Are you an early adopter of new technology? As in, “ooh, shiny, must have!”
Or are you a delayed adopter, in that you will wait to make sure the at least someone else gets all the glitches figured out before you buy.
Or do you only replace items that need to be replaced? If the TV isn’t broke, you don’t get the new plasma, lcd or whatever.
I personally am a don’t replace if its not broken.
I waited a long time to get a cell, and it’s still just the plain jane model. I just got a flat-screen HDTV this past weekend. I probably wouldn’t have bothered if my old tube TV didn’t already have some problems.
We generally don’t replace gratuitously, though we can make an exception when increased functionality makes something arguably more than a replacement.
There’s also the issue of whether the new features of a technology seem useful enough to justify the cost. E.g., handheld web browsing might be useful on occasion, if I was in a covered area, but useful enough to justify the cost of both the phone and the ongoing cost of the service plan? Not so much.
My cell phone is my wife’s old model after she upgraded. It’s 7 years old and pink.
Just got an LCD TV a couple of months back because the old CRT was just about dead.
I was thinking about this the other day, was going to post in the Cafe. I’ve been thinking about getting one of those e-readers and was doing a lot of research a couple of weeks ago. I really want one, but it seems that 2010 will bring color screens and other neat little add-ons. I told my wife I really wanted one for Hanukkah, but better to wait until my birthday in July, to see what else comes out.
Sorry for the highjack…
I’m not an early adopter mostly because all the new fangled gadgets cost more money than I usually have.
Not a hijack at all. I want an e-reader too, but I just know that if I wait, it will be cheaper, have more bells n whistles, etc. plus I am really cheap
I’d love to be an early adopter, but I’m too damn cheap.
I usually wait for the price to come down. Also, if it involves my wife, she doesn’t want anything to do with any new technology.
All of the above?
We still have a CRT TV, because I can’t justify buying a new TV when the old one still works.
Same for DVD vs BluRay player.
I’d like to have a Droid phone, but I’m waiting for the software/apps to work the kinks out.
But we were also the first people we know to have a netbook, not because we needed one, but because it was a new toy.
I am so very delayed I barely own anything. I’m a minimalist, I’m cheap, and I’m poor.
I have an electric oven, a blender, a microwave, a CD player/radio, and a basic cell phone (only because I couldn’t get a land line in my apt).
I have yet to own a vacuum cleaner, television, computer, dvd player, ipod, or smart phone. I do use most of these things intermittently outside y residence.
I am the least gadgety engineer I know. I still have my 25" Panasonic TV that I bought in 1993. I finally got a DVR when my VCR crapped out. I replaced my black Motorola StarTac only after I lost it.
Depends on what it is. I just got an iPhone. I think I had the first Tivo in my county. I upgrade my Macs as often as finances allow. I drive my cars into the ground, and then get the most well appointed, gadgety one that finances allow. I’m the only person I know that’s wired for X10, but that’s not even cutting edge by today’s standards. On the other hand, I prefer real, true black coffee or espresso (or Americano) to the fruity stuff all the youngsters are paying $5 for.
Delayed adapter, but really somewhere at the far right of the long tail.
Mobile: Been waiting since before the inception of 3G for something like 4G to come along. Love playing around with friends’ iPhones (especially helpful on a road trip) but I figure I can wait a bit beyond my contract’s expiration to finally “adopt” when 4G becomes the new standard for data xfer. Generally stick to the lower end “free” model of phone, unless I can get a great deal.
Television: I still have the $200 clunker I bought 6 or 7 years ago, when I first moved away from home. It works.
Games: I play on the PC, but I’ve not owned a console since Sega Genesis.
Music: Never owned an iPod or similar (though I once had a cheapo phone that played mp3) and as stated in other threads, do regularly purchase and play vinyl records.
I’m not a Luddite, I just try to take advantage of the cost benefit of Moore’s Law rather than the cutting edge. The last “brand new” tech item I purchased was a desktop replacement computer for mobile music recording and performance - it was mobile in name only. That purchase was 2005 or 2006, and I was able to get a replacement for that hunk o’ junk within the past few months (same specs or higher) for $4,000 less. Lesson learned.
I am a replacement sort of guys for technology. If my mobile doesn’t break, I don’t see the need to get a iPhone or whatever-that-is-latest-of-the-line. It’s the same for computer - as long as my framerate is good, no BSOD and etc, I won’t grab a new CPU just because there is.
I am still using a 8-years old Creative MP3 player. It’s running low on space but until it gives up the ghost, I won’t trade it for anything else.
As for games, my mandate is ‘reviews first’. For some games I pass by the review test and grab it (Dragon Ages) but most of the time I’ll wait for reviews.
It really depends on what it is. I was slow to switch from tapes to CDs, but that’s because I was 14 in 1997, and tapes were way cheaper than CDs. Especially if you went to the used music store. They were also easier to put in my backpack than CDs.
My computer? I replace it when I feel it’s too slow, and I get as nice as I can get for the price I’m able to pay. This usually means I’m one level behind the cutting edge, maybe two.
Cell phone? The new Blackberry Bold (the 9700) came out on November 22nd for my cell carrier. That’s the day I got it.
Mp3 player? I took forever to get a new iPod. I had a Wal-Mart brand player for a while, and then my dad gave me his year-old iPod. I finally broke down and got a new Touch about a year ago. I got it about a week after the 2G came out, so it was the newest available at the time.
Car? Heh. My car’s 10 years old, and I’m happy with it.
I guess I go with early adoption on luxuries, and tried and true with things I can’t live without (IE, my computer and car).
I’m another one who waits until something breaks or the price comes down before I buy new stuff.
The only exception is for the computer and when I buy a new game that I need to upgrade the hardware for to be able to play the game.
I love to be on the cutting edge but I only do it if I can see a use so I went with the other option. I never bought a iPod since I was always near my CD player or computer but once I was going on a trip and didn’t have a portable CD player I went out and bought an iPhone. Whenever I see a technological step that will improve my life I upgrade to the biggest and baddest one out there even if my stuff is in good shape, I had a 4 month old Sliver when I got my iPhone, but I haven’t upgraded to the 3G iPhones because the edge server is fast enough for all of my browsing needs.
I tend to wait till I need something before I buy it. Like I didn’t get my first mp3 player till this year when my portable CD broke.
I answered wait until the bugs are out, since shiny new technology adds to what I can do, and doesn’t replace it. My real answer is to wait until the early adopters shell out the big bucks and the price falls to someplace reasonable.
Even though I am a software geek, I still am usually a late adopter. I only get something once others have worked out the bugs.