My brother said his old iPod was 'just junk' before he tossed it, which got me thinking about how we decide something is beyond saving. | Fixing Old Gadgets - The Community Guide
My old laptop spent a year as a very expensive doorstop before I finally watched a YouTube video on how to swap the hard drive. Cost me forty bucks and an afternoon of swearing at tiny screws. I'm definitely part of the problem, always assuming a repair is some huge, expert-level task. Your iPod story is a perfect example of how we get talked into thinking things are disposable. A little effort often saves a lot of money and keeps stuff out of the landfill. I need to remember that next time my first instinct is to just toss something.