HP Prime Hardware (internal and external)

[dbbotkin]

I was hoping someone would pick up on that: if an item doesn't wear out (or can be repaired easily and cheaply), "recycling" only becomes an issue with physical obsolescence, not just "going out of fashion."

Putting aside the marketing directed at "having the latest model," if a product can be repurposed, then its environmental impact is on the consumer, not the manufacturer. For example, an iPhone 4 makes an excellent remote camera when combined with apps available for next to nothing. View from the 'net, capture video, etc. In contrast with a consumer security camera (not a cheap nanny-cam) at $200+, a used iPhone 4 for under a hundred bucks looks pretty good.

The march of technology in micro-processors and displays has disproportionately affected small, high-tech items like calculators, driving prices down and features up. So now we have the h/p49 series (b1999-??) alongside the Prime (age 1+) with a touch screen and an outstanding graphics display for $150. The Prime has a bright future thanks to the thought that went into the electronics, not the packaging.