The human capacity for making bad decisions about technology seems to be limitless. In many ways, this parallels bad approaches to trading and investing: Lots of unfounded rumors, emotional decision-making, poor risk-reward analysis, an inability to perform simple math.
The spasms of technology silliness surrounding the iPhone 6 are just the latest in a never-ending stream going back to the IBM 5100 Portable Computer. You should learn to watch all such foolishness with detached bemusement — and always from a distance.
It isn’t that I am not a gadget head; I have been an Apple fanboy since using my first Mac Classic back in the 1980s. For context, see this ATPM column from 1998, about the time it looked like Apple was going to take the long dirt nap.
When it comes to making bad choices, things are no different today than they were 25 years ago. Sure the technology is infinitely better, but the same sorts of bugs are ever-present in the hypercomplex software that drives these products. The key difference between today and back then is that a) we have decades of experience showing us what NOT to do, and 2) so many people are so willing to pay good money to be beta testers for the tech giants.
No thanks.
When it comes to buying the latest and greatest technology, consumers should recall that it is the proverbial second mouse that gets the cheese. (You know what happens to the first mouse).
As a consumer, you have no obligation to endure these snafus. Whether it’s bendable iPhones, operating-system glitches or bad security, all it takes is a little bit of intelligence and patience to avoid the predictable headaches.
Don’t be a technology Schmuck.
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