Abstract

It is a commonplace that many products we buy bring along with them a range of both material and immaterial ‘add-ons’, some of which are obligatory, some necessary, some welcome and others unwanted. They are often unexpected, as many of these additional elements do not feature in advertising for products, in their retail display, or on packaging. Such ‘add-ons’ extend the notion of a product into an extensive series of material, economic, social and often quasi-legal relations. This paper considers these ‘peripherals’, especially as they relate to computer based consumer products, in relation to excess, obsolescence, and waste.