duh. Now go off on one of your little moral crusades. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eat-shit-and-die-sony/577367.md?page=4)