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January 17, 2006 at 6:31 am #21316Dr KimbleParticipant
I came across a blurb in the latest PC magazine that I found interesting.
PC Magazine wrote:Every tech buyer knows the feeling: Days after you get home from the store with your brand new gizmo, you see a next-generation model available for the same price. In the First Digital Life in America study, recently conducted by Ziff Davis Media (parent company of PC Magazine), survey results from over 1000 U.S. adults showed that fear of obsolescence is far greater in some technological categories than others.In 14 groups of gear, ranging from laptops to home theater systems, survey respondents associated the highest fear of obsolescence with digital cameras and desktop PCs. On the flip side, respondants were unafraid when buying a home theater system or VoIP service. Fear, it’s clear, is not constant for all types of tech.
So, what do you think of this? Do you agree? Are there certain types/categories of technical gear that you are less likely to buy because it may become obsolete? I’m interested in what you all think.
I am asking mainly because I didn’t quite agree with this blurb. I find myself always checking up on every bit of tech I purchace or plan to purchace to make sure I am getting not only the best in terms of my needs, but the best in terms of the rest of the market. One reason, indeed, why I subscribe to PC Mag.
Your thoughts?
January 17, 2006 at 6:54 am #136481Jeff HesterKeymasterI agree! My wife wants me to get a new LCD or plasma HDTV, and there are a lot of options out there (lines of resolution, display technology, etc.) — making the right choice isn’t perfectly clear. Even more risky is choosing between the new high-definition DVD formats (BlueRay vs. HD-DVD). In this area, I’ll do my research, but I’d rather wait and see how it sorts out and determine what standards emerge.
Personally, I’m less concerned about digital cameras, printers and audio components. Why? They are all technologies where there isn’t a lot of room for improvement. My home theater system sounds great. Is a newer one going to make it sound “greater?” Not really. With cameras, I could get a higher resolution, but with 5mp, it does what I need it to do — I’m happy. My printer does a fine job of printing, copying and scanning. There might be new technology that is faster and flashier, but I’m content with the speed and quality.
PCs fall somewhere in the middle. On the one hand, as long as they do the job, why worry about upgrades? I don’t worry about not having the “latest.” I plan to upgrade my PC every 2-3 years and leave it at that.
January 17, 2006 at 7:16 am #136484Dr KimbleParticipantYes! I completely agree, especially on cameras. I got a digital Canon Rebel in 2004. It is 6mp, but lo and behold now the 8mp ‘XT’ version has come, and in less than two years. I’m not kicking myself for not waiting, on the contrary, I love my camera. It does what I want and more. I did so much research and price checkings and I knew the Rebel 300D is what I wanted. I didn’t worry about it becoming obsolete, and I still don’t…as far as I’m concerned, I have quite a top quality camera. I was surprised digital cameras rated at the top of the so called ‘worry’ list. A few mps aren’t worth an ulcer in my opinion :p
January 17, 2006 at 8:08 am #136483TigerbladeParticipantI have to agree with the idea of the article, but not necessarily with the specifics. Tech goes obsolete so fast it’ll make your head spin. Personally, I think things like TVs and theatre systems aren’t really moving as fast as other markets – like Jeff said, there’s not as much room for improvement. Sure you can get a little better clarity or color, but nothing you’re gonna trade your car in for.
I’d think products like portable media players (iPods, Rios, etc…) would be much more volatile. The media players are finally starting to become true media players – not just music, but photos and videos too. those fields are all beginning to merge together, though. We now have camera phones that can play your mp3s and record video, as well as playback movies. the moment you buy a phone, you see the same phone drastically marked down and the successor at the previous price. same for iPods. Just bought the new iPod? HAHA sucker… cause the next one’s coming out five minutes from now.
SNL wrote:The iPod Pico! holds one… millllllion… songs. every photo ever taken. (when did that come out?) 30 seconds ago… but dont worry… it’s already obsolete! I give you… the iPod Invisi! 8 BILLION songs, every movie ever made…etc. you get the idea. cameras might be adding a MP or two, or upping their storage capacity, or zoom ability, etc. PCs are getting a bit faster all the time, more memory capacity, bigger hard drives, etc… it’s all shifting fast enough that sure, anyone’s gonna be worried.
January 17, 2006 at 4:31 pm #136482Jeff HesterKeymasterI’m reading an excellent book right now called The Paradox of Choice — Why More Is Less by Barry Schwartz, professor of social theory at Swarthmore.
Most Americans assume that more choice means better options and greater satisfaction. Schwartz takes the contrarian view, suggesting that “choice overload” can lead to decision-making paralysis, anxiety and stress (much as Dr. Kimble described).
One of the first, simple examples he provides. It used to be that buying a pair of jeans was a simple matter — a 5 minute task. He described how about six years ago he went into a Gap to buy a new pair.
“I want a pair of jeans– 32-28,” he said.
“Do you want them slim fit, easy fit, relaxed fit, baggy or extra baggy? Do you want them stonewashed, acid-washed, or distressed? Do you want them button-fly or zipper-fly? Do you want them faded or regular?”
The purchase became an ordeal filled with diagrams explaining the difference between the styles, multiple trips to the dressing room, and mental anguish (“Does easy fit imply that I’ve gone soft around the middle?”).
True, in the “old days” when choices were fewer, you might’ve had to make do with a pair of jeans that didn’t fit your body perfectly, but it was an easy, quick choice.
Consider what you said about your camera. You did research before you shopped. It used to be that you went to a camera store and asked the shopkeeper, who doubled as an expert. Your choices were limited, but he or she helped you pick out the right choice for your budget and requirements.
Today, you really do have to do research before you buy to make sure you’re getting a good deal. Isn’t that some indicator of the stress involved? Thinking about it another way, if it was a stress-free decision, would you need to do research?
January 17, 2006 at 5:17 pm #136480Jeff HesterKeymasterJeff wrote:I agree! My wife wants me to get a new LCD or plasma HDTVI just have to say you have a good wife right there. How many times have I mentioned in conversations with girls how I’d love to get a sweet tv, only to hear, “there’s better things to spend on” *roar!*
I don’t fear obsolescence unless it was that of the human race. Once I buy a product, I know sooner or later a new improved product will be released, but I won’t let that enjoy my purchase less. It’s what is availabe at the moment, so it’s what I’ll get. It’s like when I bought a game system only to realize a year later a new one for a lesser price was out, at first I thought “Darn I should have waited”, but automatically after I tell myself “How would I have known?” heh. You can’t live life trying to keep up with the future.
January 17, 2006 at 5:38 pm #136486sarahtownyMemberNot much of a gadget manic myself, so tend to just enjoy what product I get at the time. If I get a new tv etc I look about so I know I will be happy with it for quite some time to come.
Choice is massive in all things electrical now, and can be quite baffling to the everyday person going for that pc or new camera, or whatever.
Most people go by what they think will fit there requirements not so much “oh, what do I do if they bring out a better model next week”.
For instance, I bought a new camera a few weeks back, but looked for weeks before picking model I finally was happy with. I wanted to landscapes so wanted a x12 zoom and eventually picked a Panasonic Lumix. The camera also fulfills my need to expand on my hobby. Personally, I don’t give a stuff if they bring out a new model next week. I am happy with the one I got. However, a friend of mine bought a camera for her daughter same price, but it’s just a terrible camera but it fit’s her need. It suit’s her requirements and my camera would have mistified her daughter anyway.
It is a throw away society now and things get cheaper after a very short time and the markets are getting bigger all the time. I found out to my cost recently that getting anything fixed is just not worth it, you might as well just buy new.
When I think about how much choice we have now, I think of my first visit to Starbucks. The list of coffee made me say out loud “oh my gosh”! Asked what I wanted I just red faced asked for a normal coffee and was greeted with a giggle! 😮
January 17, 2006 at 10:28 pm #136485AwesomeSauceParticipantThis kind of happened when I purchased my Creative Zen Micro last September, and not long afterwards I realized there was a new Zen Micro Photo, which is the same thing but with a color screen and can hold pictures. Same thing happened at Christmas of ’04 when I got this really crappy MP3 player, I can’t remember which kind, but just a few weeks after that came the iPod shuffle.
I agree that this is always happening, though it obviously varies in different types of electronics, especially with smaller things such as cameras, cell phones, and iPods. Personally, I’m happy with my current MP3 player even though it’s pretty old… it still works. A color screen does not make the music sound any better.
January 17, 2006 at 11:18 pm #136487MrEggsaladParticipantWell, I say it happens to all of us. I don’t see it as much with my computer, just because meh, the top of the line will never be THAT much better than what I currently have. However, for my iPod 20 GB with a Color screen, when I got that like the next week the iPod Video was out. I really think that for some things it’s bad, but others you could care less. I believe MP3 players HAVE to be the worst. I mean, they come out with :new: things almost every other week. So for you guys with $$$$$, I guess you can be like this all the time::new: :new: :new: :woot: :new: :new: :new:
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