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Should you be offended if your friends tell you that you wasted money on a toy

Envy is what I call it. When the iPhone came out, it was too expensive for me to purchase. So I convinced myself that the iPhone was a useless piece of flashy technology. That way I didn't feel the pang when I someone holding it or using it. Humans try to make themselves feel better by dissing products they can't purchase so they feel like they wouldn't have gotten it even if they had the money.

Yet there are some true iPad haters out there. I'm not sure what your friends are.
 
oh, and those that dis or denigrate the iPad just don't get it...and sadly for them, probably never will.

Get new friends!!
 
glocke12 said:
gotta agree with this one. Often times friends can help you to see things you cant see about yourself. When Ive made, or have been getting ready to make an expensive purchase and mentioned it to friends often times they made a comment that made me change my mind. I tend to be materialistic myself, and am prone to make irrational decisions in regards to what I spend my money on. Im grateful that at those times Ive had friends to prevent me from blowing my money on what will ultimately be yet one more inanimate object sitting around gathering dust.

Just remember, $500.00 is not an insignificant amount of money. But if you have that much cabbage laying around, dont have other financial obligations to take care of, AND are still saving money for a rainy day than there is not any reason why you can not go out and buy an ipad.
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A very sensible post.

I think it's important to remember Apple products are great devices but also highly tempting to buy on impulse — this separates initial purchasers into two groups.

It's possible your friends know you better than you know yourself in this instance, and can see you've bought it merely off an impulse and that your money could have gone to much better places. For example: my brother bought a huge 60" plasma screen. His friends and whole family criticized him for wasting so much money so needlessly. Not because we thought it was a bad product, nor was it out of jealousy… It's because he was in serious debt with the bank.

So, despite most of the comments that say "ignore them", maybe keep in mind the possibility your friends might see something you don't quite see yourself.

On the other hand, if you're in a perfectly financially stable position and bought this with the full intention for it to be a luxury, tell them as such. It's my opinion that most people who complain about the iPad are being money conscious — "But I could get a netbook for cheaper…" — which is a completely valid point to make. But if you tell them you have the extra cash available and it's worth the added conveniences and luxury, they should understand.*


* If they don't at this point, they're obvious an Apple hater and deserve to be force fed into a wood chipper. :)
 
If their concern is that you can't afford it, maybe you should listen. If it's just because it's an iPad, enjoy your new toy and take no notice of them.
 
djrobsd said:
I'm getting some pretty strong push back from my friends for buying the iPad. I feel like they are acting like a wife would to their hubby for buying a new toy.

So is it envy?

Is it genuine concern that I may be frivolously spending money in this down economy?
Click to expand...

Maybe think of the following:
Its your money isn't it?
Can you afford to spend the $$ on the iPad?
Do you enjoy your iPad, is it going to be useful?

Yes, then why worry what other people think...

Enjoy your iPad!
 
Reading some of the posts on this thread is hilariously saddening. You guys have ridiculously poor friends.

My friend could buy a solid gold toilet seat and if he likes it I'd give him the thumbs-up.
 
dave1812dave said:
it's just that a lot of people don't see the point of having an ipad when so many folks already have most bases covered with smartphones, netbooks, PC's, Kindles, etc.
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Dave1812dave has been making this claim for awhile. Yes if you have a desktop, smartphone, laptop/netbook, Kindles the iPad would seem to be redundant.

The thing is many people don't have a Kindle and don't want to lug a laptop around the house and find the smartphone great for on the go but hard on the eyes for longer work.

As with any computer you should have a use for it.

I got rid of my desktop a few year back and use a laptop connected to a second monitor and external drives. On road trips I have a the laptop.

My iPhone has been great as a smartphone but I wouldn't want to write a proposal on it and checking emails late night in bed was getting hard on the eyes.

I don't own a Kindle so the iPad filled a void in my computer needs.

I can leave my laptop hooked up and don't need to carry it upstairs to work in bed or around the home.

Dave1812dave doesn't think there is a spot for the iPad as they have all been filled and yes if you own the fore mentioned devices you more then likely have your bases covered but the iPad does seem to do the work of at least 2 of them, Kindle and a netbook and if you don't own those already I would recommend the iPad.

As a side note, my mother who is in her early 60's took to the iPad nicely. She mostly does email and web browsing and very little else. I might replace here desktop with an iPad and THAT is a whole new class of sales for the iPad to tap into.
 
Next time, just introduce it as "Hey look at my new toy!". That will instantly kill any "It's just a toy" challenges.
 
How can you "waste" money on a "toy."

"look at this consumable I just consumed!"
"oh my god, I can't believe you just consumed a consumable."
 
As long as you don't: A) flaunt it in front of them like a douche, B) make love to it in front of them, or C) destroy it just to be an asshat, enjoy your new iPad as you see fit. I'm sure that at some point in the past they've spent a lot of money on a luxury that you wouldn't personally value.

Hell, I don't know your situation, you could be using it as a valuable tool in addition to an entertainment device. Tell your friends to GTFO.

Sent from my crappy HP Pavilion laptop that I can't wait to replace with a new MBP once they refresh
 
You have friends who don't waste their money on toys? Particularly now, with summer quickly approaching? Life's too short..
 
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