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Do you need the latest and greatest?

Square Wheels

By Square Wheels
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Square Wheels Flahute

Square Wheels

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I easily fool myself into thinking I need the newest of everything.

I got the new Garmin fenix 6 when I had a perfectly good 5.

I have not purchased a new cell phone, I have a 2+ year old Galaxy 8.  It's still getting updates.  It still works great.  It's a work phone, so it's free, but I also get very limited choices.  The models they offer are usually close to a year old.  I suspect they think it saves money, but I bet it doesn't.  Samsung has a habit of stopping updates to "older phones", therefore I need to buy them more regularly.

I have a Garmin 1000.  Got it over 5 years ago.  Oddly, no need for a new one.

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Tizeye Baroudeur

Tizeye

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Well I do need new cell phones. Think I have figured out how to get two of the "latest and greatest" for just about free.

Currently wife has the original iPhone SE and likes small. The replacement SE ($399) increased the size to match my 6s. The new 12 mini ($699) splits the difference in size between the two SE models and has the latest features. I would move to the regular iPhone 12 ($799).

Still checking the final details before I pull the trigger. Currently with T-Mobile and yes they do have a BOGO but that would put me in a $799 hole. Couldn't call because they would see my number and current customer, so walked into the store acting like an ATT customer thinking of returning to T-Mobile, but how long before I would be considered a 'new' customer - 59 days, BINGO! That is when they let me know about the BOGO vs their "Bring your own", but they didn't have the full math with my masquerade. Now need to go to ATT to see in "Bring you own" how long have to wait to upgrade.

They always give the better deal to new customers over existing customer, so here is the deal. ATT will give me $250/phone ($500) as a Bring Your Own new customer, and unlike Verizon that gave more but had a 12 month requirement, ATT is complete 45 days to be eligible for the $500 and no commitment after fulfillment. Do have to pay off the new phones before they unlock them, but that is just money shifting awaiting the T-Mobile reimbursement. T-Mobile's Bring Your Own is a little different as it is not an outright flat sum like ATT and Verizon, but balance owed (screen shot prior to payoff) up to $450 per phone ($900), however also has the requirement that made 3 payments.

Let see, 2 phones $1500, rebates $1400 and that extra hundred would be paid during the 3 month wait. Actually, that BOGO would have come within $300 if had the $500 from AT&T and would have been worth it vs the 3 month wait and the tricky thing with those VISA debit card they pay the rebate with. No problem AT&T applying it to my bill for part of the payoff, but a credit card for the remaining balance won't accept a VISA debit card as a payment source. Would have to use the T-Mobile card to pay other normal expenses, like groceries, then transfer the cash would have paid with to savings as holding to pay off the credit card.

 

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bikeman564™ Flahute

bikeman564™

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I keep things for as long as they work. For instance:

Garmin Edge 500, bought in 2013. Still works and battery life is still as it was when new.

Motorola Droid Turbo 2 cell phone, had it for 4 years. I replace these when they begin to fail.

I have a 20" Sony TV in my bedroom that was bought in 1990, yep its 30 yrs old. I'm on a mission to see how long it lasts. My living room TV, I bought in 2006, which is a 36" Sony. You know, the old tube type? :) Sony makes good shit.

2007 Chevy Trailblazer, bought it new, and it has 93k on the clock.

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JerrySTL KOM / QOM

JerrySTL ★

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Some people prefer being on the leading edge. I like being on the trailing edge especially when it comes to software and new gadgets. I told my bosses many times to wait a few days before installing a new software patch or new version of a program. Three times in particular they should have listened to me as the new patch broke things and had to be uninstalled.

When it comes to cars, I like older technology. For example I purposely didn't order ABS on cars when it was optional. Heck I did the same things with electric windows.

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shootingstar KOM / QOM

shootingstar

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2 hours ago, Square Wheels said:

I easily fool myself into thinking I need the newest of everything.

I got the new Garmin fenix 6 when I had a perfectly good 5.

I have not purchased a new cell phone, I have a 2+ year old Galaxy 8.  It's still getting updates.  It still works great.  It's a work phone, so it's free, but I also get very limited choices.  The models they offer are usually close to a year old.  I suspect they think it saves money, but I bet it doesn't.  Samsung has a habit of stopping updates to "older phones", therefore I need to buy them more regularly.

I have a Garmin 1000.  Got it over 5 years ago.  Oddly, no need for a new one.

Dearie ended up buying a used refurbished Garmin...after one broke down.  He has an iPhone over 5 years old and only uses it maybe 2-3 times during day. 

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shootingstar KOM / QOM

shootingstar

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I was looking at latest digital pocket cameras....I think I need to spend time on figuring out some of the jargon.  Mine is only 5 yrs. old and works just fine. All the photos on my blog are from that camera. I'm hoping my camera will hang on for another 2 yrs.  I do not want to buy an iPhone to take photos..if that's the main thing for an iPhone.

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shootingstar KOM / QOM

shootingstar

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26 minutes ago, maddmaxx said:

I discovered relatively early that last years discontinued model has more capability then I can use.  I love NOS sales (new old stock).  Witness my 8 speed drivetrain on my bike.

Of course the problem of having a much older bike, is finding the shop equipped with parts that may no longer be manufactured.

Last year I was overjoyed when my entire handlebar gear shifting set had to be replaced.  The shop had only 1 new set lying around...and charged me for $50.00 (which excludes labour to install).  I didn't care, it was exactly the gearing shifting style I preferred.

My bike is now 15 yrs. old.

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groupw KOM / QOM

groupw

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My iPhone 8 works for how I use it. Our newest car is 7 years old. The other 2 are over 20. I replace when reliability is an issue and repair costs are no longer justified. 
The TV downstairs TV died last year. We hadn’t been down there much, but thinking it might get some use going forward. We had debating about getting by a 42” for down there or squeezing in the 50” and moving up to a 65” upstairs. The 65s are 1/2 the price of our 50” when we bought it. WoW would like to go that way as a Christmas present to ourselves. 
I really only use my PC for photo editing and storage. I will need to replace next year. 
We have no smart appliances or thermostat. Our Alexa is unplugged because I just didn’t find it useful. Aside from newer Polk speakers, most of my stereo system is 15-40 years old. 

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maddmaxx Flahute

maddmaxx ★

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3 minutes ago, shootingstar said:

Of course the problem of having a much older bike, is finding the shop equipped with parts that may no longer be manufactured.

Last year I was overjoyed when my entire handlebar gear shifting set had to be replaced.  The shop had only 1 new set lying around...and charged me for $50.00 (which excludes labour to install).  I didn't care, it was exactly the gearing shifting style I preferred.

My bike is now 15 yrs. old.

I purchased my last set of brifters from a shop in Ireland.  That's half the fun of building your own.

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shootingstar KOM / QOM

shootingstar

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All I have to say is that dearie keeps a box of different cables and extensions....just in case, he needs to hook up different technologies of different generations. He finally tossed out an older box in the garbage.

I think we have bits of all sorts of computer technologies ranging from 2 yrs. old ...to 20 years old. They are hooked up or easily plugged in when needed. He actually sometimes stands outside on the condo balcony to work the backend of computers and wiring ...the computers face balcony door/windows.  But it is all possible in our small den.

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Kirby Flahute

Kirby

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Usually I find the bother of trying to get something new and figure out how to use it more trouble than it's worth.  Change is generally bad.  But if there is something I use a lot and the new update is something I think would be genuinely useful, than i'd likely get it before my old one ran out.  But most updates aren't that innovative.

I tend to keep cars until they break down enough that I'm not comfortable driving them.  I had an iphone 5 until work said I needed to upgrade if I wanted to keep connecting to the email network.  I still have an old, non-thin screen tv in the living room.  So no.

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