Historically, whenever I’d buy something, I’d always make compromises. That’s because what I wanted would seem out of reach. This has happpened on more occasions than I can mention.
Let’s take audio speakers as an example. I’ve had a pair of Paradigm Studio 20s rev 3′s as my main left/right pair for years now. They sound terrific — neutral, balanced, airy, clean. I really wanted a center channel speaker to match them, but the then CC-470s cost $700. So I compromised, and instead used a Definitive Technology Procenter 2000s, which cost about half as much. I partially rationalized my decision by telling myself that the area I’d mount the speaker couldn’t handle the much heavier CC-470.
When I found out the CC-470s were being phased out, and the only real match for the Studio 20s would be much pricier, I finally bit the bullet and picked up one of the last remaining CC-470s. The difference was, well, astounding.
A similar thing happened with tripods. I have a lot of professional grade gear: a Nikon D300, 24-70 f2.8, 70-200 f2.8VR, etc. But when I bought a tripod, the prices of good tripods left me a little breathless, so I bought a midrange Velbon. It was heavy, and after about a year, one of the friction levers that hold the legs in place broke. I stepped up a bit to a midrange Manfrotto that was lighter, but still bulky and heavy. So I used it at home, but never took it anywhere. Finally, I broke down and bought a Gitzo 2540. Now I actually use the tripod more.
I went through similar experiences with tripod ball heads, DVD players, bicycles. In the end, I bought what I really wanted, but went through one or more interim products. That meant the path to getting what I really wanted was more expensive than if I’d just bought the right thing in the first place.
So really, if you’re on the fence, and the higher end graphics card, or better cell phone, or somewhat larger, better HDTV seems just a little too much… go for it. As long as it doesn’t result in bankruptcy or divorce, you (and your family) will be much happier. You’ll pay less money over the long run. And judging from my experience, you’ll keep your gear longer, too.
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11 comments
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Tim
July 29, 2009 at 7:21 pm (UTC -7)
Another good article loyd. That’s an interesting theory, I expect most people go through that process you just described! Hmm.. I usually just wait it out until what I really want drops in price, and then I buy it
. So it takes longer but.. what’s the saying… something about anticipation and it being half the fun. Wow, I’m terrible with expressions today 
lol.
Tomas
July 30, 2009 at 11:51 am (UTC -7)
Agreed! I just took that decision with my new cellphone….happy I did it!
Jay
July 30, 2009 at 4:20 pm (UTC -7)
Great article. I’m going to laminate it and pull it out to show my wife whenever we ‘have’ to make a tech purchase.
Fried Toast
July 30, 2009 at 5:32 pm (UTC -7)
Ah, a visit to Thom’s site could have been of help: http://www.bythom.com/support.htm
But then again, how many of us see ourselves in articles like that until it’s too late?
DaveMuk
July 30, 2009 at 9:26 pm (UTC -7)
Recently had a similar dilemma. Hosed my old psu so needed a new one, reasearched them to death to find the one I wanted, then decided not to put it credit card, be good and wait for payday, payday morning finally comes and it goes out of stock, I have to wait 2 weeks for it to come back. I was tempted to get another equally good psu, but having put so much effort into research I knew I would never be happy with anything less.
trip1ex
July 30, 2009 at 9:33 pm (UTC -7)
Good article.
But I say don’t spend too much on tech that will be outdated within a year. That includes some of examples you mentioned at the end of the article such as a video card, cellphone or even an hdtv.
Different story with a speaker, a tripod or a bicycle. Those products have a much longer “shelf life.”
Abdul
July 31, 2009 at 1:13 am (UTC -7)
Very true and well put…I find myself doing this even for perishables like olive oil, cheese, and other foods that last for more than a few days. You might as well eat tastier food instead of skimping on not enjoying your meals as much…
KikassAssassin
July 31, 2009 at 4:23 am (UTC -7)
Agreed with triplex. There are definitely a lot of cases where this is good advice, but there are also some cases where it doesn’t make as much sense.
I’ll never buy the highest-end processor or video card, for example, because it’s almost always a waste of money for the slight performance increase it gives over the much cheaper model a rung or two down the performance ladder, and no matter which one you buy, you’re going to want to upgrade it in a couple of years, anyway.
I do try to live by this way of thinking as much as I can for things that I expect to last a long time, though.
Loyd Case
July 31, 2009 at 10:43 am (UTC -7)
I’m not suggesting buying the most expensive or high end item, though. There’s something of a line between “buying what you really want” and the sort of “keep up with the Joneses, no matter what the cost” kind of spending. I own a Nikon D300 because that’s what was a perfect fit for me. Buying a D3x would have been silly. That’s one example.
What does “outdated” mean, though? I agree that buying something that’s *useless* in a year is not a good idea. But there are lots of users of older tech (eg, original iPhone, older Blackberries, Nikon D70), who are still quite happy and find their devices perfectly usable. Different people will perceive things differently. (This, though, from the guy who just pre-ordered a Nikon D300s, even though I know the D400 is likely out next year. But then, I really need a second camera body for some of the stuff I do. *sigh*)
trip1ex
August 2, 2009 at 9:47 am (UTC -7)
Outdated (in the tech world) means “What you really want” is all too soon “I wish I would have waited.”
In general I have less regret going to the cheaper side of the fence with tech products than with other products because newer/faster/cheaper tech is always around the corner.
I do think there are inflection points in the tech world that will cause me to wander over to the more expensive side of the fence. New faster interface for example.
But maybe “what you really want” is more “what you really need” in your article. Some of us know what we really need, but try and get by with the cheaper product. All of us really want the most expensive product don’t we? But money gets in the way.
I tried to get by with a Chinese knock-off iPod dock because Apple’s ipod docks are so expensive for what you get. But all I got was a $10 scratched up dock that doesn’t do video. And getting a dock that works will cost me $60 now.
Skeptical Fanboy
August 6, 2009 at 2:28 pm (UTC -7)
Loyd, you raise some excellent points, but there is a flip-side to this. In the computer ecosystem, it’s almost always a mistake to buy a bleeding edge technology you’re not absolutely certain you need. In other words, if you’re having trouble making up your mind about getting more RAM or a faster CPU, better graphics card, bigger hard drive, etc., then don’t buy the more expensive stuff.
Years ago, when I was single, I always bought the best stuff I could afford and was proud of owning that stuff. But then, years later, after I got married, I started clearing out my old files, and could not believe the prices I had paid for hardware:
* $400 for a caddy-tray SCSI CD-ROM drive (2x!).
* $140 for a 16-bit ISA SCSI card for that drive.
* $350 for a 320MB IDE drive (that’s MB, not GB!).
* $400 for a bleeding-edge overclocked video card (that was surpassed less than six months later by cards costing a third less).
The list goes on and on. In many cases, the astonishing prices had only been paid a year or two earlier.
The lesson I drew from this? Buy the cheapest equipment that meets your minimum requirements today because in a year or two, you’ll be able to buy today’s computer-of-your-dreams for half as much.
Ever since I adopted that philosophy, I haven’t had cause to regret it.
Nikon D300s – Improbable Insights
July 31, 2009 at 2:28 pm (UTC -7)
[...] Why, you ask? After all, didn’t I go into a lengthy discussion about buying what you really want?? [...]