Consumer gullibility...

[mountain_tiger]

Link to original post: [drupal=3484]Consumer gullibility...[/drupal]



The latest success of the iPad has led me to ask: why is it that people always feel the need to buy these things? I mean, what does an iPad do that a laptop can't? Oh whoopdee doo, so it's smaller and has a touchscreen. Touchscreens are more of a novelty than anything else IMO, since at the end of the day navigating the traditional way is no harder.

Yet whenever a new version of an iPod or iPhone is released, people always flock to buy it, even if they already own one which functions perfectly! It's a endless cycle. You pay $200 or so for an iPod, have it for about a year, a new one comes out, marketed at $300, and even though the old ones works perfectly you feel that you just HAVE to buy it. The same with mobile phones. It seems they all go obsolete within nine months.

I personally don't understand this. In the last five years I've had three mobile phones, and I only switched because the first two broke. Yet apparently all mobile phones NEED to have internet access and music storage and all that rubbish. Yet it's meant to be a PHONE. And I've had the same iPod for three years and that works fine.

But it's not just technology. To use a completely different example, take ice-cream that's sold on the beach. Around here an ice-cream costs around £1.40-£1.80. Yet go to the supermarket and you can get a pack of five for the same price! If you want ice-cream, why not take some from home in a cool bag or something? It's a LOT cheaper.

And fashion. Take Ugg boots for example. Those things aren't exactly cheap, yet loads of people (particularly girls) seem to be flocking to buy them solely because 'they're in fashion'. How many of those people actually LIKE the shoes? Obviously some will, but in a lot of cases it seems to be a case of 'I want to fit in!'

I could list more examples, but I think you get the idea. But then again, without such gullibility and desperateness to conform, a lot of firms would either go out of business, or not be doing nearly so well. It's not exactly just, but I suppose if there's a profit to be made, you can hardly blame them...

 

[Jim Morrison]

Because if you're an Apple fanboy you can't stay behind, not having the creme de la creme.
I have a mobile phone, but the thing is actually just 200% broken and I still don't feel the need to get a new one...
And why is ice cream on the beach so much more expensive? Because it's hot there and people won't always want to take their own five-pack of ice cream.

In the end, these are the people that contribute more to the economy than most other individuals,

 

[-_skinny_-]

i think conforming to a trend thats gunna be outdated/obsolete in 2 days is just ********. it usually happens with mainstream things lol

 

[john!]

Apple brings out the worst in people's spending habits. I have never owned an Apple product, not because of principle, but because there's always a better alternative. The company is going to decline in a few years as there is a backlash against the Apple cult.

 

[#HBC | Acrostic]

Apple brings out the worst in people's spending habits. I have never owned an Apple product, not because of principle, but because there's always a better alternative. The company is going to decline in a few years as there is a backlash against the Apple cult.

A month ago, the New York Times published an article stating that Apple had just eclipsed Microsoft in stock revenue. Even though economists warn that the stock market could follow random walks and be an unreliable source of comparative success, Apple still holds the lead over Microsoft after one month has passed.

The following is sourced from Google Finance:

AAPL is the ticker marker for Apple and MSFT is the ticker marker for Microsoft. Does it look like Apple is going to dip down below Microsoft? No. Right now Apple is holding on to the market due to their ability to sell handheld devices such as the ipod and the iphone which bring the company 2/3 of their profit. When most people buy a handheld device, they enjoy having nifty features such as a touch-screen and motion recognition software. If people adhered to practicality, we wouldn't have slider phones and keyboards for text messaging.

Apple brings out the worst in people's spending habits because all their devices and computers are overpriced. Let's look at the specs of their cheapest desktop: The Mac Mini which was released June 15 of this year with a side-by-side comparison to a Gateway desktop. The following data is courtesy of CNET.

The Gateway computer is $140 cheaper and has better hardware specs in three categories: CPU, memory, and hard drive capabilities. On the downside, the Gateway comes a bit short in terms of graphics, but that can be compensated by replacing the graphics card with a 512 MB graphics card for $100-$130 that puts the Mac's 256MB Nvidia Geforce to shame. Oh wait. Guess what. You can't really upgrade Mac computers because Apple makes sure that their hardware owns your soul once you purchase any of its products.

Apple isn't going to decline because a large majority of consumers don't know what they are buying. If it's shiny, sleek, and smooth on the outside and runs colorful things on their screen, you might as well start hiking up the price as they are unable to accurately gauge anything due to their naive ineptitude. As long as there are people who insist that the $140 cost difference and the inferior hardware specs are compensated by Apple's OS alone, then there will never be a shortage of profit for Apple.

The latest success of the iPad has led me to ask: why is it that people always feel the need to buy these things? I mean, what does an iPad do that a laptop can't? Oh whoopdee doo, so it's smaller and has a touchscreen. Touchscreens are more of a novelty than anything else IMO, since at the end of the day navigating the traditional way is no harder.

It seems like in your blog, you are attempting to question why people would buy something for themselves. When it comes to popularized products, this is not always the case. Parents sometimes buy their children expensive presents. Apple has specifically geared several marketing schemes to target high school graduates. A lot of parents are misled to believe that Apple goods are expensive because they are justifiably good products. Hence many Apple gadgets, devices, and computers are given as expensive congratulatory presents to show love and sentiment.

Perhaps technology is being reduced to another medium for entertainment. If you have to do business, then you might as well stem some enjoyment by having a touch screen and moveable icons. For some people, the cost of an ipad is justified by its capabilities to be a music player, have a touchscreen, run applications, and have a small design.

How about the Wii? I would consider that a wasted investment that solely relies on cheap motion sensor gimmicks. Then again, everyone has their preferences.

 

[Man of Popsicle]

Same reason people buy expensive clothes, watches, and cars.
CHECK ME OUT IMMA JETSETTA YEHHHH

 

[DarkLouis331]

It annoys me how a new iPhone comes out every 2 weeks. The commercials are getting really annoying.

 

[Browny]

Ugg boots are amazing

that is all

 

[El Nino]

Apple has a reliable formula. Bad engineering coupled with superior marketing. That's all it takes.

The ice cream at the beach example is basic economics. You're paying extra for the convenience. Why eat at a restaurant when you can make it at home for cheaper? People eat out for the experience of eating out.

How about the Wii? I would consider that a wasted investment that solely relies on cheap motion sensor gimmicks. Then again, everyone has their preferences.

Consoles don't get upgraded as fast as cell phones, but their owners are constantly shelling out money for new games. I guess the difference between the Wii and something like the iPhone is that the Wii is clearly a toy. That's its purpose. The iPhone is a fashion accessory tied to a useful function, a function that can be obtained for cheaper. Rolex is a luxury symbol, not a watch. And so the iPhone is an accessory more than it is a phone.

As for why people do it? I've never figured it out. I might see something shiny at the store, but it only holds my attention for a few seconds. Not to mention that I don't have any money. But a friend of mine already has an iPhone and now wants the new one. He also constantly sells back his cars before he's done with payments and gets new ones, and then repeats the process. He's just finished the payments on the new one, and yet he still wants another one, and he's been looking at ads.

It's some internal impulse in some people that companies have been able to capitalize on.

 

[Browny]

Excep El nino... there are people out there who legitimately believe that Apple products are superior to the competition >_> (Not referring to iPhone specfically). They dont see it as a fahion accesory at all despite people on both sides agreeing thats what they are :/

It just, does things to people. Kind of like WoW I guess.

 

[SuperBowser]

After the ipad I think apple could literally sell a lump of prettied-up coal to the general public. They've built such a strong brand image.

People like shiny new things.

 

[Teran]

Same reason people buy expensive clothes, watches, and cars.
CHECK ME OUT IMMA JETSETTA YEHHHH

Expensive clothes, cars, and watches are usually of a far superior quality, and usually companies fix it so their best looking stuff is the most expensive. (Obviously want the cool looking stuff because I do and **** you if you have a problem).

I mean, I'm not saying buy a £20,000 watch because it's cool but I'm saying there is a point to which price does very well indicate quality.

I like quality.



But Apple sucks, I have a Sansa mp3 player. :3

 

[Purtle]

*Cringe* Apple...

The reason for the ice cream thing is convenience, because they have it there on the street vendor or wherever.

Welcome to economics, and learning that lots of people are REALLY stupid.

 

[Skrlx]

i took economics in high school and well, a lot of things made sense, but it doesn't mean I like it

 

[Jim Morrison]

ITT: Bawwwwwwwwwww, mainstream !!!!!

 

[#HBC | Acrostic]

Apple has a reliable formula. Bad engineering coupled with superior marketing. That's all it takes.

In order for Apple to get a sleek and attractive design on their products, I believe that the company has decided to sacrifice mechanical practicality. Most computer cases and chassis designs were built to house rectangular and flat sized computer chips. Yet Apple pushes designs that contain curves and screens that are difficult to upgrade and modify because they do not follow proper convention.

The ice cream at the beach example is basic economics. You're paying extra for the convenience. Why eat at a restaurant when you can make it at home for cheaper? People eat out for the experience of eating out.

That's not really basic economics.

Consoles don't get upgraded as fast as cell phones, but their owners are constantly shelling out money for new games. I guess the difference between the Wii and something like the iPhone is that the Wii is clearly a toy. That's its purpose. The iPhone is a fashion accessory tied to a useful function, a function that can be obtained for cheaper. Rolex is a luxury symbol, not a watch. And so the iPhone is an accessory more than it is a phone.

I agree. In regards to my previous statement, there have been a couple of successful games that have utilized the motion sensor bar as an innate part of its gameplay, such as Okami. I've been too used to Brawl completely ignoring the motion sensor feature and the lack of good games coming out for the system that I saw the Wii as being more or less a disappointment.

In regards to your comment, I was over-simplifying the issue into a personal opinion of investment. To some people, buying the Wii could be seen as a frivolous investment and could be compared to the OP's previous examples. Are the new Wii games really that much more innovative than the games released on the Gamecube? Are the new motion sensor abilities really worth shelling out the money to buy the new console?

I really like the distinction that you made between different products and assessed them according to their function. To a certain extent, Wii attempts to imitate cross-function capabilities, such as telling you the weather. Whether or not these additional features are, "just for show" depends on how useful they are to the user. If you seriously get lost, maybe the vague GPS readout from the iPhone can be useful in deciding which direction is the right one to trek towards.

 

[SuperBowser]

In regards to your comment, I was over-simplifying the issue into a personal opinion of investment. To some people, buying the Wii could be seen as a frivolous investment and could be compared to the OP's previous examples. Are the new Wii games really that much more innovative than the games released on the Gamecube? Are the new motion sensor abilities really worth shelling out the money to buy the new console?

The Wii appeals to a huge demographic. It depends which segment you are speaking about. For people on these forums, I think the primary reason to purchase a Wii is to play new Nintendo games that happen to use motion controls rather than the other way around. Motion controls have had a positive impact on the games that incorporated them tastefully. How many games accomplished this is another story, but I think it will improve.

 

[Atlus8]

People like to buy shiny new things, especially when they have the money! I don't get into the latest and newest things! It's not because I don't have the money, it's just that I don't find it much necessary! I haven't bought a gadget for years now! That last thing I ever got was my 2nd Gen Ipod Shuffle way back in late 06! My first cell phone was stolen around mid 07 and I have had my second cell phone since then! People will just eat up the newest thing because they think it's the s#!+! I would bet that more than half the people that have bought the newest Iphone don't even know the specs! If they hear "Faster and Better" they are almost committed to getting the latest thing!

 

[john!]

^ your writing style reminds me strongly of pokey the penguin

 

[Pharrox]

Kind of late to the party, but I just couldn't help but reply knowing how true this was.

For over a year I worked as an electronics associate at Walmart, so I can definitely confirm some of the things people have been saying in here. First of all, probably the best selling mp3 player on the market is also the biggest piece of crap technology out there, the iPod Shuffle. At my store we probably sold two iPod Shuffles for every one of every other kind of mp3 player combined (including other iPods).

I can also say that of the people buying these things, probably 2/3 of them were clueless parents or relatives who just saw the name iPod and immediately assumed it was the perfect thing for them to get as a gift. Heck, I would even say that 2/3+ of all iPod sales were made by people who didn't even know that iPod is just a brand name and thought that iPod was its own unique piece of technology. It's all about marketing and brand saturation. The worst part about the whole thing was that you would have to smile and pretend like they were getting a good deal.

I should also probably point out that the Shuffles were selling for $45 and were only 1gb. We also had a 4gb for $35 Samsung that could play video, do pictures, and EVEN LET YOU CHOOSE WHAT SONG TO PLAY! It always amazed me that people could come into the store and spend big bucks on something without even knowing what the product they're buying does.

 

[Grim Tuesday]

They buy it because the new version is better... duh.
You don't NEED to buy chocolate, but you do because it tastes nice. Looks like you are a victim to your own apparent "gullibility".

 

[Romulox2010]

In regards to the apple reality distortion field: apple is very good at marketing and making people think they NEED the latest iphone or ipod or iwhatever. But this is the same with many other companies. Verizon tried to push the Droid incredible on me but the hardware and software improvements weren't that much of a step up (Read Texas instruments>Qualcomm) but the Droid x might just change my mind due to it being a significant increase in performance. Now I consider myself a pretty wasteful spender, but I atleast read reviews on what I'm buying, check out how it stacks up against the competition, and what advantages it provides over the product I already have that is in that same category. Many people just have a loyalty to apple and their products and image but personally you'd have to pay me to use their products but id be more than willing to go through the headaches of beta testing a service for google since I like them so personally id be more inclined to use their products and services but I still wouldn't drink the kool-aid and blindly worship a company which I know will never care for me, just my money.

 

[highfive]

My view on the Ipad's usefulness. Created by someone whom I do not know.

 

[Atlus8]

LMAO! OMG that's clever!

 

[mountain_tiger]

They buy it because the new version is better... duh.
You don't NEED to buy chocolate, but you do because it tastes nice. Looks like you are a victim to your own apparent "gullibility".

Chocolate is used up within seconds. An iPod... isn't.

 

[Grim Tuesday]

Chocolate is used up within seconds. An iPod... isn't.

The point was that buying chocolate is pointless. It provides no nutrients or anything which we can't get easily on a staple diet and is a waste of money. Yet you still buy chocolate, no?

Why? Because you enjoy it.

This is why people get newer versions of the iPod, they enjoy the new features. It is the same with anyone who got a DSlite after the DS. Of PSP 3000 after the 2000, etc...

 

[Skrlx]

chocolate does have some benefits

 

[Grim Tuesday]

chocolate does have some benefits

Benefits that you can't get from an average day without chocolate? I doubt it.

 

[Lore]

I personally love my iPod touch, but I'm not getting another one until this one breaks.

I used to have a Sansa, but it eventually died. I loved that thing...