haha - great stuff. Another problem is that with more options and choices, the less likely you are to be satisfied with something when you've got it. Especially if you can bring it back.
Less features, simple functions! Like the typewriter.
So, which toaster did you end up getting? :) Great post! It has strengthened my resolve not to buy anything new that runs on electricity... bewildering array of choices, and the probability that I would spend entirely too much money and end up with something far fancier than need.
You think a toaster is bad... Right now I'm trying to build a PC and OMG all the reviews. I totally know where your coming from on this one. Great post
Oh, the toaster was just a randomly selected example of a gadget-one-might-shop-for. But I did in fact just go through a very, very similar process whilst researching a small point-and-shoot digital camera to replace a five year old 3.2 megapixel one that is perpetually stuck on January 1st 1980 in spite of several replacements of the very expensive backup battery, plus requires that one pry open the automatic lens cap thingie, praying that you don't smear the lens this time, and if you *do* happen to smear the lens, inevitably *just* as you're done cleaning it, the camera decides to shut down due to not being used, and *closes* the lens cap (it has no problem with that part), requiring you to go through the whole process again.
But that's a rant for a whole 'nother day.
After many sleepless nights of researching its replacement, I finally rebelled and just went to a local store and bought the cheapest (actually a display model) Canon pocket camera. If I hadn't, I'm afraid I might have ended up with some crazy expensive do-everything almost-SLR type thing.
Oh no! I am about to mail out your silent type and realize that I don't have your new address since you moved. I will hold on to your copy until you write me back with the new address. tiny-dog@comcast.net.
Options overwhelm me. I have to take internet breaks pretty often because of its desire to suck me into its enless vortex. With me it's not so much about buying things (I don't like spending money) but doing things like getting hung up on Amazon book reviews or other crap like that. I enjoy a book more when it is recommended by a friend or when I no preconceived notion about it.
I consider myself lucky. At work, I am frequently pouring through mass amounts of data to find trends, pieces of useful information and even rate things...so, when I can do the same online but for personal reasons (like buying a toaster), I enjoy going through it and narrowing my selection down fairly quickly.
If its one item, I can usually knock that out and find my best selection, in the pockets of time I have in a normal day.
Now something like building a computer, that takes a bit longer because the individual items take time but you also have to understand their relationships to the whole.
I always obsess over that one bad review --and there is always one-- that claims the product, universally beloved by other reviewers, ruined his/her life, a scenario you called out in the Russian Wolfhound example. This is especially troubling when shopping for baby products, in which there is inevitably a baby in mortal danger.
Strikethru, my wife just notified me that we have four baby products that have all been recalled in the last few months. Most of which, we have been using for 2-3 years.
So, even when all the reviews are positive, there could still be problems...just to add a little gasoline to the fire:)
9 comments:
haha - great stuff. Another problem is that with more options and choices, the less likely you are to be satisfied with something when you've got it. Especially if you can bring it back.
Less features, simple functions! Like the typewriter.
So, which toaster did you end up getting? :) Great post! It has strengthened my resolve not to buy anything new that runs on electricity... bewildering array of choices, and the probability that I would spend entirely too much money and end up with something far fancier than need.
You think a toaster is bad... Right now I'm trying to build a PC and OMG all the reviews. I totally know where your coming from on this one. Great post
Oh, the toaster was just a randomly selected example of a gadget-one-might-shop-for. But I did in fact just go through a very, very similar process whilst researching a small point-and-shoot digital camera to replace a five year old 3.2 megapixel one that is perpetually stuck on January 1st 1980 in spite of several replacements of the very expensive backup battery, plus requires that one pry open the automatic lens cap thingie, praying that you don't smear the lens this time, and if you *do* happen to smear the lens, inevitably *just* as you're done cleaning it, the camera decides to shut down due to not being used, and *closes* the lens cap (it has no problem with that part), requiring you to go through the whole process again.
But that's a rant for a whole 'nother day.
After many sleepless nights of researching its replacement, I finally rebelled and just went to a local store and bought the cheapest (actually a display model) Canon pocket camera. If I hadn't, I'm afraid I might have ended up with some crazy expensive do-everything almost-SLR type thing.
Oh no! I am about to mail out your silent type and realize that I don't have your new address since you moved. I will hold on to your copy until you write me back with the new address. tiny-dog@comcast.net.
Options overwhelm me. I have to take internet breaks pretty often because of its desire to suck me into its enless vortex. With me it's not so much about buying things (I don't like spending money) but doing things like getting hung up on Amazon book reviews or other crap like that. I enjoy a book more when it is recommended by a friend or when I no preconceived notion about it.
I consider myself lucky. At work, I am frequently pouring through mass amounts of data to find trends, pieces of useful information and even rate things...so, when I can do the same online but for personal reasons (like buying a toaster), I enjoy going through it and narrowing my selection down fairly quickly.
If its one item, I can usually knock that out and find my best selection, in the pockets of time I have in a normal day.
Now something like building a computer, that takes a bit longer because the individual items take time but you also have to understand their relationships to the whole.
Great post and very accurate!
I always obsess over that one bad review --and there is always one-- that claims the product, universally beloved by other reviewers, ruined his/her life, a scenario you called out in the Russian Wolfhound example. This is especially troubling when shopping for baby products, in which there is inevitably a baby in mortal danger.
Strikethru, my wife just notified me that we have four baby products that have all been recalled in the last few months. Most of which, we have been using for 2-3 years.
So, even when all the reviews are positive, there could still be problems...just to add a little gasoline to the fire:)
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