As an adult, I’ve settled into the pattern of being the last of the first wave. I let the very early adopters effectively beta-test all the new products and services. They pay more for the privelege of being the cool kids on the block, which makes the producers happy. They are also helpful in that they give constructive criticism about defects to the product development staff. Companies respond by releasing patches, and they incorporate those fixes in the next generation of the product. The cycle of product development continues.
A few months ago, I bought an iPhone. Everyone said: “Why not just wait till the new one comes out?” Due to mostly personal timing issues, that wouldn’t have worked for me… but I also know that even the coolest manufacturers put out buggy products when they go in a new direction, and I was secretly glad that I could be the last of the early adopters.
Fast forward to vindication. This article describes problems with the 3G iPhone. Maybe it’s the network, maybe it’s the chipset… whatever. There are a lot of people complaining and I am glad that I’m not part of that group. I’m totally happy with my purchase, which is the last of the first generation of the iPhone.
Labels: me, technology