I found out today that I have a problem: I like technology too much. Good tech, bad tech, expensive tech, cheap tech, I like it all and WANT it all. That?¢Ç«®Ç—¢s the problem.
I have wanted an Xbox 360 ever since I first heard of them. What a cool bit of technology that looks to be. Only thing is?¢Ç«®¨∂ I?¢Ç«®Ç—¢m not a gamer. Not only do I suck at gaming, but I simply don?¢Ç«®Ç—¢t have the valuable time necessary to, well, game. So why in the world would I ever want an Xbox 360? I?¢Ç«®Ç—¢m a technoholic.
I have owned such great pieces of gaming hardware as the PSP, original Xbox, Playstation 2 and Gamecube. I play each for about a month, remind myself that I?¢Ç«®Ç—¢m not a gamer, then sell the equipment at a great financial loss (usually for ?«¨? of what I originally purchased it for). Outside of gaming I have owned the Apple Newton, Philips Nino, EyeTV (when I didn?¢Ç«®Ç—¢t even have TV), every Bluetooth headset ever made, Handspring Visors, Palm Pilots, XM radios, about a dozen WiFi routers in the last 2 years, and that?¢Ç«®Ç—¢s just what I can think of in 60 seconds. The list goes on and on and on and on. This would not be a problem if I could sell the equipment for just as much as I purchased it for, but technology depreciates too fast and I almost always take a big hit.
I realized my problem today (I have known it for a long time, but never wanted to admit it) while at an Electronics Boutique. They had an Xbox 360 Core system. I wanted the larger system with the wireless controller, hard drive, component HD cables and headset, but they only had 1 core system which has none of that, just the basic system. This was at 4:45pm. I went home and called my wife (who is in school until 5:00pm) leaving her a voicemail asking her opinion. Should I spend $300.00+ on a system I know I?¢Ç«®Ç—¢m going to get rid of in a month? Should I suppress my technology obsession and not get the system? What should I do? My wife called back at 5:30pm and told me to just get it and shut up (I think she was sick of me talking about it). I went back to Electronics Boutique to pick up the system, and the person right in front of me bought the system. OUCH, burned.
When I got home I started thinking about why I want the system. Is it marketing? Is it status? Is it ?¢Ç«®¿˙mine is bigger than yours?¢Ç«®Ç—¢ syndrome? Why did I want it? Why do I want all the technology that I want? I want it because I?¢Ç«®Ç—¢m a technoholic. I am addicted to technology. I must have the latest and greatest hardware. Computers, gadgets, devices, whatever. I want to see it, play with it, figure out how it works, and once I know it inside and out, upside down and backwards, I?¢Ç«®Ç—¢m bored with it and don?¢Ç«®Ç—¢t want it anymore.
Am I the only one? Are there other technoholics out there? If so, what drives you? How do you curb the desire to have the latest and greatest? Am I doomed to a life of buying technology as soon as I see it, or is there hope for me?
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