Upgrade advice (part 1)
When do you upgrade a gadget? This is a big problem for gadget freaks and becoming a bigger problem than might be obvious for normal people--aka, those with a life. Here's some examples of what I'm talking about:
- Should you buy a Blu-Ray player even though you own hundreds of DVDs?
- Should you replace your XBox with an XBox 360?
- Do you get rid of your cellphone, palm pilot or Blackberry if a newer model is available?
- Is it time to get rid of your PC?
Many cringe when they hear these questions. These are hard choices. But why?
Firstly, you generally have inadequate information to make an informed decision. Most people do not have the time or the knowledge to process the fine nuances of why USB 2.0 was better than 1.0 or why 802.11n is superior to 'g'. For this reason manufacturers stress quantitative measurements that have very little to do with your subjective experience (often the most important factor in gadget retention and happiness). Since most consumers can't really figure out what will happen if they don't buy the new-new thingie, they listen to peers, read reviews or unfortunately respect the authority of the 18-year old Best Buy salesman.
Secondly, these days you often have an investment in content that's unique to the gadget that may or may not be upwardly compatible. That's the DVD/Blu-Ray question and is always the case with video game consoles. The vendors suck you in because the new device is always a faster processor/better graphics/bigger hard drive or something similar. It's very difficult to weigh the tradeoff of the better whatever against the sunk investment in content.
Thirdly, if you don't upgrade, you will look stupid. Especially to the younger crowd. Clearly there is some point at which you have to get rid of something even if it still works. Think about the old shoebox sized cell phones. I would imagine that they still work, but...jeez! Who would? Advertising often shames us into buying...if not the best and greatest, then certainly the next wave. Blackberry users today follow this philosophy. Not savvy enough or brave enough to have bought the things two years ago when the technology was new, the RIM devices have become the SUV of the suburban cellular set.
Fourthly, you might actually need the new capabilities to do something important. Wi-Fi is significantly different and your laptop really ought to have it if you have any intention of communicating while on the road. It's often difficult for normal (ie; non-gadgethead) people to assess whether and how they will use the new capability unless all of their friends are already using it. It's easy to want Wi-Fi when you see dozens of people every day using them at Starbucks.
Posted on August 21, 2006
