Aibo Owners Feel Abandoned

The Wall Street Journal ran an article a couple of months ago about the difficulty in finding technical support for ageing Aibos now that Sony has discontinued support for them.

Ritsuko Kobayashi has been organizing the monthly get-togethers in Kawasaki since 2003. Originally, she says, the idea was to let Aibo owners meet in a relaxed setting where they could help one another program the robots. Mr. and Mrs. Matsui met at a similar gathering in Kyoto in 2001.

Now that Sony no longer offers technical support, the meetings have taken on a more vital role as a place where owners can help each other with repairs.

Aibo owners say a thorough overhaul is necessary once a year to keep the robots functioning properly. The weakest link, many owners say, is a leg joint that can fail, preventing the dogs from walking or even getting up.

Read the full article at http://www.wsj.com/.