Buyer's remorse and the UX180P
A reader named Jahayra is considering the UX180P as an overpriced replacement for her Sony Clie. She emailed to ask whether the device has been a worthwhile purchase for me.
It’s been 7 weeks since the UX first appeared at my door and I honestly haven’t spent a single second regretting the purchase. Before placing the order, I spent a week or two digging up info to decide whether it was better suited for me than the Samsung Q1 (which I still intend to buy one of these days). I even went so far as to make paper mockups of both devices. Yes, that’s how far my obsessions can take me.
What it came down to was determining why exactly I "needed" it and what I wanted to do with it. I was well aware that for the price, I could easily get a pretty high-end laptop or desktop with superior specs; thus, my decision wasn’t based on what offered the most bang for the buck.
I couldn’t come up with a single reason why my life depended on the UX. I mean, in truth, no one really needs new gadgets – they’re just fun and more convenient than older technology. I came to the conclusion, then, that the only reason to buy the UX was because I wanted it. Plain and simple. The more gadgets shrink, the more I want them. I’m addicted to portable consumer electronics, remember?
And if you get something purely because you want it, it’s difficult to be disappointed by anything (well, okay, I’m less than impressed with battery life). In other words, I didn’t really have any expectations. It also doesn’t take much to impress me (just seeing a picture of the UX was enough to get me drooling!).
I’m using the UX as my primary computer now, but I didn’t plan for it to replace anything. Despite its relatively pocketable size, I had no intentions of getting rid of my PDA, ZVM, PMP, PSP, digital camera, or anything else (even though it could technically replace those things). While I do appreciate convergence units for their efforts, I prefer dedicated devices. "Jack of all trades and master of none" is a proverb for a reason, after all. Even though most electronics are blurring the boundaries of their respective gadget categories, I only make use of primary functions. For example, even though a PDA can be used as an mp3 and video player, I only use it for its PIM features. Likewise, although the ZVM is equipped with a calendar and address book, I only use it for its multimedia capabilities.
I know this is the longest way to say "Yes, the UX has been worthwhile for me," but I think longwindedness is just a part of my DNA.
