R.I.P. Practicality

Published 16 October 08 11:17 PM | root 

Is it just me or practicality becoming taboo?

Take for instance the EggXpert forums. Skim through the system build thread and you will see people with insane looking builds... and you have to wonder: Is everyone just that ridunkulously rich?

I will go out on a limb right now and say no. They, for the most part, are like me. Not necessarily poor, mind you, but they have grown accustom to buying something only because some genius decided it was a great idea to give the general populous the ability to 'get now and pay later'. What a freaking donkey-booty.

But no, this post isn't about credit cards or loans. This post is about practicality itself--although arguably we can't talk about one without at least mentioning the other.

Just today I was talking to a friend of mine that was droning on and on about some laptop that he had to have or he'd die and suffocate Darth Vader style. This is the guy who uses his current-working-completely-usable laptop for browsing the net and chatting with his friends. That's it.

"Why the hell do you need a $2,500 computer that doesn't even have an optical drive?" (mac book air)

"No, you can get one for just $99 more."

"....Well that changes everything."

Do you see the level of incompetence I have to deal with? Impractical. Why get something new when what you have works just fine? That's like buying a Pagani Zonda C12F for grandma.

Mark my words, this will be the downfall of humanity.

Until then, you go grandma. You go.

 

 

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Comments

# richone said on October 20, 2008 3:39 AM:

that's what i say all the time[ if it ain't broke don't mess with it .] if it does the job why get something else ? richone

# PROACEX1 said on October 20, 2008 10:16 AM:

Yea, some folks know how to waste money like they actually have it, when most folks don't, spending wisely and upgrading instead of building a whole new PC when the-one-you-currently-have is just fine thank-you-very-much; its kinda stupid, like trying to futureproof a system to last more then 3 years, or be able to play a game at whatever resolution with the settings maxed out, and shelling out the money for a $$$ GPU setup when it won't much good with the game when its first released (Crysis and the 8800ULTRA's, or even 8800GTX's, anyone?), or paying for a QX9770 EE when you can just get the QX9650 for half the price and a little less performance? Being on the fringe isn't easy and costs way to much for most folks...

And yet many of the same folks who want to have this and that and the very best but use non-existent money (and have no budgets) eat out everyday...

It's the American dream, eh?

Respectfully,

PROACEX1

# JonnyFaster said on October 20, 2008 11:24 PM:

Sometimes I think they lie about the rigs in their sig.  And sometimes I think these "Customer Choice" awards that go to products that are 4X more expensive than what I would consider a reasonable price are also rigged; intended to distort one's sense of perspective.  "Everyone else is spending this kind of money, what's wrong with YOU ?"  Most people look for a reasonable compromise between performance and price.  When I see $500 CPU's and $300 Motherboards getting "Customer Choice" award, I think it's just the Marketing Department trying to encourage people to feel bad about spending less money than "everyone else".

# 20rules said on October 23, 2008 8:11 AM:

downfall of humanity?

I guess I will have to give you that one...

Anyhow, I want that car.

# root said on October 25, 2008 12:33 PM:

Interesting thought JonnyFaster. But I honestly think that it's not NE but the customers that lie, since NE sends out surveys to the customers and let them vote (my understanding of it at least).

20rules, all you need is a $600,000 USD.

# Tracer76 said on October 27, 2008 12:38 AM:

That car cost more then $600K Root there are only 10 made per year.

Cost The R Clubsport, as a final, specialized run-out model, is expected to cost in excess of US$1.2 million.

I will take 60 thanks.

# Tracer76 said on October 27, 2008 12:42 AM:

OK so it will not allow me to edit the C12 stopped production in 1999 and was followed by the C-12 S in 2000. And to date the newest one of the  Pagani Zonda is the R Clubsport 2008.

# pizzaboy192 said on November 17, 2008 7:04 PM:

i must agree with you root =D

my laptop is a peice of [censored] and most kids at school say that it is too old to use... I found a way to drag every ounce of life out of it, and am perfectly happy with my 45 minutes i get out of my battery, and the fact that ubuntu runs faster on it then xp does...

i do have to say that i built my rig last summer, and had a hard time scratching my money together... i only got my rig because my old computer finally died... 8 years is a long time to live =D

anyways... my new desktop cost me $350 when i built it, and suprisingly it was top of the line (suprising isnt it?) now it is in the middle class, even though it kills any other system that i compare it to... price:performance wise.

the only money i have poured into my rig was for a new gfx card, (from a onboard nvidia 7025 to a moderate ati Hd2400xt) a new psu (blew out my old one) and some more ram...

total cost: $450

OPENSOURCE is the way to go peoples

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