The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
I've got a 1992 Chevy Silverado 4 X 4 that I'm going to sell. It is black and an awesome truck. Really. But the problem is that I'm out in Edmonton for a few weeks and while I've been shopping around, looking for a new one, I've been astounded at some of what I've seen. It's got me thinking about the amount of technology out there, floating around in consumerland, that people buy when they don't really need it. I'm going to start by picking on Ford. Don't get me wrong, I like the new Ford trucks. But I was amazed that the new GPS systems on these trucks add almost $3,000 to the purchase price. I may just be a guy from the bush who doesn't get it sometimes, but I can buy a map for much cheaper. Ford isn't alone on this one. A lot of companies are offering something like this for about the same price, and I can't imagine spending that much money on something like this. I guess if I lived in a huge urban centre like Toronto or Vancouver I could see the merits of it, but otherwise, I think I'll stick to paper. The same is true for a lot of the new digital still and video cameras I'm finding while I'm browsing through Best Buy. A lot retailers are advertising 12 or more shooting modes, the ability to change pictures to black and white or sepia, and the option to add captions to pictures while they are still in the camera. The trouble with all of these options is that they simply are not worth it. A camera that sells for $500 or more only costs in the range of approximately $60 to manufacture. The grand majority of that cost goes to one part - the lens. Companies know that consumers are attracted to cameras that have a lot of features. Consumers love to buy gadgets that do a lot of things. But as a consumer, what you need to know is that each of these features adds about a nickel to the cost of the camera itself. All of these things are done by the computer chip that is inside the camera, and they are done simply by improving the circuitry and the wiring. Fast, simple, and most importantly for the manufacturer, cheaply done. Lenses are something else. A good quality lens is first of all made out of glass, not plastic. A good quality lens has regular optical zoom. The digital zoom that is often advertised is again done by the computer chip, so it's worth very little to the cost of the camera. A glass lens is worth approximately $60 to $80. A plastic lens can cost under $10 to make. This can be the difference in the cost and the quality of a camera. Cell Phones The same is true for cell phones. My cell phone has a camera, it can surf the web, it can send e-mail, text messages, upload my pictures, and even make phone calls. I'll admit that I bought it when my wife wanted something less. But now that I've got it, I really wonder how much I use all of the stuff that I've paid for. This is the thing as a consumer: We want it all. We watch commercials on TV and see other people with their phones and their computers and we think that we need everything they have. We often don't wonder about how we will use the technology or even if the applications will work for us. We simply see the number of features available and think it must be good. Advertisers are smart and they know this. We are easily convinced. Much more important than 12 different shooting modes and 14 different ways to access your e-mail is the ability to do what you want, and do it easily. These two ideas are effecting almost all of my choices these days when I am purchasing a new piece of technology. I want something that does what I want it to do. I love widgets, little programs that only do one thing, but do it very well. I also love that building up a library of widgets will completely allow me to customize what my technology does. I also want things to simply work. I am busy. While some people may find it entertaining to hunt down things in their Windows system registry files, I just don't have the time. If things will not do what they are supposed to, the technology will not last long for me. Be a smart consumer. Know what you want. Demand that you get it. Tech Notes runs Mondays.
