Are We Buying Products? Or Status Symbols?

[Danoff]

My HTC G2 is worlds better than even the iPhone 4s (which I also have, which came after) on every level. The G2 is solid, feels great in your hand, works very well, has tons more features mechanically, and has tons more features in software. Also it was cheaper.

I don't completely blame HTC for not spending gobs of cash on marketing though. People should take the time to research the larger purchases in life - a phone being one of them.

 

[Famine]

HTC are advertised by James Corden.

That's enough reason to not only not pay them for anything, but to have ECT to erase their brand from your mind completely.


Also, I consider myself unbiased because I neither own anything Apple nor anything that is a competitor product in any sensible way (except a self-built PC). The problem is that I have absolutely no desire (not a pun either) or need for any of their products nor of their competitors, so I have no measureable opinion.

 

[sumbrownkid]

^Just don't go after Motorola Droids Famine, my family had nothing but bad experiences with Motorolas.

 

[Famine]

I don't quite follow why I would. I have no interest in that kind of product.

 

[sumbrownkid]

In case you change your mind of course.

 

[dhandeh]

HTC are advertised by James Corden.

*places own HTC in the bin*

 

[Danoff]

*looks up James Corden*


*still doesn't know who that is*

 

[Famine]

*looks up James Corden*

*still doesn't know who that is*

He's an unfunny chav [onanator] who claims to be an actor and comedian. His entire career is based on pointing out that he's fat. Yet when someone else (Patrick Stewart, as an example) uses that as the basis for a joke at an awards ceremony, he becomes an abusive oaf - resulting in "a comedian" losing a battle of words to an intelligent man with a broad command of language...

In case you change your mind of course.

I think you're possibly underestimating how little use or need I have for them.

I don't even use phones*, so the concept of requiring one that allows people to interrupt me while I'm out while also being a crap camera and a crap computer is so out of sight it's orbiting Gliese.


To return lightly to the topic, I understand each device has largely similar UIs but with subtle differences that different people may find more or less intuitive than the others. For some, the $50 swing between a product they find annoying to use and a product they enjoy using but which might be slightly functionally less capable is sufficient premium to pay. That may necessitate staying with the same manufacturer for the next product.

But buying crap that has "your" logo on is stupid.


*You may think this an exaggeration, but it really isn't.

 

[Danoff]

To return lightly to the topic, I understand each device has largely similar UIs but with subtle differences that different people may find more or less intuitive than the others.

Well, one (Android) can be configured to look exactly like the other (Apple), but nobody does that because it's less efficient.

For some, the $50 swing between a product they find annoying to use and a product they enjoy using but which might be slightly functionally less capable is sufficient premium to pay. That may necessitate staying with the same manufacturer for the next product.

Significantly less capable.

I'll give you an example. I found myself in a jam while on travel. I needed to sign documents for the sale of my house, but they were on a website that really needed a laptop to access and were in PDF. The hotel I was staying in had a printer and a scanner, but the printer required a USB stick. I, of course, didn't bring a USB stick.

I tethered my phone's internet connection to the laptop so that it could download the PDF. Then I had my phone simulate a USB stick to copy the PDF onto and put on the hotel's computer that had the printer. That got me through the jam. At the time, iPhone couldn't do either of those things. I think actually still that the USB thing would be impossible.

So significantly less capable. - which is what begs the question...

But buying crap that has "your" logo on is stupid.

Is it this? I think it is for many. Obviously not for everyone.

 

[Famine]

See, in the old days you'd have just gone "Oh. Oh really? Dang." and saved yourself the stress. Not to mention that your savvy helps you get more out of stuff than the average user.

There's no reason not to consider a certain logo more favourably in comparisons for new purchases when you've had good experiences with that brand - I tend to stick to LG TVs, for instance - but only in comparisons. See logo, buy new thing is dumb.

 

[niky]

LG rocks. After a decade of fault free service, our LG washing machine still works, while our Whirlpool was junk the minute we uncrated it. So when I got married, we purchased another LG washing machine. And a refrigerator. A few years after we got the fridge, we had to upgrade, so we got a Kelvinator.

Now I want the LG back. The Kelvinator is a piece of garbage in comparison.

If we need a new LED TV, it'll either be an LG or a Samsung. Only Sony comes close, and they cost more.

-

I've used a few HTCs. Some were just okay, some were very nice. Yes, possibly better than the iPhone.

But then so is the Galaxy Note, though you look like an idiot holding something the size of a small notebook up to your face while calling.

-

Through dozens of devices tried and tested (my family are tech junkies on the upgrade spiral), I can say that Android started out mostly inferior to Apple's OS, and has finally reached parity within the past year or so. It's like Linux crossed with Windows. Open source back-end so geeks can obsessively tweak everything, polished front-end so that regular users can simply use and forget.

And therein lies the problem. Because it's open source and multiplatform, a whole truckload of apps are compromised for use on many platforms due to compatibility or testing issues, upgrades are a must, and the choice of apps that are fully compatible with your device is limited by how much time and patience devs have.

Whereas with Apple, everything on iTunes works with everything you can download them to. That's a big plus for casual users.

In the end, my Apple device (a gift) stays at home with my Android device (free with my plan) because I travel with a real camera, a real computer and a real phone. All of which do real work.

I'm typing this on an iPad. Which is a pain in the butt to type on because the touchscreen can't do speed typing.

 

[Callum B]

My mum bought a Kodak printer because she assumed being a Kodak it would be good seeing as they're a big company... since we got it about 4-5 months ago it's gone through 3 new print heads And THIS is why you don't buy on brand value...