@beunconstrained, Yea! I understand. That's why I said NEEDLESSLY disposable. You wouldn't want reusable toilet paper, for example (haha), and some things, like electronics, by nature have a shelf life of sorts.

When we get into things like electronics, though, there's a grey area. Sometimes, even though tech will quickly advance, there are cases where it doesn't make sense to upgrade every couple years.

The U.S. Navy is one example (not that I'm a fan). They still use Windows XP! Here is an article about it. This type of situation could just as easily apply to a large company. So some consumers NEED it to be at least somewhat serviceable for an extended period of time.

As for individuals, some people get familiar with what they have, and don't care to have the latest tech. I have personally known people that make $70k + a year that are still walking around with flip phones. It's not that they can't afford it, they just don't feel like they need anything more, and don't care to spend the time learning anything new.

I guess my point is, people like options, and there is some demand out there for such products.

As for other industries, I don't know how true it is. I think they only believe that designed obsolescence is going to sell more products. Look at the firearm industry! Simplicity, durability, and quality are consistently on the rise, yet they sell like crazy!