With the hundreds and thousands of comments we get regarding all sort of gadgets (including cars), there’s almost always a big line that divides people who prefer design and people who prefer specs or functionality.
I think this preference with one aspect over the other is not that consistent and might shift or change depending on the category.
I’d like to test that idea and ask our readers (especially the very vocal ones) what they prefer when looking for the following:
- Buying a new smartphone? You prefer design over specs?
- When buying a new car, do you go after the looks or the functionality?
- When getting a new laptop — is it specs or design?
- What about a wrist watch? Is it design or functionality? Are you the G-Shock type or the Rolex-type of person?
- How about a TV set? Would you go for an unknown LED TV (like KTC for example) or a branded one?
And here’s another observation — the preference for a specific category also changes.
When buying a laptop, I think you’ll agree with me the “specs” should matter most than design, right? But when I replaced my Asus UL20FT running Core i3 with 500GB HDD and 4GB RAM with a Macbook Air 11 running 1.4GHz Core 2 Duo, 64GB SSD and 2GB memory, I’m basically saying design, and not specs, was the primary reason for this shift.
When I bought my Tucson and Lancer EX, my primary reason for getting them was because I really liked their looks. Didn’t really care about the brand or what’s under the hood.
It was a little different with smartphones — I always go for the specs when getting an Android phone (even with the iPhone, I think it was still specs over design).
The same goes with a TV set — I’d go for specs and functionality over brand name and design.
I noticed that a lot of tech companies try so hard to pitch the angle of lifestyle when doing product launches lately. It’s because lifestyle is an easier sell. People are more willing to pay for what they “desire” than what they actually “need”. This is the reason why some handsets or laptops are more expensive than other even if they have the same specs.
Ok, the Nokia Oro is an extreme case (or this $3.2 million iPhone 3GS Supreme) but it is still draws the line between those who can afford to give in to their desires and those who can’t.
I prioritise specs over design.
I’ll choose an ugly item with better specs over a nicer item with so-so specs.