Why are people never happy with their tech?

[A.Nonymous]

I was on G+ the other day and saw this post by Jeff Jarvis

On Dec. 19, I sent this email to T-mobile but they haven't given me so much as the courtesy of a reply.

"I would like to cancel my Galaxy Tab contract and appeal the
early termination fee. The 7-inch Galaxy Tab will never get updated to
the current version of Android. It is woefully out of date already. I
report on technology for media and so this is particularly useless to
me as I cannot get the latest features and applications. If you look
at my account, you will find that I have hardly used the device in
months; that's how useless it is to me now. So I would ask you to let
me out of my contract now and waive the cancellation fee. If you are
nice to me, I will consider coming back to T-mobile when I shop for a
later Android device."

It got me wondering why people even buy tech. Any tech you buy is going to be outdated in a month or so and woefully out of date in 6 months. In a year, it's a dinosaur. Yet people seem to get pissed off at this, act like it should never have happened and demand that someone pay for this.

Why is it that people aren't content with what they have? They buy a device. They're happy with it. They talk about how great and awesome it is. Two months later, the latest greatest thing is announced. Suddenly the device is a POS and they wonder what would possess any OEM to design such a pile of poo. Six to eight months later they wonder what would cause any rational thinking person to ever buy such a sack of sh**. It's not bleeding edge, therefore it sucks.

Meanwhile, I still have my 7" Tab. I keep thinking of replacing it because I know the hardware is dated. I know there are many tablets out there that can and do run circles around it. However, I'm happy with the thing and aside from it being dated, I can't find a reason to replace it. Why are people so unhappy with their tech?

 

[pool_shark]

I'm not like that at all. If I like something, I like it. Nothing will come along to make me like it any less, although I may be interested in the features of the new thing.

Regarding your letter to T-mobile, I thought I recently read that Samsung or Google, changed their minds and the Galaxy tab was going to get ICS.

 

[davidchsw]

This is a joke. As a writer for the tech industry, he above most others, should know this happens. How about selling it on Ebay? How about not signing onto a contract for something like this and only getting the wifi model. Useless? What is he trying to do that he can"t?

 

[DroidDavi]

People fail to see our tech is out dated before it comes out lol. The GS2 are great phones and people are already talking about the GS3 and I'm sure Samsung is already staring on the GS4. Specs make people lose there mind. But that's why i will only use nexus phones for now on atleast I get the latest software

 

[VincentAnoid]

LOl its phone businesses. See how many phone shops are on every corner in town?

 

[dan330]

1. he said he reports about tech... yeah right!!

2. to answer the OP's question.. i got one word... ignorance!!!

 

[chanchan05]

Point to ponder.

He writes for tech. Did he not know that the original Galaxy Tab 7.0 inch was almost 2 years old, and therefore the chances of it getting any update is slim to none? Especially since it has the same hardware internals as the SGS1, which has trouble accepting ICS officially via Samsung?


Anyway, personally I don't need to have the latest device. I just need something that performs well enough for my purposes. Dual core and 1GB RAM is all in the rage right now, but looking at my SGS, it still does everything I ask for it nicely, and couldn't really ask much more from it apart from the ability to turn into a tablet for reading ebooks when I want to LOL. So I'm just going for a decent tablet. My one year old phone seems to be good for a couple more years in my kind of usage anyway.
2.

 

[Crashdamage]

I'm sure Jarvis's letter to T-Mobile was written as a joke on the latest-is-greatest-gotta-have-it freaks. Seriously.

Written on my antique HTC G2.

 

[Sierra255]

In my opinion, there are too many people that just want the latest and greatest thing regardless of whether it's any good or not. For example, the first iPad. I thought it was a neat item in a market with no competition, but it was still a version 1.0 device and would have the shortcomings of a first generation item. I'm so glad I waited for the iPad 2 to come out before buying a tablet. It's so much faster, smoother and more polished than its predecessor. I felt the exact same way about the Motorola Xoom and the Galaxy Tabs. If they ever release a second version of one of those, I'll seriously consider buying one. If I had bought any of the first generation tablets, I'd probably be pretty upset that I had.

But, I don't think it's any reason to be upset at the wireless carrier. It's not their fault, unless they didn't deliver on items specified within the service contract. I can understand being mad at the manufacturer of the device, but I think the end user has to take the majority of the blame for not doing the proper research and determining if they can live with the device as-is for at least two years. As others have said, in this day and age, the next new got-to-have thing is never far away.

 

[A.Nonymous]

I'm sure Jarvis's letter to T-Mobile was written as a joke on the latest-is-greatest-gotta-have-it freaks. Seriously.

Written on my antique HTC G2.

I don't think so because he was on TWIG not too long ago complaining about the exact same thing.

 

[pasqo83]

In my opinion, there are too many people that just want the latest and greatest thing regardless of whether it's any good or not. For example, the first iPad. I thought it was a neat item in a market with no competition, but it was still a version 1.0 device and would have the shortcomings of a first generation item. I'm so glad I waited for the iPad 2 to come out before buying a tablet. It's so much faster, smoother and more polished than its predecessor. I felt the exact same way about the Motorola Xoom and the Galaxy Tabs. If they ever release a second version of one of those, I'll seriously consider buying one. If I had bought any of the first generation tablets, I'd probably be pretty upset that I had.

But, I don't think it's any reason to be upset at the wireless carrier. It's not their fault, unless they didn't deliver on items specified within the service contract. I can understand being mad at the manufacturer of the device, but I think the end user has to take the majority of the blame for not doing the proper research and determining if they can live with the device as-is for at least two years. As others have said, in this day and age, the next new got-to-have thing is never far away.

Totally agree with that. I have had an Iphone for far too long and got to the point I got bored with it, plus my contract was running out. I didnt want the 4s (that literally came out 1 month before my contract expired) and thought I'd try myself in for the SGS2, I could of waited until March time to get the next big thing as I am a real tech geek but then I thought why would I want to waste money on a contract that you can get on a different version phone and get more for your buck.

The problem is mobile phone companies or any company always gives you that little bit extra, they never give you a whole package, why? So that you can buy the next big thing and part with extra money.

The one thing that lives on and constantly evolves, technology... yet we can't live without it no more.....

 

[T.M.M.L]

I think it's the millennium's version of 'Keeping up with the Jones'es"

These types of people can not bear the thought of not being able to boast that their devices do all the latest and greatest.

Since it seems to be a more male oriented psychosis, I think that tech now has replace the car as the oft allude representation of male genitalia. LOL

 

[A.Nonymous]

Maybe I'm the weird one then. I know my Tab is not the hottest tablet out there. I upgraded my DInc recently because I got sick of the battery life. I did not use my upgrade to buy a Galaxy Nexus or Razr or Rezound. I bought an aftermarket DInc2. That's right. I deliberately purchased a phone that had dated hardware at the time I bought it. But I'm happy with it and have no plans to upgrade it for at least another 1.5-2 years at this point. I know my stuff is not bleeding edge. But it works. It's reliable. What more could a guy ask for?

 

[Crashdamage]

I don't think so because he was on TWIG not too long ago complaining about the exact same thing.

Really? How could anyone with any knowledge of
a. The pace of change in mobile technology and
b. Carrier contract terms
...write that unless they were
a. Kidding or
b. Stupid?

 

[Stuntman]

Some people just cannot stand the fact that someone else can get a newer device than the one they currently have.

 

[indybail]

We consider tech to be toys and the latest and greatest appeals to the child in us.

 

[A.Nonymous]

Really? How could anyone with any knowledge of
a. The pace of change in mobile technology and
b. Carrier contract terms
...write that unless they were
a. Kidding or
b. Stupid?

You'd think, but I don't think this is the case here. I think he really is pissed that he's stuck in a two year contract on a device that was basically obsolete 6 mos after he purchased it.

 

[Crashdamage]

You'd think, but I don't think this is the case here. I think he really is pissed that he's stuck in a two year contract on a device that was basically obsolete 6 mos after he purchased it.

Amazing...

 

[novox77]

Yeah, if this is the guy we're talking about:

Jeff Jarvis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I have to question the authenticity of the post... It reads like it was written by a high schooler, or someone who writes poorly; definitely not the caliber of someone who writes for a living or a professor of journalism.

 

[UssjTrunks]

This is a joke. As a writer for the tech industry, he above most others, should know this happens. How about selling it on Ebay? How about not signing onto a contract for something like this and only getting the wifi model. Useless? What is he trying to do that he can"t?

He's obviously not a writer. People always pull that line when they have no idea what they're talking about: "Oh, I'm an xxxx so I know what I'm talking about..."

 

[mikedt]

When I was younger I would always be buying the latest tech just for the sake of it. However now I just buy it when I actually need it and can justify it. Got a 30 hour train ride on Sunday, so I bought a Chinese PMP, provide some entertainment to pass the time. I could have used my Galaxy S for movies and and music during the journey, but didn't want to flatten the battery as I will be needing the phone at the destination.

Yeah, if this is the guy we're talking about:

Jeff Jarvis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I have to question the authenticity of the post... It reads like it was written by a high schooler, or someone who writes poorly; definitely not the caliber of someone who writes for a living or a professor of journalism.

As it's a post on Google+, I wouldn't hold much credibility to it been the real Jeff Jarvis anyway.

 

[zuben el genub]

I read the TMO fora and there's a lot like him, plus the "MY DATA" crowd. They all seem to want special treatment and something for nothing.

If he wants the tablet that badly, you can buy them used 3 or 4 G, update, then find another bring your own tablet when you are tired of that system.

Like you said, he can resell the tablet, or root it and get a ROM that will act similar to ICS. I've been reading the tablet forum and almost all the listed tablets can be hacked, tweaked, adapted. I got Market on the Coby with instructions from there.

Is it the looks maybe? You can't mistake a 7" tablet for an Ipad.

I haven't found anything where GB (phone) is any better than Froyo (tablet)

 

[A.Nonymous]

As it's a post on Google+, I wouldn't hold much credibility to it been the real Jeff Jarvis anyway.

I'm fairly sure it's the real deal. He's referred to stuff he's posted on there on TWIG before.

 

[Shocky]

I hope they force the guy to pay the cancellation fee, he sounds like a jerk.

But seriously hardware will last a good year without being considering outdated so long as the user does some research first.

 

[EarlyMon]

So, this is a turnaround of sorts.

I'm more accustomed to seeing support when complaints arise that carriers and makers are holding back updates.

In fact, aside from the Nexus forums where updates come first from Google (and even that's not an absolute truth), I think I've seen that complaint in just about every device forum I've visited.

Show of hands, how many here bought their last Android device fully expecting to be happy as-is for the product life and gave no thought whatsoever of its upgrade-ability to the next revision of Android? (And any response about rooting to get there doesn't refute the point, it proves it.)

If I'm right, then what's so wrong about demanding a reasonable Android update experience and not just take being served the fast-food burger, take it or leave it?

If people don't escalate demand by voting with their wallets and being the squeaky wheel, how will it change? Carriers and makers wake up one day and say, we want to be friends with our customers?

Just saying.