I’ve come to the conclusion recently that I’m actually reluctant to buy certain tech products because they don’t meet all my of needs right now and/or will undoubtedly be updated in 8-16 months. I’ll provide two examples.
I really, really want an iPhone. I’ve wanted one ever since the iPhone 3G was released. It’s like an itch I just can’t scratch, and I’m about as far from being a Mac fanboy as you can be. I haven’t bought one yet because I’m on a Verizon contract with about a year left. When I renewed the contract a year ago I couldn’t afford an iPhone. Actually, when this contract expires in a year, an iPhone and its data plan will most likely take a substantial bite out of my meager student earnings. I think the money would be well spent, though. I’ve considered getting an iPod Touch to tide me over. I’d even consider potentially delaying buying an iPhone if I get an iPod Touch since the iTouch can do almost everything the iPhone can except make phone calls. But I can’t bring myself to buy an iTouch when what I really want is an iPhone. I carry a cell phone with me practically everywhere - an mp3 player…not so much (even with all the capabilities of and iPod Touch). In short, Apple will eventually get my money, but not until I can buy a product that really consolidates a lot of features.
I’ve been eyeing a Kindle 2 for a couple of weeks. It really seems like a good device for someone like me: mobile, a voracious reader, and running out of bookshelf space. However, the rumor mills intimate that a Kindle 3 will be released by the end of this year. The Kindle 3 will (supposedly) be address nearly all of my complaints about the Kindle 2 - it will be larger, touch screen, and natively support pdf files. In short, Amazon will eventually get my money, but not until they make a product that passes my checklist. I think if Amazon were to come out today and say that the Kindle 3 would not be released before December 2010 or later, I might be more likely to buy a Kindle 2 and then a Kindle 3 when it eventually becomes available. In other words, by releasing products in such quick succession, Amazon is losing a potential customer who would be willing to “trade-up” if the intervening time frame were longer.
I contrast all of this with PC buying. My computer isn’t top-of-the-line. There are many computers out there that have tablet capabilities, faster processors, better video cards, etc., but I am quite satisfied with the PC I have. I think my perspective here differs from my perspective of the iTouch and Kindle because my PC meets all of my needs as they stand currently. I’ll undoubtedly buy a new computer in a few years that will have better features, but until then, the one I have now satisfies all my requirements.
The reason for the difference between your computer and these devices is that home computers (in their current incarnations) have pretty much reached the end of the feature/upgrade pattern… Sure, they’re still getting a bit faster every year, but they’re already fast enough and there’s not much that distinguishes one generation from the next. Also, they’re cheap.
By contrast, the Kindle is still pretty novel and you can bet it will be improving a lot over the next few years. Same for the iPhone. For both of these products (as it was for computers) more and better competition will bring out the best features and lower the prices.
I too am waiting on an e-book reader and a smartphone. Will see how long I can hold out.
Hey, good points. I suppose I’m sort of spoiled in that I want fully mature e-book readers and smartphones because my laptop is a developed, mature piece of technology.
How long do you think you can hold out? I feel myself giving in a tiny bit more each day. I’m not sure I want to miss out on these products (despite their flaws) and wait years and years for a fully-developed version to come out that meets all of my needs. Then again, I like to hoard my money and not spend it frivolously.
Yea, I’ve had my weak moments and wouldn’t be surprised if I given in and get an iPhone eventually (mostly because I want to write software for it)…
However, when I think back to all the products I’ve purchased, upgraded, got tired of, forgotten about, given away, etc, it sort of makes me sick. Too much stuff, too much waste. The ideal I’m going for is to not buy anything new unless I think I’m going to make good use of it and if I think it will last.
