The new gadget spec sheet
Gadget specs! That’s apparently the hot topic this week.
In an era of software and cloud services, do lengthy comparison matrices full of hardware stats actually matter anymore when making a purchase? Or do people want to buy stuff because of the way it makes them feel?
The reality probably lies somewhere in the middle.
But even if the spec sheet fades, I don’t want to lose tables. So here is the new spec sheet for what really matters about two gadgets I’ve never owned.
Kindle Fire | iPad 2 | |
How much does it cost? | Impulse purchase that s— right now. | Why not, that’s enough miles for 1/50th of a free plane ticket. |
Will it make your friends jealous? | For the next 2 weeks, or if they just bought a Nook Color. | Maybe, unless they know about the secret iPad 3 coming out in a few months. | Does it arouse you? | If your dream date is a trip to Panera Bread. | If your dream vacation is a visit to Jony Ive’s factory. |
Will someone steal it from you? | Only if they can figure out it’s not a BlackBerry PlayBook. | Don’t sit too close to the doors on the subway. |
Also: Reality check: DVD and Blu-ray are still clobbering iTunes and Netflix
Check out my new site: The New Consumer, a publication about how and why people spend their time and money.