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iPod Casualties Offer New-In-Box Bargains
An anonymous reader writes "For the last few years makers from Creative to Virgin have proclaimed their latest digital audio player to be an iPod Killer, only to watch those portables flame-out in the marketplace. This doesn't mean there was anything wrong with them, in fact some were pretty decent. They just couldn't compete under all the iPod hype. It turns out that this pattern has created a huge sub-market of new-in-the-box stock, sold for pennies on the dollar to overstock vendors who then pawn them off cheap to the public. For the price of a basic iPod Shuffle you can now acquire some well-equipped units from a few years back. Examples include the 40GB Toshiba Gigabeat F40 and AlienWare's CE-IV with external speaker system."
I hope you're not implying that I am a hypocrite. Because if you were, you'd be correct. Worse, I'm also a pack rat with all the obsessive/compulsive traits that entails.
Still, I have been paring down on the material possessions and avoiding buying new ones, no matter how tempting. I'm happily using my 2nd Gen iPod (I recently replaced the battery with a $5 one from OWC), even though I desire one of the spiffy new video iPods. I just really don't need a new one. Please don't think I'm saying that you shouldn't own a music player or that I am criticizing you for owning one.
I'm coming at this de-emphasis on material possessions from two angles: The most basic is personal. As I said, I'm a pack rat, and it's stunting my psychological growth. There comes a point when you don't own consumer goods, they own you. I'm consciously moving away from that. If you don't have this problem, good for you. Just be cautious and self aware so that it doesn't develop. A second reason is global. There is a hidden cost to all the junk we consume in resources. This cost is not sustainable long term. I'm not just referring to the resources needed for the physical components, but the environmental resources that are affected by the production.
I've made a conscious decision to earn less in order to have more free time. It turns out that I'm earning about the same, but my free time is filled up with activities that generally don't involve a lot of consumption. I don't own a a game console and I cancelled my cable a couple of years ago. I've gotten back to some hobbies that involve actually making things. I'm picking up a new hobby (welding).
As you seem like an intelligent person, I don't doubt that you also have a non-consumer life, and that you engage in creative activities outside of consumer culture. Perhaps you play a musical instrument, perhaps you're into DIY home improvement, perhaps you are an artist of some sort.
Anyway, I'm in no position to judge you personally. I am a hypocrite and I don't feel especially bad about being one. None of us are perfect. I just wanted to describe to you how I am trying to improve myself. That's all. If you can take something away from my little story, great. If not, no harm done I hope.
It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.