Gadget geeks often don't need a justification for
buying the latest tech device. They crave it; they buy it.
But frugal gadget lovers might need some convincing.
They might be persuaded if the device actually saves them money or somehow pays
for itself over time.
To that end, here are some fun rationalizations,
however contrived and self-deluding, for buying a few of the coolest mainstream
tech gadgets.
THE AMAZON KINDLE:
Price: $259
This is an e-reader, a device devoted to reading
books, magazines and newspapers. Publications are delivered wirelessly to your
Kindle for no additional charge. Savings come from two sources: cheaper reading
material and free wireless service.
Kindle versions of most books cost about $10.
Newspaper and magazine subscriptions are often cheaper than paper versions.
Assume that during a year you substitute two $25
hardcover books and four $15 paperbacks for the $10 Kindle versions. And assume
you swap a Kindle subscription for the paper version of The Wall Street Journal
at an approximate non-introductory price of $250 per year. Total annual
savings: about $120.
Another source of savings is the Kindle's crude Web
browser with free wireless service. It's tedious to surf the Web using it, but
you can check Web-based e-mail and read a few news headlines for free. If that
can substitute for a $20-per-month smart phone data plan, that saves $240 per
year.
Those put you ahead $100 in the first year, including
the cost of the Kindle.
You also will never have to rebuy a lost book. Kindle
books are always available to download again. And you can use the Kindle's
voice reader to read aloud some books, potentially substituting for audio-book
purchases.
Alternatives: You can make similar arguments for
Kindle competitors, such as the Sony Reader and the Barnes & Noble Nook.
Reality check: The public library has free books,
publications and, probably, Internet access.
THE APPLE IPAD:
Price: $499 to $829
Depending on storage and wireless capability, the
slate-shaped iPad has the functionality of a small laptop computer, without the
physical keyboard. Its potential savings can come from being a laptop
substitute, no-commitment wireless plans and similar book- and-publications
savings to the Kindle.
Stan Steinreich, president of Steinreich
Communications Group in Hackensack, N.J., figures he saves about half the cost
of the five daily newspapers and 35 magazines he subscribes to.
Wireless plans for the iPads that can use them are
exclusively from AT&T. They cost about $15 per month for 250 megabytes of
data and $25 for 2 gigabytes. The plans can be canceled, restarted and changed
month to month, which is a boon to infrequent travelers.
The iPad can also substitute for a music player, book
reader, even a small television, given the amount of online TV content and
availability of the Netflix software app. Free and low-cost apps can turn the
iPad into everything from a carpenter's level to a Sudoku puzzle book to a
hand-held gaming device.
Alternatives: You might make similar rationalizations
for a netbook computer, scaled-down laptops made by a variety of manufacturers.
Most are cheaper than an iPad.
Reality check: If you have a laptop and smart phone,
where does the iPad fit into your daily usage habits?
NOVATEL:
Wireless MiFi
Price: Varies depending on service plan, which costs
up to $60 per month.
The MiFi is a credit-card-sized mobile hot spot. It
provides 3G Internet access for up to five nearby Wi-Fi devices. Three people
could be connected with a laptop computer, iPod Touch and iPad while riding a
train, for example. A family on a summer road trip could all have Internet
access in the car.
The most robust MiFi service costs about $60 per month
through such providers as Verizon Wireless and Sprint. It could substitute for
your home Internet access, though it's slower than a cable modem and has more
limited range than a regular Wi-Fi router. (The plan has a 5 GB monthly limit,
which should be OK unless you stream a lot of video and audio.)
The MiFi would eliminate the cost of paying for online
access at airports and hotels. It could even help make cheap phone calls using
Internet calling services. It might also be intriguing for iPhone and iPad
users who are dissatisfied with being locked into AT&T service, which has
well-documented problems with a sluggish network and spotty coverage in some
regions.
Leasing a MiFi avoids a service contract. 3Gstore.com,
for example, offers a MiFi with 5 GB of data per month and Verizon Wireless
service for $50 per month and $90 for the device.
Alternatives: Some smart phones double as Wi-Fi hot
spots. The iPhone now allows "tethering," using its service for
laptop Internet access, but it costs an extra $20 per month.
Reality check: In many regions, finding a public Wi-Fi
hot spot is easy. Even if you have to pay occasionally, it could be cheaper
than a MiFi.
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