5 ms·

> I want to try but don't want to fork up the cash for see pretty much every point in the original comment but specific bad tech habit use. If you're not rea

> I want to try but don't want to fork up the cash for see pretty much every point in the original comment but specific bad tech habit use. If you're not really sure you need this stuff then you don't need it. Plain and simple. If you don't have the disposable cash to pay for it outright then you can't afford it anyway. With that all said you can try out the three examples you cite at your local Best Buy, Microsoft Store, Maker Space, Home Depot, etc etc. If the argument is that you're in rural Idaho without access to this stuff then the business model is broken.

dantheman 8y ago
>If you're not really sure you need this stuff then you don't need it. Plain and simple. This is not true at all. Often times people want to try out a new tool or process and are unsure of how it will actually perform. And it will take awhile -- not a couple of hours.
- radiorental 8y ago
  Often? citation needed. > and are unsure of how it will actually perform I'm sorry, this is argument (and I hate to be hyperbolic on HN) is simply laughable from both how consumers actually make purchase decisions on the whole and also from a business model. "I'm not sure if a 3D printed part will work if I wanted a custom cell phone holder for my car?" 2 seconds later, looks like it can: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fgbxgz5S2dc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fgbxgz5S2dc Modern consumers have grown accustomed to leveraging collective knowledge shared on various internet sources. They watch youtube reviews, read trusted review sites, take online courses. For example, within a few minutes you can ascertain the pros and cons of the various VR headsets available on the market. You can understand the limitations of the tech in general. All without having to rent the equipment. Then, in my experience, after having performed research they go try the tech out or just purchase it outright. "But I only want to print a few things out" Then you just paid how much in rent for what you could get for a fraction off the shelf?
  - mbesto 8y ago
    > Modern consumers have grown accustomed to leveraging collective knowledge shared on various internet sources. They watch youtube reviews, read trusted review sites, take online courses. For example, within a few minutes you can ascertain the pros and cons of the various VR headsets available on the market. You can understand the limitations of the tech in general. All without having to rent the equipment. To be fair - businesses know this is true and thus as the internet as grown, all of those avenues have been wrought with fake / illegitimate / disingenuous claims...hence why there is a "I need to see/feel it myself to believe it's true". > both how consumers actually make purchase decisions Let's play fair then - source?
    - radiorental 8y ago
      Fake reviews aside, it's core to Amazon.com's business model. Given Amazon's success I infer that a lot of consumers in general research products by going through reviews. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2009-10-15/amazon-turning-consumer-opinions-into-gold https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2009-10-15/amazon-tu...
newsbinator 8y ago
> If you're not really sure you need this stuff then you don't need it. Plain and simple. Goodbye software demos
MatthewMcDonald 8y ago
> If you don't have the disposable cash to pay for it outright then you can't afford it anyway. You're conflating people who can't afford it with people who can afford it, but aren't certain that they want to buy it. I think it might be valid to say that if you can't afford to buy it outright then you shouldn't lease it. I can afford a VR headset, but what if I'm not sure which headset I would prefer for long term use? > With that all said you can try out the three examples you cite at your local Best Buy, Microsoft Store, Maker Space, Home Depot, etc etc. This is not the same thing as trialling something for hours/days in the comfort of your own space. Also, what if I know I will only need an expensive item for 3 months?
- radiorental 8y ago
  > Also, what if I know I will only need an expensive item for 3 months? Can you give an example?
  - SturgeonsLaw 8y ago
    A high quality camera for a vacation Media production gear for an art show Hardware to demonstrate a proof of concept for a startup
    - Tepix 8y ago
      Rentals for all of these use cases have already been around since before Grover.
      - puranjay 8y ago
        For businesses, maybe. As a consumer, I can't think of any big name that rents out equipment this way
  - MatthewMcDonald 8y ago
    Taking on a contract for development that requires testing on multiple physical devices that you don't already own Using a 3D printer to prototype basic hardware at a company that doesn't expect to have more hardware products in the near future Renting multiple VR/AR headsets for an extended customer demo ----- It might be worth mentioning that I'm one of the founders of EquipmentShare, which is sort of similar but in the construction industry, so this type of business only seems natural to me. In our industry, the more variability in the equipment requirements of your jobs, the more difficult it is to be efficient with your capital. In construction nobody owns _all_ of the equipment they use; it would require far too much capital, and a large chunk of your fleet would sit idle most of the time. It's far more efficient to have a blend of owning and renting.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
Tepix 8y ago
Some obvious examples: You may want to rent a drone for a holiday. You may want to rent an Apple watch to find out if its something for you. You may want to rent a projector for the world cup to watch games with your friends. You may want to rent a Nintendo Switch just to play Mario Odyssey for a month.

dantheman 8y ago

>If you're not really sure you need this stuff then you don't need it. Plain and simple. This is not true at all. Often times people want to try out a new tool or process and are unsure of how it will actually perform. And it will take awhile -- not a couple of hours.

radiorental 8y ago
Often? citation needed. > and are unsure of how it will actually perform I'm sorry, this is argument (and I hate to be hyperbolic on HN) is simply laughable from both how consumers actually make purchase decisions on the whole and also from a business model. "I'm not sure if a 3D printed part will work if I wanted a custom cell phone holder for my car?" 2 seconds later, looks like it can: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fgbxgz5S2dc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fgbxgz5S2dc Modern consumers have grown accustomed to leveraging collective knowledge shared on various internet sources. They watch youtube reviews, read trusted review sites, take online courses. For example, within a few minutes you can ascertain the pros and cons of the various VR headsets available on the market. You can understand the limitations of the tech in general. All without having to rent the equipment. Then, in my experience, after having performed research they go try the tech out or just purchase it outright. "But I only want to print a few things out" Then you just paid how much in rent for what you could get for a fraction off the shelf?
- mbesto 8y ago
  > Modern consumers have grown accustomed to leveraging collective knowledge shared on various internet sources. They watch youtube reviews, read trusted review sites, take online courses. For example, within a few minutes you can ascertain the pros and cons of the various VR headsets available on the market. You can understand the limitations of the tech in general. All without having to rent the equipment. To be fair - businesses know this is true and thus as the internet as grown, all of those avenues have been wrought with fake / illegitimate / disingenuous claims...hence why there is a "I need to see/feel it myself to believe it's true". > both how consumers actually make purchase decisions Let's play fair then - source?
  - radiorental 8y ago
    Fake reviews aside, it's core to Amazon.com's business model. Given Amazon's success I infer that a lot of consumers in general research products by going through reviews. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2009-10-15/amazon-turning-consumer-opinions-into-gold https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2009-10-15/amazon-tu...

newsbinator 8y ago

> If you're not really sure you need this stuff then you don't need it. Plain and simple. Goodbye software demos

MatthewMcDonald 8y ago

> If you don't have the disposable cash to pay for it outright then you can't afford it anyway. You're conflating people who can't afford it with people who can afford it, but aren't certain that they want to buy it. I think it might be valid to say that if you can't afford to buy it outright then you shouldn't lease it. I can afford a VR headset, but what if I'm not sure which headset I would prefer for long term use? > With that all said you can try out the three examples you cite at your local Best Buy, Microsoft Store, Maker Space, Home Depot, etc etc. This is not the same thing as trialling something for hours/days in the comfort of your own space. Also, what if I know I will only need an expensive item for 3 months?

radiorental 8y ago
> Also, what if I know I will only need an expensive item for 3 months? Can you give an example?
- SturgeonsLaw 8y ago
  A high quality camera for a vacation Media production gear for an art show Hardware to demonstrate a proof of concept for a startup
  - Tepix 8y ago
    Rentals for all of these use cases have already been around since before Grover.
    - puranjay 8y ago
      For businesses, maybe. As a consumer, I can't think of any big name that rents out equipment this way
- MatthewMcDonald 8y ago
  Taking on a contract for development that requires testing on multiple physical devices that you don't already own Using a 3D printer to prototype basic hardware at a company that doesn't expect to have more hardware products in the near future Renting multiple VR/AR headsets for an extended customer demo ----- It might be worth mentioning that I'm one of the founders of EquipmentShare, which is sort of similar but in the construction industry, so this type of business only seems natural to me. In our industry, the more variability in the equipment requirements of your jobs, the more difficult it is to be efficient with your capital. In construction nobody owns _all_ of the equipment they use; it would require far too much capital, and a large chunk of your fleet would sit idle most of the time. It's far more efficient to have a blend of owning and renting.

deleted 8y ago

[deleted]

Tepix 8y ago

Some obvious examples: You may want to rent a drone for a holiday. You may want to rent an Apple watch to find out if its something for you. You may want to rent a projector for the world cup to watch games with your friends. You may want to rent a Nintendo Switch just to play Mario Odyssey for a month.