Ernie1 Do machines like the Faema still use proprietary electronics? Ultimately I’d love to have a machine I know will be serviceable for many many years.
I’d hazard a guess: I bet it does, but Dave most likely will know more.
I remembering asking a similar question in the past, whether machines like the Minima, for example, would have all components off the shelf. I think the answer was almost, but if I remember correctly, most of machines these days have a Gicar (or equivalent) box with proprietary software in it.
So to summarise, I think that, as long as the vendor is still around and the part has not been superseded or discontinued, you should be fine. And I think this is for most things these days anyway.
Even a modern lever machine like the Vesuvius Evo or the Londinium, or the Profitec 800 would have proprietary software in it. On the surface it looks it will last forever. Reality is, it will last as long as the electronics are working and are supported. 😊
Let me give a concrete example: I used to own a Gene Cafe. It was made in 2006. It was working fine, and then, after 16 years, it started failing. I discovered it needed a new PCB. However, that PCB was discontinued, and buying it new was not an option - The manufacturer recommended to either buy a new style board, which would also require new sensors, and it was quite expensive. Luckily for me, I found someone who had a few old boards in stock - in the UK - from back in the day!