Budget laptops are a big example of enshittification. Compare the Asus Eee PC 1001 series with the Acer Spin 3 series. Not only was the Eee PC generally cheaper, but they last significantly longer too and have very good build quality, while the Acer Spin 3 can barely last a year without developing critical hardware flaws.
As someone who has used both laptops, here is my experience:
Usability
Usability-wise, the Asus Eee PC, back in its time period, was pretty good. You weren't gonna be doing any sort of gaming on it for the most part, aside from older PC games and Flash games, but it worked great for productivity and media playing, which is what most would've likely been using it for anyways. Eee PCs running Windows XP were known to be a bit faster than those running Windows 7 Starter, but both work just fine. The Eee PC is of course quite old now though. In 2011, I would rate it a 7/10, but in 2024, I must unfortunately give it a 4/10 due to its slowness and age.
The Acer Spin 3 is significantly more usable for modern programs, being capable of running Windows 11. It can also run modern games better than the Asus Eee PC could've run its contemporary games. It also has a touchscreen, which the Eee PC never had. That's about where the good things with the Spin 3 end though. I've experienced many software issues with the Acer Spin 3. The one I have only has 4GB of RAM, and yet Microsoft allowed it to update to Windows 11 anyways. Windows 11 runs like complete garbage on these laptops, as it freezes constantly and has driver problems. It's not Acer's fault, though, as the laptop did release in 2020, when Windows 10 was the latest, and I wouldn't be surprised if Windows 10 ran just fine on it. I will grant this a 6/10 due to how its specs lack in some important places even though it's only 4 years old.
Durability
The Asus Eee PC is remarkably durable, despite being built out of pretty much entirely plastic. The shell does get scratches, but it causes no problems. All the ports are durable, and the only functional issue that my own Eee PC has gotten in its 13 years of existence is that the SD card port no longer locks cards into place. It also had a bad battery when I first received it, but fixing that was as easy as ordering a replacement part and swapping out an externally accessible unit only held in place by two latches. A solid 10/10 from me, as I can't see how it could be any better.
The Acer Spin 3 is a flimsy piece of garbage, on the other hand. Both of its USB ports have given out on me. The left one fried itself when I plugged in a desk fan, and the right one broke after getting bent slightly too much. I was able to temporarily fix the right one with some soldering, but then it broke again and when I went to repair it, it fell off the board. Not a good look for the laptop. The battery in the machine has also degraded significantly (though to be fair, that could be my own fault) and it would not be easy to replace. The aluminum case of the Acer Spin 3 is also really susceptible to dents and dings, which I personally think look much worse than plastic scratches. I would rate it 2/10.
Repairability
The Asus Eee PC is quite easy to repair. It's a bit awkward to disassemble, as you take the keyboard and top of the lower chassis off to access the internals, and there are quite a few ribbon cables, but it's not all that hard to replace a drive. It's also easier to replace RAM, as it's got its own door on the bottom of the machine, held in place by one screw, and you don't even need to take it apart at all if you want to replace the battery. Over all, a 7/10 in my opinion.
The Acer Spin 3 opens easier, having a singular bottom panel, but once you get inside, there's not a lot to do. Basically everything is glued into place, the RAM is soldered onto the board, and the SSD is technically removable but it's as though it's held in with superglue. A solid 1/10 in my opinion.
This is my comparison of budget laptops in 2011 vs 2020. I know nobody will read this, most likely, but I just had to rant about it.
