ArticlesLike most people, when I buy a fridge, I am in a rush. I need a fridge. Now. What’s in stock and when can you deliver it?
My old fridge was suddenly struck dead; I’ve just immigrated; I’ve just been kicked out of my home; elephants have infested my fridge and are leaving footprints in the butter – Whatever the reason for needing a fridge doesn’t matter! Yesterday I didn’t need a fridge, and today I need one.
That’s not a lot of time for comparison shopping. Nor do I plan ahead – I’ve had the same fridge for many years now, but I haven’t given any thought to the ideal capacity of my next fridge. I don’t have any preferred brands or desires for any particular features. Do you?
So while a fridge isn’t exactly an “impulse” purchase, it is a rushed purchase, and you have to live with your decision for a long time.
Motherboards are the same.
My old motherboard is suddenly struck by lightning; a BIOS upgrade went horribly wrong; venegeful elephants have interfered with my computer – whatever the reason, my home machine is dead. I need it fixed. Now.
This last time, I actually managed to hold off without a home computer for a couple of days while I did some research to determine the best motherboard for my needs and my budget. I was very proud of myself. Now, months later, I find that my life would have been easier now if I had forked out for a motherboard with an ICH5R chipset rather than merely settling for the ICH5.
Sigh.
Comment by Aristotle Pagaltzis on October 3, 2005
Of course, nowadays, the problem has mostly evaporated: most people I talk to (and I will soon be joining them) own two or three computers and can limp along for a few days when they lose one. (Of course, Finagle’s law is by no means negated.)