In “How to Hold a Clear and Quiet Mind Against High Tech Distractions“, John Wesley advises us to make better purchasing decisions by resisting Gadget Mania. Through the virtue of patience, we can get the most for our money while keeping our heads above water in climate that is constantly tempting us to chase around the latest and greatest products.
“It’s natural to want the newest gadgets to show off to your friends, but more often than not splurging on the latest release is a mistake.”
Wesley’s advice is excellent — I can personally attest to the benefits of observing the latest releases from a distance rather than chasing them down. It’s obvious that I love me some XBox 360, but I waited 5 months before purchasing one. As a result, I never had to put up with crashing and overheating. I still do not have an iPhone and consequently, I can now choose between the iPhone and iPod Touch, both of which cost much less than the iPhone did at launch. If I decide I want one, that is.
There are exceptions to every rule though, and sometimes being the first on line for the latest gadget is a lot of fun. I decided to get on line at midnight for the launch of Halo 3, and don’t regret it one bit. With Halo 3 however, the price was negligible and I knew what to expect. I did not buy the collector’s edition, and had played the Halo 3 beta four months earlier. The key is to know when to spend, and when to resist.
Link via Dumb Little Man. Photo by Josh Gray.
1 response
October 4th, 2007
Insomnic says:
This has always been my rule of thumb as well… never buy the first incarnation. Always wait for the updates and early adopters (production testers) to flush out the product.
Though sometimes it is fun to be they guy that has it first.
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