Comment Re:This just makes sense... (Score 1) 253
If you're talking about hard goods like washing machines and lawn mowers, their cost with respect to wages and inflation has decreased dramatically over time. Why? Because people value price over quality. And don't consider ten year investments anymore. So, we have cheap washing machines that don't cost much more than they did in 1962 (and that's WITHOUT inflation) that are basically disposable and meant to last 10 years. A washing machine cost nearly $200 in 1962. A basic top-loading washing machine today with no bells and whistles similar to a 1962 model costs a lot less than $1,550 today (the equivalent in 2014 dollars). Or maybe a basic, single-set cordless phone that was $129 in 1982. A basic model today costs a lot less than $330.
You can get the same support you used to, but you have to pay A LOT more for it. Why? Because most people just want it cheap and won't pay for quality and support. So the quality and support side of things loses the economies of scale that it used to enjoy. So, you can get the quality and support, you'll just have to pay a lot more for it.