Lance highlights a problem that needs to be dealt with by all Apple aficionados.
Broadly speaking, Apple are a company that make amazing new products which will be released soon.
They often don’t announce release dates until they arrive. And, as I’ve mentioned previously, they don’t seem to have any issue with selling the old version of the products right up until that date. As a result there is a lively ecosystem of rumour sites which offer up various advice about which products to buy when and why.
This is an extreme version of Barry Schwartz’s Paradox of Choice - not only do you have to choose between the various products and options that are available to buy now, you also need to consider what might (but also might not) be available to buy at some near point in the future.
What can you do?
For a while I subscribed to a few of the rumour sites and tried to keep up with it all, but that got too tiring. I’m obviously not a true fan-boy. I abandoned that when I culled my feeds. Life, surprisingly, has gone on.
Thankfully I didn’t labour the decision when I got my iPhone. I didn’t even have to choose between the 16GB and 8GB model, as they only had the 8GB model in stock the day I was at the Apple Store in San Francisco. As per the book referenced above, one choice means far less room for regret.
So, Lance, my advice …
Buy an iPhone. You’ll love it. There are lots of reasons for this, which I’ll save for a future post, but suffice to say it really kicks ass. You can afford it. What’s more, I doubt the 3G version if and when it’s released and available here will be so much better that you’ll wished you waited, and if it is, you can always sell the old one and upgrade then.
So I should get a MacBook Air now then?
Some of us don’t even know what we’re waiting for… let alone whether to buy it now! :p
What is it that Steve Jobs always says about their product announcements? “Isn’t it funny? A ship that leaks from the top…”
Ah technology. I’ve just got home but I read this posting whilst sitting on the delayed 6:30pm from Auckland, on the tarmac, connected to the airport Wifi, which is super fast but not cheap, using my iPhone (still think it’s great that Welly offers free Wifi, but it is noticeably slower than Akl). The iPhone is a great gadget for keeping in touch/Rss/E-mail etc but too much effort to make long comments, like this one, hence I waited until I got home and a real keyboard!
Rod - yes, get the Air, it is amazing.
Rowan yup - you are right, and when finally confronted with one in a real live Apple store, I’ll be getting one. Interestingly that will be in mid May, so the race is on.
Mt Reasonable
Sadly I’ve never been reasonable when it comes to technology.
Amnon
not sure what you are waiting for? That I do not believe.
Bugger…I lost my iPod Touch in a taxi in Cuba and will be in San Francisco at the end of the month. On the shopping list is a MacBook Air, Time Machine, Final Cut Express and possibly an iPhone. I hate having to make the choice!