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Everyone who's complaining about how much Nests costs have obviously not graduated from college tastes into the world of interior decorating. There is a huge ma

by gdilla 13y ago

Everyone who's complaining about how much Nests costs have obviously not graduated from college tastes into the world of interior decorating. There is a huge market for nice looking stuff to go in your house. Not everyone buys Ikea for their whole lives. Maybe they host parties, run in upper middle class social circles, etc. There's $10K kitchen ranges out there, $50 beer mugs. etc. Design can carry premiums in this market, and Nest is trying to be the best looking thermostat in the industry. It doesn't matter if you can hack one for $40. It's a wealthy couple who doesn't hack who just want nice stuff in their house that works. And if you think that's weird, just recognize it's your taste, not reality. Why does West Elm exist if there's Ikea.

deleted 13y ago
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aragot 13y ago
Agreed. That's where it feels dissonant to me: Google addresses mega-mass markets rather than luxury, to the point it degrades their products. Look at email: Yahoo! has practically delivered "Gmail without the inconveniences"...
dsl 13y ago
$200 is simply a terrible price fit. The rich buy $10k+ systems, the poor buy $20 units at Home Depot. There is no middle class in america, only credit.
- clarky07 13y ago
  That's a nice talking point for politicians, but it's not true. There is plenty of middle class in America.
- gjm11 13y ago
  > There is no middle class in America ... said someone in a forum occupied mostly by middle class people from America.
  - acchow 13y ago
    American software engineers are absolutely not middle class: Median household income, 2008-2012 $53,046 http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html If we're talking globally, software engineers are even further to the right end.
    - gjm11 13y ago
      1. "Middle class" does not mean "median income". 2. The relevant meaning for this particular discussion is "in a position to spend $200 on a thermostat but not willing to spend thousands". That seems like pretty much exactly the bracket a lot of US software people would be in. (There is a phenomenon in US politics where people earning $300k/year think they are "middle class" and I agree that that's silly. But software developers on ~$100k? Middle class. No question.)

by gdilla 13y ago

deleted 13y ago

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aragot 13y ago

Agreed. That's where it feels dissonant to me: Google addresses mega-mass markets rather than luxury, to the point it degrades their products. Look at email: Yahoo! has practically delivered "Gmail without the inconveniences"...

dsl 13y ago

$200 is simply a terrible price fit. The rich buy $10k+ systems, the poor buy $20 units at Home Depot. There is no middle class in america, only credit.

clarky07 13y ago
That's a nice talking point for politicians, but it's not true. There is plenty of middle class in America.
gjm11 13y ago
> There is no middle class in America ... said someone in a forum occupied mostly by middle class people from America.
- acchow 13y ago
  American software engineers are absolutely not middle class: Median household income, 2008-2012 $53,046 http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html If we're talking globally, software engineers are even further to the right end.
  - gjm11 13y ago
    1. "Middle class" does not mean "median income". 2. The relevant meaning for this particular discussion is "in a position to spend $200 on a thermostat but not willing to spend thousands". That seems like pretty much exactly the bracket a lot of US software people would be in. (There is a phenomenon in US politics where people earning $300k/year think they are "middle class" and I agree that that's silly. But software developers on ~$100k? Middle class. No question.)