I do understand someone who wants to collect beautiful mods for their own sake. I also appreciate the beauty and craftsmanship involved in doing some of the all mechanical mods that are out there. There are even a few I'd like to own someday.
What I don't understand is the anti-electronics hype that sometimes comes with it.
In the grand scheme of things, you can duplicate an electronics system 20 times on the same multi-layered PCB if you need (military does this all the time...so if one fails another one kicks in and takes over) AND produce 8 life-times of user replaceable supply of that entire board for what it cost just to fire up the lathe or a welder to fashion a comparable mechanical part (which often doesn't last any longer than an equivalent electronic part would either).
Oh heck, forget the PCB, they now have programmable 'chips' that you can totally redesign the entire network in a 'flash', and they're quickly becoming affordable. So this rules out the argument of 'what if they quit making that board someday'. As long as the design exists, someone can 'flash' you a new part on a generic chip.
Why is it no big deal to buy already obsolete battery designs at least once a year at $10 to $20 each, plus a fancy charger....but a tiny 18 cent switch, wheel, chip, or PCB every 10 to 20 years is inconceivable?
My Darwin cost me a little under $240 used. As a smoker, I sometimes spent that much on 'mechanical' lighters in a year's time and thought nothing of it
I have nothing against electronics; they are great. I'll be buying a Kick when they come out. Onthe other hand there are many stories of reos being run over by cars, dropped out of pockets while riding motorcycles and being in ice water for several days and they still work so thats nice too.
