OK, so I'm a pretty geeky guy. I love gadgets and gizmos, have way more than I need, and waste way more time than I should researching them, buying them, and fiddling with them just 'cause I can. So in this modern age of tech ascendancy I should be in heaven, right? For a while I have been, but all these choices are starting to get to me. Two recent experiences illustrate this point:
1) After holding out as long as possible, I finally had to upgrade from my old analog tube TV to a flat screen digital. I'm not a big TV guy and my 32" Sony tube looked great, but my new house didn't have any place to put the monster. The last time I bought a TV there were two questions you had to answer: how big, and how much do you want to spend. Boy have times changed. An abbreviated list of all the options I had to wade through (in addition to size and price): plasma vs lcd vs led; 60hz vs. 120hz vs. 240hz (and note w/120 and 240 some offer "true" interpolation to generate extra frames while some kinda fake it); internet or not; if internet, what services do you want/need to connect to; if led back lit or side lit; etc. good lord, you practically need a doctorate to wade through all of it!
2) Again, after holding out as long as possible, the time to upgrade my cell phone has arrived. I've had Win Mobile devices for a long time (going back to an HP ipaq, if you remember those) so I'm not a smart phone newbie. However, the number of options out there has made the decision this time truly bewildering. Carrier plans are different. Carrier coverage is different. There are a million variants on Android, all with their own peculiarities and flaws. Then there is iPhone, which looks gorgeous and has the cool factor, but locks you into ATT and the Jobs Reality Distortion Field. Figuring this one out is harder than the TV, and with bigger stakes - if I don't wanna pay $500 for the phone I'm looking at a $100+ per month contract and being stuck w/the phone and contract for two years. Aside from spending the next month with half a dozen of the devices doing nothing but hands-on testing I see no way for a consumer to make a well informed decision.
Am I the only geek out there who is overwhelmed by all these choices? Am I the only one who wonders if we weren't better off back in the good old simple days? I am a move buff and watched Bullitt over the weekend. The movie was filmed in 1968. Life didn't look all that different - the cities were still big and filled w/modern conveniences - but there were far fewer electronic distractions. It looked appealing (so did that beautiful Mustang fastback McQueen was driving!).
Your thoughts?
Joe
1) After holding out as long as possible, I finally had to upgrade from my old analog tube TV to a flat screen digital. I'm not a big TV guy and my 32" Sony tube looked great, but my new house didn't have any place to put the monster. The last time I bought a TV there were two questions you had to answer: how big, and how much do you want to spend. Boy have times changed. An abbreviated list of all the options I had to wade through (in addition to size and price): plasma vs lcd vs led; 60hz vs. 120hz vs. 240hz (and note w/120 and 240 some offer "true" interpolation to generate extra frames while some kinda fake it); internet or not; if internet, what services do you want/need to connect to; if led back lit or side lit; etc. good lord, you practically need a doctorate to wade through all of it!
2) Again, after holding out as long as possible, the time to upgrade my cell phone has arrived. I've had Win Mobile devices for a long time (going back to an HP ipaq, if you remember those) so I'm not a smart phone newbie. However, the number of options out there has made the decision this time truly bewildering. Carrier plans are different. Carrier coverage is different. There are a million variants on Android, all with their own peculiarities and flaws. Then there is iPhone, which looks gorgeous and has the cool factor, but locks you into ATT and the Jobs Reality Distortion Field. Figuring this one out is harder than the TV, and with bigger stakes - if I don't wanna pay $500 for the phone I'm looking at a $100+ per month contract and being stuck w/the phone and contract for two years. Aside from spending the next month with half a dozen of the devices doing nothing but hands-on testing I see no way for a consumer to make a well informed decision.
Am I the only geek out there who is overwhelmed by all these choices? Am I the only one who wonders if we weren't better off back in the good old simple days? I am a move buff and watched Bullitt over the weekend. The movie was filmed in 1968. Life didn't look all that different - the cities were still big and filled w/modern conveniences - but there were far fewer electronic distractions. It looked appealing (so did that beautiful Mustang fastback McQueen was driving!).
Your thoughts?
Joe
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