Are We Buying Products? Or Status Symbols?

[Danoff]

As a result, I got an iPhone. I've owned an iPod before (4th-gen Nano) so an iPhone allowed me to hang onto the stuff I'd got used to (such as iTunes), and at the same time I got a damn good phone into the bargain.

The iPod was a similar decision. The iPod is and always was an inferior mp3 player for twice the price.

It's also better supported for apps than anything else, which is handy. I like photography and it has a good camera (plus masses of apps again), which is also handy. As a first-tier platform it also has a lot of hardware backup - everything from in-car connections to standalone speaker things... which is also handy.

The app support on android is better, actually far better. As for hardware backup, microUSB and phono are pretty ubiquitous at this point.

And I'd hate to pull out the old chestnut, but it just sort of works. I like tech but I'm not majorly geeky on it, so something that does what I expect it to do without me having to faff about so much is right up my street. It's all very well having something technically superior but I'd need some sort of tangible benefit to convince me to buy it.

How about money? Is that a tangible benefit?

I'd say that an iPhone has added usefully to my life - I certainly get plenty of use from it, and since my job is entirely internet-based it's quite handy when I'm not near my computer

...all smart phones will have that effect. Even an iPhone.

And really, it's an area that Apple has clearly got a jump on everyone else. While everyone else was geeking it up, Apple made a product that people wanted.

They did, but now the rest of the market has caught up and gone past yet still people cling to apple for what? The obvious answer is status - as is customary when you get less and pay more.

I don't like seeing mass insanity. I don't like the fact that so many in the world go to church and worship an imaginary being. I don't like that so many in the world promote socialism as somehow benefiting anyone. I don't like that Jersey Shore cast members can sell books for millions of dollars on their "experiences". And I don't like that apple was ever able to sell iPods and continues to sell iPhones. It just doesn't make sense.

 

[priesty_lfc]

Another iPhone user here,

At first I hated the idea of having a iPhone (my first was a 3GS), I was very happy with my Nokia N8 but didn't want to follow the crowd.

Someone ended up buying one for me and I have to say, I was blown away. I know people say its just marketing talk but it really does 'just work', I then was holding on for the 4S but my 3GS died so I upgraded earlier than planned.

Still on the 4 and I will upgrade to the 5, I will get it not because its flashy, but because I like iOS, I like iTunes and the way it's interested into my normal life means I'd be lost without it.

I'll be honest, I because of this when it came to getting a tablet the iPad was first in line, I now have a iPad 2 and the 3rd Gen. I suppose that's more down to iTunes.

Realistically tho, I guess it's more technology than brand that ties you in, having uniform tech makes things easier, PS3, Sony TV and Sony Blu Ray, I can use 1 remote to use it all, they all use XMB and they all work together and I know what I'm getting!

 

[homeforsummer]

The iPod was a similar decision. The iPod is and always was an inferior mp3 player for twice the price.

iPod I got because I was working in an electronics shop at the time. Playing with the things all day convinced me it was better, plus I got a 25% discount

The app support on android is better, actually far better. As for hardware backup, microUSB and phono are pretty ubiquitous at this point.

Again, just my own experience. When I test cars, those with a USB slot are often geared towards an iThing (they'll show full details on the screen for example, but only partial details with other MP3s). Meanwhile, though this may be out of date as it again refers to the electronics shop, but there were a whole lot more speaker systems with built-in iThing connectors than there were generic ones.

How about money? Is that a tangible benefit?

For someone paying full whack, it might be. For me, on a contract which sets me back £5/month less than my old one, and for a phone I didn't have to pay a penny for, no.

...all smart phones will have that effect. Even an iPhone.

My old one didn't. It was rubbish. I'm sure modern ones are as good/better than an iPhone, but I don't feel the need to go out of my way to get one.

They did, but now the rest of the market has caught up and gone past yet still people cling to apple for what? The obvious answer is status - as is customary when you get less and pay more.

You seem determined to paint me as someone who mindlessly buys into "the Apple way". I've no idea why, other than some inexplicable vendetta against the company.

To clarify: The iPhone is the only Apple product I own right now.

I can use it with my existing charging dongle, my existing music software on my laptop, and it does all the jobs I ask of it. It's better than the product I had before, and as for rival products - ignorance is bliss. I don't really care if a Samsung XXXSmeggo or similar is better, because I don't own one and haven't so much as handled one.

And I don't like that apple was ever able to sell iPods and continues to sell iPhones.

If there's one thing worse than Apple fanboys, it's people who seem to bash the company for no other reason than some anti-establishment claptrap.

Is there any reason you decided to dissect my fairly straightforward, personal experience post, other than an irrational hatred towards an electronic product?

 

[sumbrownkid]

...lots of lower cost options.

Not for a hundred bucks with contract through Verizon.

Edit: $50 actually.

 

[Minty]

Another iPhone user here,

At first I hated the idea of having a iPhone (my first was a 3GS), I was very happy with my Nokia N8 but didn't want to follow the crowd.

Someone ended up buying one for me and I have to say, I was blown away. I know people say its just marketing talk but it really does 'just work', I then was holding on for the 4S but my 3GS died so I upgraded earlier than planned.

Still on the 4 and I will upgrade to the 5, I will get it not because its flashy, but because I like iOS, I like iTunes and the way it's interested into my normal life means I'd be lost without it.

I'll be honest, I because of this when it came to getting a tablet the iPad was first in line, I now have a iPad 2 and the 3rd Gen. I suppose that's more down to iTunes.

Realistically tho, I guess it's more technology than brand that ties you in, having uniform tech makes things easier, PS3, Sony TV and Sony Blu Ray, I can use 1 remote to use it all, they all use XMB and they all work together and I know what I'm getting!

That's just it though. None of those product work any better together than most. Its just that most of them are designed not to work with other brands as well for no reason other than to make you buy exclusively that brand. And really those product are often no easier to use together than any combination of brands. Just that when used together you get a shiny interface to go with it. I use Windows explorer to edit/copy/delete files from my phone and it works just fine, I can even have multiple transfers going at once of individual files. I can click and drag a file from my phone straight into Picasa in Firefox and it uploads it.

Even then with Apps like Double Twist you get the interface, auto transfer and playlist management on Android. But its not as pretty as iTunes, so everyone pretends it doesn't exist.

It's better than the product I had before, and as for rival products - ignorance is bliss. I don't really care if a Samsung XXXSmeggo or similar is better, because I don't own one and haven't so much as handled one.

....



I...


Seriously?

 

[Danoff]

If there's one thing worse than Apple fanboys, it's people who seem to bash the company for no other reason than some anti-establishment claptrap.

Is there any reason you decided to dissect my fairly straightforward, personal experience post, other than an irrational hatred towards an electronic product?

...because none of what you said made sense.

This has nothing to do with anti-establishment anything. If I were anti-establishment, I would not run windows on my home computer. Besides, Google is the bigger establishment than Apple - Google has way more influence and has generally invaded our lives far more than Apple.

I responded because when I bought a personal MP3 player (which was the height of iPod), I saw no reason that iPod should cost twice as much as other, better, MP3 players. I responded because iPhone 4 was not better than its android competition was at the time.

...that's it. I responded because it doesn't make sense.

 

[homeforsummer]

...that's it. I responded because it doesn't make sense.

Which bit doesn't make sense?

Nothing I said was based on anything other than personal experience. I didn't even say it was a better product, just that for my own use, it works well. And my phone was completely free, so the cost differential to any rival product is utterly irrelevant to me.

But this:

And I don't like that apple was ever able to sell iPods and continues to sell iPhones.

...genuinely doesn't make sense. If Apple wants to sell a product and people want to buy it (for whatever reason), what's actually wrong with that?

It must be awful having to spend so much energy actively disliking a product you don't own and the people who do buy it.

....



I...


Seriously?

What?

Yes, seriously. I don't even know what your point is. Mine is fairly easy to understand: I don't really care what a rival product is like if I don't own it. It could be brilliant, but ultimately the product I have does the job I want it to do.

It's the same with cars. Plenty of people drive around in stuff which isn't actually that great, but ultimately if they're happy with it, why does it matter if someone else's car is better?

 

[Luminis]

I cringe at all the mac zealots I see at school, "macs are good for university!".

That's been getting on my nerves, too. The whole thing itself is strange to me, but people telling me that their given product is the best ever (had this happen over a pair of Beats Audio) when it clearly isn't, that's quite annoying.

What's amazing about all of this is that barely 6 years ago, Apple was the underdog and MS was the 'big bad'. Now that Apple has become the 'big', the 'bad' is slowly being appended to it.

If you're asking me, it's not that the 'big one' is being labeled as bad. It's just that the biggest players seemingly start to think they're too big to fall, so they get lazy with their products.

Buying a the same product every year is unhealthy, yes, and it is no different from buying a new FIFA or COD every freaking year. I think that should have been the focus of the documentary.

It certainly isn't healthy. And yeah, it was part of the documentary, as people spening close to thousand bucks a year to purchase an upgrade that really isn't an upgrade.

The iPod was a similar decision. The iPod is and always was an inferior mp3 player for twice the price.

Back in the day, I had the choice to buy an iPod, too. The first generation of Nanos, I think. Went with a creative MP3 player. It was smaller, had a bigger storage capacity, longer lasting battery and better soundquality due to having an equalizer, for two thirds of what an iPod would've costed. Came with better headphones, too. However, I've still been looked at as if I was the crazy one for not getting an iPod

Its just that most of them are designed not to work with other brands as well for no reason other than to make you buy exclusively that brand.

With some brands this sort of thing 'just works', though, and others get shunned because of it. Dunno how often Microsoft has been flamed on here for having a proprietary interface for the 360, which doesn't allow Logitech wheels to work with it.

With Apple, a lot of people tell me it's a plus. It's paradox, isn't it?

It's better than the product I had before, and as for rival products - ignorance is bliss. I don't really care if a Samsung XXXSmeggo or similar is better, because I don't own one and haven't so much as handled one.

Not to dissect your opinion or anything, but I found this interesting. When testing cars, I would assume that you're doing comparison tests on a regular basis. That's what a lot of car magazines do, at least - try to find the best product in a given segment.

Now, if someone compared products and took the one that suited their needs best, that's perfectly sensible, whether they come to the conclusion of buying an iPhone or something else. But wouldn't that make sense, trying to actually get the best product instead of sticking to the one you know?

I wouldn't buy a car from the same manufacturer every time despite there being other cars that might be just as good or better, for less money. I'd at least look at what I could get from other brands. Again, I don't mean to bash you or anything. I just think it's interesting that I've seen this sort of brand loyality mostly in regards to electronics, as of late, at least. And football, maybe

It's the same with cars. Plenty of people drive around in stuff which isn't actually that great, but ultimately if they're happy with it, why does it matter if someone else's car is better?

Well... I'd like to put it this way: it doesn't matter that someone elses car is better. But if you had a better car yourself, or rather, the option to have a better car yourself just because you compared the available ones, that would be relevant, wouldn't it?

 

[Minty]

Yes, seriously. I don't even know what your point is. Mine is fairly easy to understand: I don't really care what a rival product is like if I don't own it. It could be brilliant, but ultimately the product I have does the job I want it to do.

It's the same with cars. Plenty of people drive around in stuff which isn't actually that great, but ultimately if they're happy with it, why does it matter if someone else's car is better?

It doesn't matter if what someone has is better, no. But to come in here claiming anything about iOS is in any way better than anything about another OS is made completely irrelevant when you then admit to having no experience with any other OS.


That's like me arguing that the 2011 Camaro is a smoother ride than a 2011 Mustang in my experience. Then telling you I'd never even physically touched an '11 Mustang and have no desire to. My opinion would be taken considerably less seriously, right?

 

[homeforsummer]

Not to dissect your opinion or anything, but I found this interesting. When testing cars, I would assume that you're doing comparison tests on a regular basis. That's what a lot of car magazines do, at least - try to find the best product in a given segment.

Now, if someone compared products and took the one that suited their needs best, that's perfectly sensible, whether they come to the conclusion of buying an iPhone or something else. But wouldn't that make sense, trying to actually get the best product instead of sticking to the one you know?

I wouldn't buy a car from the same manufacturer every time despite there being other cars that might be just as good or better, for less money. I'd at least look at what I could get from other brands. Again, I don't mean to bash you or anything. I just think it's interesting that I've seen this sort of brand loyality mostly in regards to electronics, as of late, at least. And football, maybe

It's actually interesting you bring this up.

Popular consensus within much of the industry suggests that very, very few car buyers actually compare vehicles across a segment. Not many buyers go out and look at a Focus, an Astra, a Megane, a Leon, a Civic etc.

And yet, car mags persist with comparison tests - mainly because it makes for good copy. Magazines love to pigeonhole products.

How do people actually buy cars? Well, the general populace tends to - get this - stick with what they know. If they own a Focus, they probably had a Focus before. And an Escort before that. Unless of course they've had a bad experience, in which case they might have transferred from an Astra, or a Megane.

What is the next most common way people buy cars? Buying at the dealership most local to them. And after that, choosing between various cars at the same dealership, around the budget they're looking at (i.e. top-end supermini, mid-range compact, low-end family car).

Admittedly car enthusiasts do things differently for the most part, and I imagine tech enthusiasts are similar - but I'm not a tech enthusiast. As I mentioned above already:

I like tech but I'm not majorly geeky on it, so something that does what I expect it to do without me having to faff about so much is right up my street. It's all very well having something technically superior but I'd need some sort of tangible benefit to convince me to buy it.

And since the iPhone was free with a better contract, I'm not really sure why the anti-Apple mob are so keen to label me as a slave to fashion...

It doesn't matter if what someone has is better, no. But to come in here claiming anything about iOS is in any way better than anything about another OS is made completely irrelevant when you then admit to having no experience with any other OS.

That's like me arguing that the 2011 Camaro is a smoother ride than a 2011 Mustang in my experience. Then telling you I'd never even physically touched an '11 Mustang and have no desire to. My opinion would be taken considerably less seriously, right?

Err, hang on - at what point did I say the iOS was better than anything?

At no point, that's where.

Where am I trying to convince people Apple is the better product - apart from over the out-dated one I owned previously? Where have I said anything other than spoken out of my own experience of what my own phone is like to use?

Climb down off your high pony.

 

[Luminis]

It's actually interesting you bring this up.

Popular consensus within much of the industry suggests that very, very few car buyers actually compare vehicles across a segment. Not many buyers go out and look at a Focus, an Astra, a Megane, a Leon, a Civic etc.

And yet, car mags persist with comparison tests - mainly because it makes for good copy. Magazines love to pigeonhole products.

How do people actually buy cars? Well, the general populace tends to - get this - stick with what they know. If they own a Focus, they probably had a Focus before. And an Escort before that. Unless of course they've had a bad experience, in which case they might have transferred from an Astra, or a Megane.

What is the next most common way people buy cars? Buying at the dealership most local to them. And after that, choosing between various cars at the same dealership, around the budget they're looking at (i.e. top-end supermini, mid-range compact, low-end family car).

I've got to admit, I actually didn't know that. Then again, I have never bothered with how most buyers chose their cars - the ones I do know have usually been ones to make comparisons, though, that's where the comparison came from.

The more interesting aspect, though, is that this entirely contradicts the 'neophilia' bit that was mentioned on the first page of the thread. Humans are truly peculiar beings, no? I actually feel a bit like Spock, at times: Too rational to understand some of what's going on.

 

[Danoff]

Which bit doesn't make sense?

The part where you decided to buy an iPod and an iPhone4 and stand behind that.

And my phone was completely free, so the cost differential to any rival product is utterly irrelevant to me.

It is relevant to whether or not it is a good product though. If I were given a Pontiac Aztek for free i wouldn't go around saying that it was a great car. Keep this part in mind at the big reveal below.

...genuinely doesn't make sense. If Apple wants to sell a product and people want to buy it (for whatever reason), what's actually wrong with that?

Same thing that's wrong with people deciding to go to church on Sunday.

It must be awful having to spend so much energy actively disliking a product you don't own and the people who do buy it.

The irony of ironies is that not only do I have an iPhone 4S, but I also have an iPad.

Both were given to my wife by her employer for free (same price you paid). Thing is she had an android smart phone before they gave her the iPhone, and so she had a basis of comparison. Right now the iPhone is pretty much a doorstop. We finally found a use for the iPad as a white noise machine. Can't think of anything else it's good for at the moment.

 

[Solo]

The more interesting aspect, though, is that this entirely contradicts the 'neophilia' bit that was mentioned on the first page of the thread. Humans are truly peculiar beings, no? I actually feel a bit like Spock, at times: Too rational to understand some of what's going on.

It doesn't contradict the neophillia, as that is just the love of new things. It does however provide an argument against the idea that as humans we are genetically coded choose the best thing available to us. But that itself is subject to interpretation as by choosing what we know already provides the advantage of not needing to learn a new system giving a possible initial advantage when in an unfamiliar situation.

That however is getting rather off topic as to 'product vs status symbol' and is treading into the very murky area of evolutionary psychology. Or in fact just human psychology in general

 

[homeforsummer]

The part where you decided to buy an iPod and an iPhone4 and stand behind that.

Ah, so you meant "didn't make sense to you", rather than "didn't make sense, period".

Also, surely you read the bit where I said the iPod (nano) was bought because I was in a position to try every mp3 player on sale and, at its price point, preferred it. And surely you read the bit where I said I didn't actually buy the iPhone - I bought a contract (in fact, technically I upgraded to a cheaper contract) and the iPhone came free with it.

It is relevant to whether or not it is a good product though. If I were given a Pontiac Aztek for free i wouldn't go around saying that it was a great car. Keep this part in mind at the big reveal below.

It's a good product in isolation, and better than my old Samsung. I never claimed anything more. If someone gave me an Aztek I might go around saying it did the job better than its older, decrepit predecessor, and that it meets my needs* but then I wouldn't be comparing it to anything else either, would I?

Same thing that's wrong with people deciding to go to church on Sunday.

I keep forgetting you live in a country that holds freedom of choice as a core value. I keep forgetting even more that it's a value you yourself seem to hold dear - but I certainly wouldn't have known it based on posts like that.

The irony of ironies is that not only do I have an iPhone 4S, but I also have an iPad.

Both were given to my wife by her employer for free (same price you paid). Thing is she had an android smart phone before they gave her the iPhone, and so she had a basis of comparison. Right now the iPhone is pretty much a doorstop. We finally found a use for the iPad as a white noise machine. Can't think of anything else it's good for at the moment.

Your failure to find no use for two free products is a failing of your own, not the products.

To use your Aztek analogy, it'd be like having one on the drive and thinking, "well, it has four wheels and an engine, but what the hell do I do with it?"

Disliking something isn't a valid excuse for being unable to use it. I'm hardly the most tech-minded of people but strewth, I can find my way around an iPhone without much difficulty.


*An Aztek probably would meet my needs, but sadly I have eyes, and as such can never own one.

 

[Luminis]

It doesn't contradict the neophillia, as that is just the love of new things. It does however provide an argument against the idea that as humans we are genetically coded choose the best thing available to us. But that itself is subject to interpretation as by choosing what we know already provides the advantage of not needing to learn a new system giving a possible initial advantage when in an unfamiliar situation.

That however is getting rather off topic as to 'product vs status symbol' and is treading into the very murky area of evolutionary psychology. Or in fact just human psychology in general

Agreed, and a lot of that hinges on the definition of 'new', too, I would assume

 

[That90sGuy]

...as by choosing what we know already provides the advantage of not needing to learn a new system giving a possible initial advantage when in an unfamiliar situation.

^ This. It's part of the fact Apple Mac products did appeal to many in the beginning because of the way that they functioned. It was perceived to be simpler compared to Windows computers and it didn't require forgetting everything you knew about operating a computer. Now that Apple's status as a company has grown, it has seen it evolve as a way of life.

I'm not sure if this is a good example but using the car example again, in theory, why on earth would anyone want to buy one of those rubbish Chinese cars (Great Wall, Cherry)? How would they come to the decision that a poor Chinese car is right for them? (I admit the factors could include budget constraints).

 

[Pagey279]

I tend to buy the most expensive stuff, if I see a primark jacket for £10 and a Ted Baker one for £100 I will get the Ted Baker one. Because I know it's a quality product, will stand the test of time, looks better etc That to me is worth the 10 times price difference.
Same goes for televisions, an Alba tele will allow me to watch tele, play the playstation and stuff. But I know the Toshiba 40" 3D HD tele I have at home will do the job a hell of a lot better.

The leading brands are the market leaders for a reason, your not buying into the name your buying into a product that you know will work, and work well. Because that company, whether it be Ted Baker, Sony, Apple, Nike etc earnt their reputation.

The part where you decided to buy an iPod and an iPhone4 and stand behind that.

Makes perfect sense to me.
I have both an iPod and a HTC Sensation XE Beats Audio (no I didn't buy it just because of the beats, it was going cheap and I like HTC)
The phone of course has an MP3 player, but I still want my iPod simply because it's more convenient. My phone is able to be a phone, playing music uses a lot of battery, I can plug my iPod into my dock to play music and still be able to text easily and take calls. It sorts out a lot of faff and makes my life easier.

 

[Danoff]

Also, surely you read the bit where I said the iPod (nano) was bought because I was in a position to try every mp3 player on sale and, at its price point, preferred it. And surely you read the bit where I said I didn't actually buy the iPhone - I bought a contract (in fact, technically I upgraded to a cheaper contract) and the iPhone came free with it.

Yes I did.

I keep forgetting you live in a country that holds freedom of choice as a core value. I keep forgetting even more that it's a value you yourself seem to hold dear - but I certainly wouldn't have known it based on posts like that.

I would absolutely 100% fight against any attempt to make iphones illegal. You and the people at Apple Computers have a right to engage in a market transaction (or go to church on Sunday) and I would never support anyone attempting to infringe on that freedom.

I'm still going to criticize though. Hopefully you see the difference.

Your failure to find no use for two free products is a failing of your own, not the products.

...oh but it is a fault of the products. See, because if the newer iPhone were better than her older Android, we could ditch her android and pocket some monthly savings on the phone plan. But it isn't. I have a cash incentive to find the iPhone as useful as an older android device.

The iPad is shockingly useless. I don't understand why anyone uses it. I would absolutely use it if it ever seemed like a good solution.

To use your Aztek analogy, it'd be like having one on the drive and thinking, "well, it has four wheels and an engine, but what the hell do I do with it?"

...and to continue with that analogy, if someone gave me an Aztek I'd get rid of it. I would never drive it, I wouldn't even want to park it. It would be useless to me because it couldn't displace on of the cars I already own. Same thing with the apple products I have, they are unable to work their way into my life because they are inferior to what I already have.

Disliking something isn't a valid excuse for being unable to use it. I'm hardly the most tech-minded of people but strewth, I can find my way around an iPhone without much difficulty.

I didn't say I struggled to figure out how to use it. I said I couldn't find a use for it.

 

[photonrider]

Rolls Royce, anyone?

 

[Minty]

Err, hang on - at what point did I say the iOS was better than anything?

At no point, that's where.

Where am I trying to convince people Apple is the better product - apart from over the out-dated one I owned previously? Where have I said anything other than spoken out of my own experience of what my own phone is like to use?

Climb down off your high pony.

Sorry, that's my bad. The way the app is layed out I sometimes get posts confused.

But the point still stands that, even if it was free, you still chose the iPhone without even bothering to give anything else a try.

 

[homeforsummer]

Yes I did.

Then why the confusion? Again, you seem determined to paint the owner of any Apple product - regardless of how or why it is owned - as nothing more than a victim of fashion.

I've tried to make that clear it isn't the case - anyone who has ever met me wouldn't be in any haste to describe me as "fashionable" or "cool", and I spend an inordinate amount of time on a computer games forum not even talking about computer games... yet solely based on a non-purchase of mine, you already seem to have it in your head that I own an iPhone for no other reason than because I think it's cool.

I would absolutely 100% fight against any attempt to make iphones illegal. You and the people at Apple Computers have a right to engage in a market transaction (or go to church on Sunday) and I would never support anyone attempting to infringe on that freedom.

I'm still going to criticize though. Hopefully you see the difference.

I do, but your posts have been blurring the boundaries somewhat. That, and whether buying iPhones or going to church, finding it "wrong" is largely irrelevant - if it makes someone happy, it makes them happy.

...oh but it is a fault of the products. See, because if the newer iPhone were better than her older Android, we could ditch her android and pocket some monthly savings on the phone plan. But it isn't. I have a cash incentive to find the iPhone as useful as an older android device.

The iPad is shockingly useless. I don't understand why anyone uses it. I would absolutely use it if it ever seemed like a good solution.

...and to continue with that analogy, if someone gave me an Aztek I'd get rid of it. I would never drive it, I wouldn't even want to park it. It would be useless to me because it couldn't displace on of the cars I already own. Same thing with the apple products I have, they are unable to work their way into my life because they are inferior to what I already have.

And yet you still own them? I get rid of stuff that is of no use to me, rather than deriding those who do find a use for it.

I didn't say I struggled to figure out how to use it. I said I couldn't find a use for it.

Fair enough. In that case, see above.

But the point still stands that, even if it was free, you still chose the iPhone without even bothering to give anything else a try.

It wasn't a case of "not bothering" - more a case of "getting the hell rid of my old, rubbish phone, and the iPhone being a handy upgrade click away on my network's website".

 

[Danoff]

Then why the confusion? Again, you seem determined to paint the owner of any Apple product - regardless of how or why it is owned - as nothing more than a victim of fashion.

Well, that's not exactly true is it - seeing as how I'm an apple owner myself. I just don't defend them as good products.

I've tried to make that clear it isn't the case - anyone who has ever met me wouldn't be in any haste to describe me as "fashionable" or "cool", and I spend an inordinate amount of time on a computer games forum not even talking about computer games... yet solely based on a non-purchase of mine, you already seem to have it in your head that I own an iPhone for no other reason than because I think it's cool.

I'm trying to understand why you bought them, but I don't. I'm very skeptical of your claim that you got an iphone at no cost - because contracts cost money, and which phone company you choose can cost money. But I don't want to get too deep into the details of your purchase. If you did get it for free (like I did) fine, good job, but that doesn't make it a good phone. The iPod decision is even more challenging.

I do, but your posts have been blurring the boundaries somewhat. That, and whether buying iPhones or going to church, finding it "wrong" is largely irrelevant - if it makes someone happy, it makes them happy.

Yup, if it makes them happy, good for them... but I'll still criticize things that make people happy (like going to the church of christ or the church of jobs) if I think it's worthy of criticism. You might think the Pontiac Aztek is the greatest thing in the world - and it makes you super happy - but I'll still criticize as there are objective reasons why it is inferior to other products out there (all of them in the case of the Aztek).

And yet you still own them? I get rid of stuff that is of no use to me, rather than deriding those who do find a use for it.

Believe me I would sell them if it weren't for the fact that it was purchased by the company needs to be returned to them if she leaves.

 

[Minty]

It wasn't a case of "not bothering" - more a case of "getting the hell rid of my old, rubbish phone, and the iPhone being a handy upgrade click away on my network's website".

And I'm sure there were several other smart phones being offered for free with a contract that were better than the iPhone. Just that when I'm given a choice a free objects I typically put the same amount of thought into as I would something I plan to pay money for. Especially when its something I'll be stuck with for two years by contract.

I mean I'm happy the iPhones working out for you and all, but it sounds like you went with it because it was advertised as being simple rather than making sure it was the best option. Accepting the worse of two free options is the same thing as buying the worse of two equally priced options. Well, if you live by the whole "money saved is money earned" thing.

 

[priesty_lfc]

Well, that's not exactly true is it - seeing as how I'm an apple owner myself. I just don't defend them as good products.

Does this mean you don't think they are good products?

 

[Danoff]

Does this mean you don't think they are good products?

In a vacuum, they're good products. But you can't really evaluate these in a vacuum, you have to stack them up to what else is available. In a vacuum, a Pontiac Az... ok I'll stop with that.

Anyway, no not compared to the competition.

 

[priesty_lfc]

In a vacuum, they're good products. But you can't really evaluate these in a vacuum, you have to stack them up to what else is available. In a vacuum, a Pontiac Az... ok I'll stop with that.

Anyway, no not compared to the competition.

No idea what the Pontiac reference is about, guessing its a common cheap car?

Well what's the competition? Samsung S3? Other than that tbh I don't know what else is about, maybe Nokia Lumis?

 

[terminator363]

I definitely buy products for their uses. I don't care what others think. I buy whatever will suit my needs; then again I think the only thing I go around shoving in peoples faces is my graphics card . But in all honesty I don't believe in this "status symbol" stuff. I mean finding someone attractive because of their iPhone or iPad is the equivalent to thugs respecting one another due to the length of their gold chains. The only person that benefits from all this is the one selling the product. When I choose to buy something I pick what appeals to me and what appeals to my personality, not what others think.

 

[Danoff]

No idea what the Pontiac reference is about, guessing its a common cheap car?

Well what's the competition? Samsung S3? Other than that tbh I don't know what else is about, maybe Nokia Lumis?

Just about any android on the market is better than the iPhone 5 simply due to the superiority of the OS.

 

[Minty]

Just about any android on the market is better than the iPhone 5 simply due to the superiority of the OS.

I wouldn't go that far. Some of the hardware running Android is so terrible that the trade off for OS functionality is worth having something that won't fall apart in a few months.

I owned an Xperia Play for a while and the hardware was so crap for the price I'd have traded off to an iPhone 3 if I had to to get rid of the Xperia.

 

[Joey D]

I'm not sure what's more fashionable, buying an Apple product, or buying the competitor's product and then acting all high and mighty you didn't buy something from Apple. I'll never understand the hate towards the iPhone and the love towards something like the Galaxy III. They both do the exact same things and really when you think about it, pretty much every smartphone is "fashionable".

I bought an iPhone because I like the interface and I continue buying them because that's where all my apps are. I bought a MacBook Pro because I liked it, I liked the operating system and the design. I get people telling me all the time how I wasted my money on it and I bought it to be trendy. I don't let it bother me though, I'm going to buy things I like whether they are considered fashionable or not. As long as the do the function I need them to do too, I don't have a problem if there's something out there that claims to do it better.

As an example, I'm sure there were better cars out there than the Focus, but I liked it, it did what I needed it to do and I'm happy with my choice.

I think people put way to much emphasis on the status of the products, I'm guilty of it too, but I'm starting to care less and less about it. Just buy what you like.