Standardisation and convergence

[rwb]

How many different kinds of power steering pump does the World need?

Did you ever choose one car over another because it had a better alternator?

Why don't car manufacturers just share such parts?

At least, parts should have standard specifications. This would mean that they were more readily interchangeable.

Computer manufacturers have been doing it for years, for example hard drives are a standard shape, the screw holes are in standard locations, and there are only a couple of different connectors. For example, you can choose to buy a better quality disc if you wish -- spins faster, larger capacity, solid state,... -- but you always know it will fit and work.

[Doggy]

I think component manufacturers try to do this as much as possible for the obvious benefits of scale. I suspect a lot of the variation is the result of car manufactures cramming more and more into less space, thus dictating that such bits that can be re-shaped, (like washer reservoirs etc), are designed to fit the bit of space that's left.

[FarmerPug]

toyota is about the only car company where i can see components remain over the years in different cars. The overhead courtesy light in my dads old 93 carina was exactly the same as the courtesy light in the 2010 hilux.

[mjb]

How many different kinds of power steering pump does the World need?

Roughly one per model family. You'd probably make a SMART steering rack explode if you forced enough fluid through it to turn the wheels under a Bentley's front axle... In fact a Bentley PAS pump probably wouldn't fit under the bonnet of a SMART, heck even the aux belt required would be a tight fit...

Did you ever choose one car over another because it had a better alternator?

A 406 with a SMART's alternator would probably die 2 miles down the road...

Why don't car manufacturers just share such parts?

At least, parts should have standard specifications. This would mean that they were more readily interchangeable.

Computer manufacturers have been doing it for years, for example hard drives are a standard shape...-- but you always know it will fit and work.

Is there such a thing as an ISA SATA card that will enable a 2011 hard disk to work with a 1996 computer?
Can you buy a 2011 24-pin ATX2.0 PSU that will fit and work on a 1996 12-pin AT motherboard?
Can I plug a 1996 VGA monitor into a 2011 HDMI port?
Can I run a modern game using a 1996 computer?
Heck, is even a 2011 ATX case compatible with a 1996 AT computer?
The mouse? Keyboard? RAM? Heck, I struggle to even buy RAM for a motherboard I bought just a couple of years ago

I bought a new dual socket socket939 motherboard in 2005. I even had to buy a ridiculously cutting edge (24-pin ATX2.0) PSU for it at a ludicrous £100 or so, as there was only one model on the market! Just 12 months later I struggled to find CPUs or RAM that would work with the thing.

[FarmerPug]

and why does printers all need so many inks, make it one standard ink system so lexmark cant rip me off.

[highlander]

Buy a desktop laser printer off've eBay for about £50. The toner cartridges cost about £60, but they last a LONG time if you're just a casual user (certainly a lot longer than ink does).

I bought an HP LaserJet 1300n, which is good because it works in XP, Vista and Windows 7, and has a network adapter as well as a USB port on it, so you can share it very easily with the other computers in your house. I would also be surprised if there was no MacOS X driver for it too.

[FarmerPug]

i have an older lexmark which is on the downstairs pc. But then for all the laptops theres a wireless hp jobbie.

[highlander]

Inkjets will still cost you more in the longrun. The only cost advantage an inkjet has over a laser is when it comes to the colour models. If you don't need to print colour much (if at all), then get rid of the inkjets.

Ink also has a short shelf-life - it will dry out and render the cartridge useless if you don't print for a certain length of time. Laser toner is already dry, and doesn't decay very quickly. Toner also doesn't smudge.

For even better savings, when your HP toner cartridge is empty, take it down to CartridgeWorld (or similar cartridge refillers) and they will top it up for you for less than the cost of a new one.

[FarmerPug]

If i was going to a laser id need an all in one, the copy, scan, print and photo mode is real handy.

[highlander]

http://www.probsolvexpress.com/technica ... =C3948A-RE

That one is refurbished, which is better than getting it off eBay. £125 inc VAT is good for a refurb monochrome laser, and for it to have printer/scanner/copier/fax on it, that's pretty decent.

Here's the HP product page for it, so you can get the tech specs:

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/Te ... peId=18972