I have a feeling OP is talking to a tree, effortlessly ignoring every reply in this thread, so I would suggest recycling this thread.
What do you think are tough\reliable (not necesarily american) components ?

For example, I have a bunch of LG DVD drives and they stand out from the other brands. Literally none of them has failed on me yet, the lasers inside somehow can still write and read DVDs and CDs in 2021.

computerguy08 wrote on 2021-08-15, 16:47:

I have a feeling OP is talking to a tree, effortlessly ignoring every reply in this thread

That's all he ever does

Good initiative, @computerguy08! ♻️

I would have to say my trusty Samsung ML-1610 laserprinter.

It doesn't do color, but I don't need that anyway. I bought it back in 2004. It came with a half-full toner cartridge, but it still lasted me for years, since I rarely print anything. But whenever I do, it's there for me. And you can get aftermarket (refilled?) toner cartridges for that thing for cheap. I've only had to replace the cartridge once so far, though.

Best €80 I ever spent!

Compare that to inkjet printers that dry up if you don't use them for a while. And ink cartridges don't last nearly as long as toner, and they are f🤬ing expensive! Inkjet printing has got to be one of the shittiest technologies ever developed in the history of computer peripherals.

I have an HP Laserjet, similar, $25 carts for 7000 pages... I occasionally troll the bestbuy/office depot employees when they seem to be all over you, I go "Ah yeah, so I've got an older printer, and I'm thinking that a brand new one should be much cheaper to run right?" and they go yeah and probably start on a bit of spiel so then I get in quick "So show me everything that does better than half a cent a page" and they proceed to tell me that's impossible and I can't do math.

Laser printers were not beyond mechanical failure though. Plenty of feeding issues (PC load letter anyone?)

There was a 2 cent fix for the feed issues on mine, the gizmos, what are they called, feet? pressing down on the sheet to keep it flat as it feeds in, didn't seem to be pressing hard enough and just used their own weight, so a penny taped on each one worked wonders.

This reminded me, I had a Laserjet 4P a while back. That thing was heavily abused, it had a worn out main gear (the one that rolled the paper), the toner cartridge had to be jammed with an object to sit properly inside.
Yet it refused to die, was still printing perfectly, without any horizontal/vertical lines.

I'm European, 6ft high and called the midget among my friends (all 6,5-7,5ft heigh). Size doesn't matter, I'm strong enough to beat up any random computer. But I don't 😀

Funny to mention IBM. I'm a fan, got multiple IBM computers and I like them. The right to repair them and IBM property stuff (MCA, ram pinouts, incomplete firmware) actually makes the right to repair a bit more complicated than any Compaq, Siemens, Acer, younameit.

IBM ps/2 line. Solid, despite its plastic. Repair with drop in replacements can be a real pain.

My IBM valuepoint is quite picky about which 72p fastpage modules it likes.

Let's talk about a bit more modern than ps/2 stuff: the PC 300PL. By then IBM became a lot more universal.
Standard socket 7, ISA/PCI and bloody only takes 168p 5v Edo ram instead of the usual SDRAM. Have fun finding replacements.
Now the build quality: it's all plastic that instantly breaks when you only think of touching it. You don't actually have to. The right to repair suddenly turned into the requirement to get comfortable with epoxy on tiny pieces of plastic.

Now my 10 years older Multitech MPF-PC. Multitech is currently better known as Acer, from Taiwan. I accidentally dropped the lid one, it landed on its plastic front. Not a scratch.

Now I'll get back to IBM. My Netvista P3 is as universal as possible, but intendedly misses bios support for some CPUs. So a drop in replacement can be hard to find if you don't look very specifically.

My Asus P3B-F slot 1 literally takes anything that has written coppermine or older on it.

So yeah, IBM is a great example of making things hard to repair. (Did I hear somebody thinking of the great American brand called Apple and the right repair?)

waterbeesje wrote on 2021-08-15, 17:37:

I'm European, 6ft high and called the midget among my friends (all 6,5-7,5ft heigh).

See, OP? Many of us Europeans are even so courteous as to convert any measurements to your confusing and archaic units, for your convenience. You're welcome! 😁

Okay, okay, back on topic again, I keep getting tempted to go off-track. 😉

I thought Acer was always called Acer? I remember a computer chronicles episode from the 80s referring to them as such

After watching the 2010 Norwegian documentary "Trollhunter" (saw it on the internets so it must be true), I only want Tough Norwegian Troll Strong components.

maxtherabbit wrote on 2021-08-15, 17:46:

I thought Acer was always called Acer? I remember a computer chronicles episode from the 80s referring to them as such

Yeah, that was what I believed until I got this computer: A Multitech MPF-PC, IBM pc clone, 8088, 256kB ram, 10MB mfm disk (5,25" half height, Shugard SA712: another rare brand). It appears Multitech existed for ten years before it was renamed Acer back in 1987.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acer_Inc. History, paragraph one 😉

liqmat wrote on 2021-08-15, 17:52:

After watching the 2010 Norwegian documentary "Trollhunter" (saw it on the internets so it must be true), I only want Tough Norwegian Troll Strong components.

Based

A tough C64.

(rotatable 3D model about halfway down)

digger wrote on 2021-08-15, 17:45:

waterbeesje wrote on 2021-08-15, 17:37:

I'm European, 6ft high and called the midget among my friends (all 6,5-7,5ft heigh).

See, OP? Many of us Europeans are even so courteous as to convert any measurements to your confusing and archaic units, for your convenience. You're welcome! 😁

Okay, okay, back on topic again, I keep getting tempted to go off-track. 😉

Haha. See, the rest of the world tried to get the USA to convert to the metric system.

So we now use the metric system for ammunition. Take that!

maxtherabbit wrote on 2021-08-15, 16:30:

was the chimp american though?

🤣 that's too good

cyclone3d wrote on 2021-08-15, 18:59:

digger wrote on 2021-08-15, 17:45:

waterbeesje wrote on 2021-08-15, 17:37:

I'm European, 6ft high and called the midget among my friends (all 6,5-7,5ft heigh).

See, OP? Many of us Europeans are even so courteous as to convert any measurements to your confusing and archaic units, for your convenience. You're welcome! 😁

Okay, okay, back on topic again, I keep getting tempted to go off-track. 😉

Haha. See, the rest of the world tried to get the USA to convert to the metric system.

So we now use the metric system for ammunition. Take that!

That is the most American thing possible.

The Earth as it really is.......😉

<STRONG>A REAL AMERICAN COMPUTER:</STRONG>
<img src="C:\GRAPHI~1\USAFLAG.GIF"> <img src="C:\GRAPHI~1\EAGL.GIF"> <img src="C:\GRAPHI~1\FIREWORK.GIF">
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS 686 TEXAS INSTRUMENT IS FROM TEXAS
S3 SAVAGE 2000 (NAMED AFTER FLORIDAS GREATEST WRESTLER) S3 COMPANY FROM SILICON VALLEY
AUREAL VORTEX AUREAL COMPANY FROM SILICON VALLEY
CAMBRIDGE MASSACHUSET SOUNDWORK SPEAKERS IS FROM CAMBRIDGE MASSACHUSETTS
OPERATIN SYSTEM IS MICROSOFT WINDOW 98 SE FROM WASHINGTON THE STATE NAMED AFTER ARE FUONDING FATER GORGE WASHINGTON

USA!!!
<img src="C:\GRAPHI~1\HULKUSA.GIF"> <img src="C:\GRAPHI~1\CALVNPIS.GIF"> <img src="C:\GRAPHI~1\ATARIST.GIF"> <img src="C:\GRAPHI~1\FORDF150.GIF">

cyclone3d wrote on 2021-08-15, 18:59:

Haha. See, the rest of the world tried to get the USA to convert to the metric system.

So we now use the metric system for ammunition. Take that!

True. And also for weighing cocaine. Progress, I guess. 👍