The Other Waiting Game

As opposed to the other thread about waiting....

How do you guys decide when to adopt new technology? In other words, how up-to-date are you on your gear? Do you buy it the instant that new stuff comes out, or do you tend to wait until it becomes more mainstream (aka lower price)?

Well, I don't have my own job yet, so I can't complain, but I'm somewhat behind on my tech. My parents tend to be very much penny-pinchers when it comes to buying new stuff. Often we wait for things to drop their price for what they offer. Like, for example, we're still on a standard CRT SDTV. I've been trying to get my parents to get an HDTV if possible, but they're currently waiting for a good 42" LCD HDTV to drop under $1000. That has yet to happen, but I think that when it does, they'll probably aim for something else (like a 52" Plasma HDTV under $1000), and it just keeps going on and on and on.

I mean, yeah, there are benefits to this as when you do buy it, you get an awesome deal. But I think they're trying to avoid what I did with my graphics card. About 2 years ago, I wanted to get a graphics card for my old computer (Athlon XP 1800+, not my Dell). So I did some research and saw that it needed an AGP card, so, that was easy, go online, find a good AGP card for the price. At the time, my parents had agreed to spend $200 as a maximum for some reward for something I did that I have now forgotten. So I went on newegg.com, and found my new AGP graphics card. Obviously, a very short time after, PCI-Express became widely popular (or I was just oblivious the whole time), and soon thereafter, my computer died. Since all new computers have PCI-Express slots now, my AGP is going to have trouble finding a home. I suppose if I had waited until I really did get a whole new computer and found a card for that, I wouldn't be out of luck.

Anyways, thoughts? Stories of buying something cutting edge that get beat a matter of days? What things do you play the waiting game for?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

New technology takes a backseat to price reductions for us. We never really buy anything the instant it comes out, or anywhere close to it. I remember we got our DVD player when it wasn't $500, but it also wasn't the $50 kind of cheap. So a middle ground for price is when we usually cave in.

My PS2 was a Christmas gift four years ago, when it was still rather expensive but not at launch price. As for my videogames though, I can hardly wait any longer than within the first two weeks within their release dates to buy them.

There are some exceptions, like when it comes to computers and mp3 players. Ipods are always updating, so if I ever need to switch I'd just buy the latest model, but I wouldn't buy every single new release that comes out. My laptop was purchased, but it's not like I had my eye specifically set for this model, it was just obtained when my parents thought it essential, more out of convenience.

I am currently waiting on the Wii, although more so due to stocking and money flow issues, rather than for a price drop. I can currently wait due to the available game selection.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Well, it was 4.5 years between my old computer and the new one I bought a couple months ago. And wow, what difference. I try to limit my spending on technology and only buy things that I REALLY need. I was going to buy an external HD in the Fall, but decided against it. I found an awesome deal on this computer I currently have and it came with 250 GB HD, so it worked out anyway. My old computer was a 40 GB...

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

For me and my gf we're never really anxious to get a new piece of technology the moment it comes up. Me and my gf are definetely geeks in every sense of the word. I think the only thing we buy or we actually pre-order are probably video games and 80's/90's cartoon box sets but thats about it. I got my PS2 when it was around the 225 dollar range. We don't even own any cell phones or any mp3 players. I'd say the newest piece of technology we have is her brand new camcorder.

In terms of the next gen consoles we're going to wait until a better game library hits for both consoles before we actually buy it, but we're actually tempted to get a wii when they become a little bit more available in terms of stock mainly because of trauma centre: second opinion.

We just bought a brand new home over thre last few weeks, and trust me when we have enough time and money we are going to make ourselves one sweet multimedia/gaming room. To us we always play the waiting game, in terms of a lot of things mainly to save a little money but we don't need all the little bells and whistles that come with every new piece of technology. We're willing to buy something when we feel the time is right, but we usually don't jump at the chance to get the hot item of the month.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

I pay rent and bills, so many can guess what my answer is:

I wait. I save. I buy.

That's why it seems like I'm behind when buying new games or consoles. Although, with the PS3--I'm waiting for two reasons: price and problems. I have YET to buy a console when it first comes out because of problems...LOL

I was speaking idiomatically.

Buying stuff the instant it comes out to brag about how overpriced it was and how broken it is after three seconds of use doesn't seem like a smart conversation to me! I play the waiting game. Except I bought a PS2 and Wii at launch, and both decisions were shitty. I'm still using a black and white TV, a beta tape player, a record player with genuine mono sound and my watch is just drawn on with a pen that has no ink. Even now I'm typing on a 286 with a giant novelty red power switch that takes a good five minutes to warm up.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Depends on what the certain something is. I waited a good three years to finally decide on getting an iPod, and hello what I now own a 5.5G model with which I am verily pleased. However, I bought a Wii at launch and I'm still happy with that, even though there'll be a stack more games and a price drop in a year's time anyway. Not bothered.

I did buy an original Nintendo DS at launch. Stopped toying with it after a week and wound up ebaying it. Now I have a Lite, though, and plenty more games so things are good.

Currently playing the waiting game on a new computer. There's a relatively new laptop I've got my eye on (gig of ram, dual core, 120GB hard drive etc), but my current computer will be absolutely fine for at least another two years, so waiting out a price drop is always a good idea.

FELIPE NO

I don't buy new technology when it first comes out. It's not really a matter of the price, it is usually because all the bugs need to be worked out first. For the most part, the video game systems always have problems in there first batch. The PS2 used to overheat when it first came out and so does the PS3. It usually takes about a year before I'll even think of picking up a new system.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

It only depends on what it is for me.

Considering I don't have a job yet, it's usually a family decision whether or not we decide to upgrade.

I've had this computer for about three years now, and it's still working like a charm, despite the two times I messed it up myself. As for MP3 players, as long as it can hold my music and play it, I don't see see the reason why I would need to get a better one. iPod Videos are nice, but i'll stick with my iRiver for now. Phones, I'll be patient with the one I have. My parents stick to two year plans which piss me off to a great extent, but I'll be willing to get the newest phone that everyone has when my contract is over.

As for video game consoles, it depends. I got the GBC when it first came out. Just like the original GB, just in color... No problems there. The only recent thing I got was my Wii. It's still releasing things piece by piece, but I don't see an exorbitant amount of problems with it yet. Better than the PS3 or 360 launch...

How ya doing, buddy?

I never buy new technology when it first comes out, I generally wait at least a few months before I even think about buying it. When we do buy new technology though, we never spend top dollar on it, we buy what we can afford. And as a general rule we never spend too much on something, we tend to go for the cheaper, but just as good version.

I have a pretty up-to-date PC, and that is possibly the only think that I will buy the best for. As for the games, I generally wait for a while before buying them, the price generally has gone down a bit by then. I'm happy with the technology that I have, it may not be right up to date, but it's not too far off, and I'm happy with that.

Most amazing jew boots

I always wait a while before buying anything new. For instance, bluetooth wasn't a necessity for me when it first came out but when my old phone broke I traded it in for one with bluetooth. I'm not fussed really, it just depends on what I need, and if there happen to be some cool additions to the equipment I'm buying then all the better. If not, what I have will do.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

It varies with me. My most recent/up-to-date/expensive piece of kit is my quad-core Power Mac G5. However, I got it at pretty much the last minute as I knew the Intel Macs were coming out and I wanted one without a TPM chip, as well as wanting to avoid supporting Intel (geek politics, I won't go into it here).

On the other side of the coin, I have yet to get any of the next-generation consoles, though I'm slightly antsy to nab a Wii.

As for TVs, I kinda got hosed and/or hosed myself with mine. I got a 32" CRT unit that can do 480p and 1080i as I was still expecting the PS3 to not be a complete overpriced joke, and was figuring Nintendo would do HD as well. All in all, I'm still glad I got it, but I'd probably have waited and done an LCD that could do 1080 and 720 as well, would be lighter, etc... Part of the problem with the setup I have is that I'm driving most of my home theatre setup from my old Power Mac G4 which, while it can handle 720p okay, doesn't have the CPU/GPU muscle for 1080. Of course, with a TV that can't do native 720p...you see where this is going.

One thing I'm throttling way back is my game purchases. I'll still hit game stores and check bargain bins, but since I'm not planning on adopting next-gen for a long time (minimum 3 years for PS3/XBox Next) I already went through and nabbed all the games of the current run that I'm really interested in playing. I have a significant backlog and I think my current library will last me the better part of that 3-4 years, so the recent titles (Valkyrie Profile 2 namely, also Tales of the Abyss) that I would want to pick up can wait until they come down in price.

As for computers in general, I generally go high-end with the hardest-to-upgrade components (CPU, GPU in laptops, motherboard) and then skimp a bit on other things like HDD size or memory, then upgrade those down the line when I start to feel the squeeze and when it's cheaper to do so. Doing that right now with my laptop, actually. 100GB/7200RPM is soooooo much nicer.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?