There is planned obsolescence, sure, but most of the examples in the article are about keeping the price low. And they go cheap because it is what the market demands. We want $300 appliances, and this is what we get. Of course, managing prices that low requires cutting every corner. We can still get high quality stuff if we buy commercial machines... for 10 times the price, like in the old days. However, for most people, it isn't worth it.