Growing up, when something broke, you took it to the repair shop. Now days, if you can find a repair shop, the price to fix something is ten dollars less than it is to buy it new. So you throw it away into a landfill and buy the new product. Lucky, there are web sites that pertain to most everything. When fixing something broken there is a lot of help out there. I saw this article on the New York Times website: Don’t Throw Out Your Broken iPod; Fix It via the Web. They list several sites that can give you directions on how to fix items that are broken.

When some device of mine breaks, there are the “usual” steps that I take. I take it apart (if I can) and try to figure out (if I can) what is wrong. Most times I look at all the electronic components, don’t see anything loose, scratch my head, and wonder how much I will need to replace the item. If I do find something loose, can I tighten it down? With the web sites listed in the Times articles, maybe I will have half-a-chance now.

When an electronics item breaks – what do you do: Throw it in a drawer, throw it away, fix it, or you don’t worry about it and buy a new one? Are there any fix it sites you would recommend?

Mark Viquesney