There are two types of techies in the world: Those that go crazy and buy up the latest, greatest gadget and those that buy quality tech to last a lifetime. Which are you?
The gotta-have-the-new-thing techies go through some serious cash making sure that they're up-to-date on technology, but they're getting the advantage of having the latest advancements to streamline their lives—or at least make their lives a heck of a lot more fun!
The tried-and-true techies will usually have more reliable machines and a more steady hold on their finances. But they might get left in the dust when their old stuff is rendered obsolete.
Me? I'm in that second batch. I kept my Blackberry Curve for more than two solid years before it started its slow death. Now that it's gone for good, I signed a new contract and upgraded to the latest iPhone. I was on cloud nine with my new gadget before I realized that my tendency towards buying and keeping long-lasting tech was going to sabotage me. My iPhone isn't compatible with the ancient operating system on my five-years old PowerPC-based Mac Powerbook G4.
Which type are you? What do you think are the upsides and downfalls of each tech personality? Let us know in the comments!
(Image: Flickr User Stefan Schlautmann under license from Creative Commons.)
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Comments (6)
I fall somewhere in the middle. I own an iPod Touch, but still run vintage Macs (G3s and G4s). My ten year old Pismo Powerbook G3, my seven year old iBook G3, and my 1.8Ghz upgraded Powermac G4 serve me well, and I (as of yet) see no reason to replace them just yet. I'm sure, with the advent of Snow Leopard, that I'll be looking to pick up a newer Macbook in the next year or so, as app developers support my old machines less and less. But for now, these work great.
It's all a function of needs and finances from my end. The smaller tech toys (such as the iPod) don't require a substantial outlay of cash, so I don't hesitate as much when I desire to buy such an item. As far as phones go, I use mine to text more than talk, so I'm sticking with prepaid for now.
Vintage technology that is wrapped around great industrial design tends to stay in my possession the longest. Function, I'll admit, follows form to an extent for me. I still have a PowerMac G4 Cube, which awaits a transplant from the innards of a Mac Mini to bring usefulness back.
Every once in a while, I get into these fits of regression. I've traded in a lot of new tech for old tech that does the same job with a little more design cred.
Newer, smaller and shinier isn't always better.
Or have the best of both worlds: Mac Mini inside Apple II Floppy Drive
I'm kind of a mix. A lot of things I lust after new versions of still serve their original purpose, like my laptop that gets used pretty much solely for web-based stuff. I won't replace that kind of thing, for the most part. NEW toys that serve new purposes, though, THOSE, I have a hard time resisting. I did a decent job of resisting the siren song of the iPhone until lots of really cool new games came out for it and then I got an opportunity to end my contract without penalties... well, that just felt like fate.
if computers are your only tech, I'm sure there's a split between the 3 and 7 year upgrade crowd, and outliers on both extremes.
But old tech for stereos, phones, cameras, kitchen appliances, and even electric fans is almost always better than what you can get today for similar prices.
The only 'old' consumer electronic good I could never recommend would be a tube or rear projection TV.
I try to get as much usefulness out of my items as I can. Two out of three TV's in my house are over 10 years old. My desktop is 5 years old. I have a laptop that's older (and one that's less than a year old). At some point we'll get a shiny new HD flat panel.
In my workshop, I'm still using my parents' old stereo that they had used for a few years (they gave it to me about 10 years ago). I've even had to repair one of the speakers after a tragic fall off the shelf it was on.
I used a Motorola Razr for 4 years before it started to die. However, I seem to go through MP3 players too quickly because they die (of course, I use them in the yard while working, so I'm sure that has a little to do with it).
I did just order up a label maker. It's not as sexy as an IPhone or Crackberry, but it's new.
I'm a tech guy by nature (I develop software for a living) but hate to spend money on something new when I already have something completely usable at home!