In the mind of the first time buyer...
well, i have alluded to this in the past, but a recent real-world example has taken place, where i think i can draw a loose analogy to buying a new computer: namely, cordless phones.
when the signal on our current phone isn't tapping out altogether, it just doesn't have the signal strength to punch through our walls of our new place. so we figure it's time to go buy a new phone. sounds good. i'm a smart guy. this should be easy, right???
then you get to the stores: best buy, target, circuit city, wal-mart, office depot, etc., etc., etc. suddenly, you notice that there are about a hundred different makes and models, with such easy to recognize names as "KG12245-3".
and they range from the dirt-cheap to the "geez, $170 for a PHONE?!?" variety.
i try to analyze my needs, current and future, to help me narrow, but that doesn't help much. maybe higher cost = quality? well, get onto some review sites, and you find that isn't the case. try to comb the reviews, personal opinions online, and take those with me to the store. oh wait, half of these reviews are for models they don't even sell anymore! how often do they refresh these things???
and then, there's the mhz... er, sorry, ghz to wonder about. 900 mhz hasn't been cutting it so far. maybe 2.4 ghz? it's gotta be better, since it's got more hz, right? and what does this "dss" thing mean? but doesn't 2.4 ghz interfere with wireless networking? but i don't have a wireless network. well, not YET. 5.8 ghz phones are just too expensive for my budget.
maybe i'll go with brands that have never failed me. panasonic, let's see... jeebus! who the hell designed this handset?!? there must be 700 different buttons crammed on here, each one in a different color...
so what do i start falling back on when i am feeling way in over my head?
price. there might be better models out there, but my needs right now are modest, and i am really short on money lately. not bargain-basement desperate, but i can't exceed $80-100. but if i saw a truly excellent phone in the store that i could try out, felt solid, seemed reasonably priced, from a trusted name brand, with a representative in the store that could actually answer my questions without a shrug and a grunt, i would probably give it a try... but it's not here. at least, not that i have seen.
sound familiar? suddenly it dawns on me that this is how every person who doesn't know anything about computers, or is buying their first computer, feels like. and a few years ago, you'd never hear a rep ever mention a mac as a computer, it isn't ont he shelf. if it is on the shelf, it's either the high-end expensive, or it's been mangled by kids, and there's no knowledgeable staff on hand that knows the difference between the mac and any pc's.
i am truly hoping that apple getting products AND trained staff in these stores will help alleviate this situation, and help some first time buyers with a good purchase.
when the signal on our current phone isn't tapping out altogether, it just doesn't have the signal strength to punch through our walls of our new place. so we figure it's time to go buy a new phone. sounds good. i'm a smart guy. this should be easy, right???
then you get to the stores: best buy, target, circuit city, wal-mart, office depot, etc., etc., etc. suddenly, you notice that there are about a hundred different makes and models, with such easy to recognize names as "KG12245-3".
and they range from the dirt-cheap to the "geez, $170 for a PHONE?!?" variety.
i try to analyze my needs, current and future, to help me narrow, but that doesn't help much. maybe higher cost = quality? well, get onto some review sites, and you find that isn't the case. try to comb the reviews, personal opinions online, and take those with me to the store. oh wait, half of these reviews are for models they don't even sell anymore! how often do they refresh these things???
and then, there's the mhz... er, sorry, ghz to wonder about. 900 mhz hasn't been cutting it so far. maybe 2.4 ghz? it's gotta be better, since it's got more hz, right? and what does this "dss" thing mean? but doesn't 2.4 ghz interfere with wireless networking? but i don't have a wireless network. well, not YET. 5.8 ghz phones are just too expensive for my budget.
maybe i'll go with brands that have never failed me. panasonic, let's see... jeebus! who the hell designed this handset?!? there must be 700 different buttons crammed on here, each one in a different color...
so what do i start falling back on when i am feeling way in over my head?
price. there might be better models out there, but my needs right now are modest, and i am really short on money lately. not bargain-basement desperate, but i can't exceed $80-100. but if i saw a truly excellent phone in the store that i could try out, felt solid, seemed reasonably priced, from a trusted name brand, with a representative in the store that could actually answer my questions without a shrug and a grunt, i would probably give it a try... but it's not here. at least, not that i have seen.
sound familiar? suddenly it dawns on me that this is how every person who doesn't know anything about computers, or is buying their first computer, feels like. and a few years ago, you'd never hear a rep ever mention a mac as a computer, it isn't ont he shelf. if it is on the shelf, it's either the high-end expensive, or it's been mangled by kids, and there's no knowledgeable staff on hand that knows the difference between the mac and any pc's.
i am truly hoping that apple getting products AND trained staff in these stores will help alleviate this situation, and help some first time buyers with a good purchase.