Because they pump your gas for you lol. Instead you get to be guilt tripped into tipping the worker who's only there to "create jobs".
Nerdulous
You're right, it is amazing. These people are giving honest constructive criticism of a product. Companies often have to pay money to get that information. These complaints are generally valid as well.
The company's commitment to repairability is commendable but it's in lieu of other important factors. If I have to make the choice between having the newer OS with stronger, more powerful hardware or the ability to repair my device I'm going to choose the former every time. From the get-go the device might last longer simply because I won't want to get rid of it as quickly. The 5 is of course a significant improvement over previous releases but it's still behind. If they can deliver a device that is not immediately outdated in comparison to other phones of similar price then this would be a no brainer for me and likely others as well.
Similarly availability is another major factor. You can't buy what you can't get your hands on. Even more importantly it's even more futile to buy one for a network that doesn't support it at all. Obviously the creators just aren't ready to expand into another market and that's fine but it doesn't make the criticism any less important for their mission.
As much as I agree that individual releases are lackluster and uninspiring usually I just can't agree with a 13yo phone being very capable today. The benefits that are compounded after 3 or 4 releases is usually worth the switch. However I do firmly believe these devices should last at least that long.
Not to mention most people are ecstatic to have their washing machine, refrigerator, water heater, or even their cars for so long and usually it isn't without compromises. Just about any appliance lasting that long is considered good luck.
Computational devices are even harder to continue using for so long and usually not because they break but because they become inadequate as processing power follows Moore's law. I would guess most people use their laptops for about 5 years before feeling like they have to upgrade because it feels slow but I remember the laptop I had 13 years ago and the thought of still using that now fills me with dread.
I'll never forget my Sweet 3 series... Because I'm still paying for it's repairs years later.
Are you guys using VCR to pirate media or something?