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Fantastic-Alps4335 t1_j6wsms5 wrote

Reply to comment by Asleep_Painting6103 in My MX Master 1 just died after 8 years - here’s why I still think it’s a BIFL product by joshjoshjosh42

By strict definition only solid metal items with no gears or connections are BIFL. But talking about only hammers , axes, and anvils gets old quick.

A focus on quality that lasts and performs better than average, or is economically superior via an amalgamation of quality and price,…

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Asleep_Painting6103 t1_j6x68ij wrote

I get that, but (correct me if I'm wrong) doesn't BIFL stand for 'buy it for life'? If there isn't a reasonable expectation that the item should last decades at a bare minimum, what are we all talking about here?

Context: I own an MX Master 3. The plastic/rubber coating has HEAVY wear after only a couple of years. There is no way I would ever consider this thing BIFL under any circumstances. But I can think of a whole bunch of ways its design could be improved to focus on greater longevity.

I understand that most products are so far away from BIFL these days that the term has become a bit of a chimera, but sometimes there are some real head-scratchers on this sub.

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joshjoshjosh42 OP t1_j6y7iz7 wrote

My (admittedly loose) definition of BIFL is something that genuinely lasts as long as it possibly could within your lifetime, either through repair, ease of maintenance or within a reasonable time period of use.

Nothing is truly "BIFL", hell even rocks aren't BIFL since they wear down and break.

As others have said, computer mice can't expected to last decades of heavy use, in the same way that we don't expect shoes to last 80 years (but 20-30 years is pretty good). It's just not possible for the kind of product that it is - they will wear eventually. Reason why I posted this product is because I think it is one of the best built, most durable products of all the mice, certainly lasting much longer than anyone would expect a mice to.

That being said, I'm disappointed to hear the rubber coating wearing faster than expected - shame, because all the components inside have been reinforced for durability and longevity. I'm about 2 years into my MX Master 3 and haven't come across anything other that cosmetic wear on mine.

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Asleep_Painting6103 t1_j6x6g7s wrote

Should add: I own mechanical computer keyboards that I would consider BIFL, because they are made of far more durable materials and can be serviced by a competent user even if they switches wear out (which is unlikely). Keycaps can be easily replaced by anyone as they wear out. I just don't see the same emphasis on long-lasting quality in ANY pointing device you can buy today.

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RokieVetran t1_j6y6gww wrote

The controller will eventually die... But you could do a entire PCB swap...

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Asleep_Painting6103 t1_j712wvw wrote

Yep, and I have a spare PCB. This keyboard will last the rest of my career (unless I get bored of it and swap it for something else...)

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Jussapitka t1_j760xdk wrote

The clock on my wall has gears and is older than any human alive. I think that counts as BIFL...

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