Editing 2033: Repair or Replace

Jump to: navigation, search

Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.

The edit can be undone. Please check the comparison below to verify that this is what you want to do, and then save the changes below to finish undoing the edit.
Latest revision Your text
Line 8: Line 8:
  
 
==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
−
This comic compares the repair of cars with that of computers or other similar electronic devices. The question ''Repair or Replace?'' comes up more frequently with electronics than with cars, hence the title of the comic, and the humor derived.
+
{{incomplete|Created by a BOY - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
  
−
[[Cueball]] is in his car. He says that there is a weird sound and asks if the  car mechanic [[Hairy]] will take a look. Hairy asks him to open the car's {{w|Hood (car)|hood}}, exposing the engine, to further identify the cause of the problem. Cueball then says that his hood latch, the lever used to open the hood, is also broken. The solution, according to Hairy, is then to discard the car, and "replace" it with a new car.  
+
This comic compares the repair of cars with that of phones or other similar devices.  
  
−
In reality, fixing the latch on the hood is a simple task for a skilled mechanic and would not justify writing-off the car. When a car is malfunctioning, the usual response is to attempt to repair it. A car is designed so that many of the parts can be replaced or adjusted. By contrast, when a computer or electronic device is malfunctioning, it is often judged to be more expensive to repair than to replace, and the usual action is to purchase a new device. It is generally possible to replace each part of a desktop or laptop computer, but harder to do so for more integrated devices such as tablets, and almost impossible to repair individual components with faulty or damaged integrated circuits. Thus, Randall notes in this comic that while it does make sense for electronic devices, the "solution" of replacing an object instead of attempting to repair seems absurd for many other expensive items.
+
When a car is malfunctioning the usual response is to attempt to repair it. The car is designed so that many of the parts can be replaced or adjusted.
  
−
The title text refers to data stored on a computer or electronic device. Before replacing the device, it is recommended {{w|backup}} all your personal files, so that you have future access to them, and to remove them for security. Randall likens this to having your friends and family exit the vehicle, or making backup friends and family before the vehicle is thrown away.
+
By contrast, when a phone is malfunctioning, it is often judged to be impossible to repair, and the usual action is to purchase a new phone. Most parts are not designed to be replaceable, and if they fail it is normally cheaper to replace than repair.  
 +
 
 +
Cueball, likely representing Randall, is in his car. He says that there is a weird sound, so Hairy, representing a mechanic, asks him to lift his hood. When that proves difficult the mechanic suggests discarding the car. In reality, fixing the catch on the hood is a simple task for a skilled mechanic and would not justify writing-off the car.
 +
 
 +
The title text continues the analogy. When you replace a phone you would try to download or backup your photos and contacts. The mechanic asks Cueball to check that all friends family members have either been removed from the car or "backed up".
  
 
==Transcript==
 
==Transcript==
−
:[Cueball is sitting in a car parked to the left of Hairy, who thus stands in front of it while pointing behind him towards a big black hole.]
+
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
 +
:[Cueball sits in a car arriving from the left while Hairy stands in front of it and points to a big black hole on the right behind him.]
 
:Cueball: My engine's making a weird noise. Can you take a look?
 
:Cueball: My engine's making a weird noise. Can you take a look?
 
:Hairy: Sure, just pop the hood.
 
:Hairy: Sure, just pop the hood.
 
:Cueball: Oh, the hood latch is also broken.
 
:Cueball: Oh, the hood latch is also broken.
−
:Hairy: OK, just pull up to that big pit and push the car in. We'll go get a new one.
+
:Hairy: Ok, just pull up to that big pit and push the car in. We'll go get a new one.
  
 
:[Caption below the frame:]
 
:[Caption below the frame:]

Please note that all contributions to explain xkcd may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here.
You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see explain xkcd:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission!

To protect the wiki against automated edit spam, we kindly ask you to solve the following CAPTCHA:

Cancel | Editing help (opens in new window)

Templates used on this page:

Retrieved from "https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/2033:_Repair_or_Replace"