[telecom] Knowing When It Pays to Upgrade Your Gadgets

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Knowing When It Pays to Upgrade Your Gadgets

By BRIAN LAM October 17, 2012

If a gadget breaks, gets lost or is stolen, it makes sense to replace it. But deciding whether to abandon an older, still-working device for a newer, shinier one can be a soul-sucking dilemma. Succumb to the temptation to upgrade too early and too often, and you can find yourself getting a piece of technology that is only marginally different from the old version, as well as a hefty credit card bill and the feeling that you played right into the hands of a corporation's marketing department.

So what's the best way to decide when to upgrade?

...

I know the /REAL/ trick. Don't ride the wave: get in the trough /BEHIND/ the wave! Let the children who want the latest shiny thing pay for the research, bug fixes, and software upgrades, and then, when the marketeers decide to push a different shiny thing, you can buy the old shiny thing for less than half what the children paid.

Bill Horne Moderator