I like the idea of rebuilding, or taking a thing that is, and making it something that's a little more. Or less, if you're into that. This is why I bought Canon point-and-shoots, and added CHDK to them -- to make them something a bit MORE.

The FD60 over in Mad Science is another example of that idea... taking a thing that has essentially ended it's life and is thus reborn into something new. Eventually I'll show some of the furniture or desks that I've built from old pallets. Stuff that would be otherwise burned or pitched into a landfill or local gulley is put to new use, for minimal cost and a few slivers.

I don't think a device has a lifespan until it's utterly destroyed. You'll read more about that in Re/Building.

Not everyone has to do this, and not all circumstances warrant taking apart the thing you just spent money on. It just seems to me that if you have a thing that can be better suited to your needs, go to it. Just know that you run the risk of being out $1099 if you take apart your Canon 40D and screw it up.

In a consumer culture (and oh yes, I am guilty), reusing a thing until its beaten to bits means less waste, less pollution, and creativity in finding new ways to use old things. For fantastic examples of this concept, hook over to Make Magazine's Blog section, which showcases how common people do uncommonly awesome things.