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The idea that people think there is no better / equivalent alternative is an issue. Why people are willing to begrudgingly spend thousands on something without

The idea that people think there is no better / equivalent alternative is an issue. Why people are willing to begrudgingly spend thousands on something without doing research doesn't make a lot of sense.

nradov 8y ago
Often there really is no better / equivalent alternative. If you have a specific need for a particular feature then there may be only a few devices with offer it at all. So as a consumer you have a choice between buying crap or nothing at all. There's no economic way to signal that you'd be willing to pay for something better.
matwood 8y ago
I do research and my couple forays into Android, while less expensive, were not good experiences. Admittedly my last Android phone was a Nexus 5, so maybe I should look again? The problem is after other poor experiences I will only get a Google phone. The Pixel 3 XL with 128gb is $999. A new iPhone Xs is 1249 for the 256gb. Is taking yet another chance on Android worth $250? How well will that Pixel 3 XL even be supported? It just isn't as simple as no one does any research.
- izzydata 8y ago
  The negatives were mainly concerning their desktop / laptop designs and business model of said desktop / laptops.
- rkho 8y ago
  Exactly this. I've made four attempts to consider an Android ecosystem and have owned the following: Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Note 5, and Pixel 2XL. The Nexus/Pixel phone hardware were fine, but I found that the software ecosystem was heavily lacking. I got the impression that to the majority of Android devs, UX was the last thing they cared about. The Note 5 on the other hand was one of the most disrespectful, anti-consumer experiences I had ever encountered since ditching a dumbphone years ago. The carrier I used (Verizon) felt it was appropriate to plaster its own logo on the back of the phone and in a loading splash screen when powering on the phone, plus preload the phone with a bunch of useless apps that could not be uninstalled. Every single time that I've purchased an Android device hoping that it was finally good enough, I've ended up carrying my iPhone as a secondary device within a week and either returning or throwing the Android device in the drawer within a month.
bepotts 8y ago
Because people want it? I don't understand why tech people can't understand the most obvious of actions. Apple is popular because people love their products. Apple may not always have the specs or work best with non-Apple services, but Apple products are consistently high quality, integrate nicely into Apple's ecosystem, and are brand that shows its owners are a certain type of class. Signifying you're of a certain type of class or are "hip" seems to be what so many tech people get hung up upon yet its basic consumerism. Certain types of people wear Nike clothes or wear Ralph Lauren, or drive a Tesla. Showing you're a HENRY (High Earner; Not Rich Yet) is apart of Apple's appeal. So no, people know there are Apple alternatives but they don't care because Apple has an appeal that other tech companies have trouble emulating on top of constantly being high quality products. There's almost no Apple product that is "bottom of the barrel" in terms of quality.
- notmyaccount 8y ago
  Apple processors always blow away the competitors by miles and it takes them the competitors up to a year to catch up. They have amazing cameras, music quality, build, looks, display, security, etc. If they aren't the best, they are in the top 3. And that is all in 1 phone. I do not personally prefer Apple cause it is not my cup of tea (and I need headphone jack) but they have been coming up with amazing phones year after year, and you can easily skip a year without it affecting your usage. They cannot reinvent the wheel every time.
  - dingaling 8y ago
    > They have amazing cameras Apple don't make camera sensors, yet.
    - ichicoro 8y ago
      A camera isn't just a sensor, it's the complete package, and software plays a very big role in making any sensor take great photos.
Scown 8y ago
What if people know they're not getting the fastest/biggest/best but pay a premium anyway? It might be a trope but "it just works" is a heck of a value proposition for most people.

nradov 8y ago

Often there really is no better / equivalent alternative. If you have a specific need for a particular feature then there may be only a few devices with offer it at all. So as a consumer you have a choice between buying crap or nothing at all. There's no economic way to signal that you'd be willing to pay for something better.

matwood 8y ago

I do research and my couple forays into Android, while less expensive, were not good experiences. Admittedly my last Android phone was a Nexus 5, so maybe I should look again? The problem is after other poor experiences I will only get a Google phone. The Pixel 3 XL with 128gb is $999. A new iPhone Xs is 1249 for the 256gb. Is taking yet another chance on Android worth $250? How well will that Pixel 3 XL even be supported? It just isn't as simple as no one does any research.

izzydata 8y ago
The negatives were mainly concerning their desktop / laptop designs and business model of said desktop / laptops.
rkho 8y ago
Exactly this. I've made four attempts to consider an Android ecosystem and have owned the following: Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Note 5, and Pixel 2XL. The Nexus/Pixel phone hardware were fine, but I found that the software ecosystem was heavily lacking. I got the impression that to the majority of Android devs, UX was the last thing they cared about. The Note 5 on the other hand was one of the most disrespectful, anti-consumer experiences I had ever encountered since ditching a dumbphone years ago. The carrier I used (Verizon) felt it was appropriate to plaster its own logo on the back of the phone and in a loading splash screen when powering on the phone, plus preload the phone with a bunch of useless apps that could not be uninstalled. Every single time that I've purchased an Android device hoping that it was finally good enough, I've ended up carrying my iPhone as a secondary device within a week and either returning or throwing the Android device in the drawer within a month.

bepotts 8y ago

Because people want it? I don't understand why tech people can't understand the most obvious of actions. Apple is popular because people love their products. Apple may not always have the specs or work best with non-Apple services, but Apple products are consistently high quality, integrate nicely into Apple's ecosystem, and are brand that shows its owners are a certain type of class. Signifying you're of a certain type of class or are "hip" seems to be what so many tech people get hung up upon yet its basic consumerism. Certain types of people wear Nike clothes or wear Ralph Lauren, or drive a Tesla. Showing you're a HENRY (High Earner; Not Rich Yet) is apart of Apple's appeal. So no, people know there are Apple alternatives but they don't care because Apple has an appeal that other tech companies have trouble emulating on top of constantly being high quality products. There's almost no Apple product that is "bottom of the barrel" in terms of quality.

notmyaccount 8y ago
Apple processors always blow away the competitors by miles and it takes them the competitors up to a year to catch up. They have amazing cameras, music quality, build, looks, display, security, etc. If they aren't the best, they are in the top 3. And that is all in 1 phone. I do not personally prefer Apple cause it is not my cup of tea (and I need headphone jack) but they have been coming up with amazing phones year after year, and you can easily skip a year without it affecting your usage. They cannot reinvent the wheel every time.
- dingaling 8y ago
  > They have amazing cameras Apple don't make camera sensors, yet.
  - ichicoro 8y ago
    A camera isn't just a sensor, it's the complete package, and software plays a very big role in making any sensor take great photos.

Scown 8y ago

What if people know they're not getting the fastest/biggest/best but pay a premium anyway? It might be a trope but "it just works" is a heck of a value proposition for most people.