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Poll: Do you suffer from gadget-upgrade fatigue?

How many apps fit on the head of a pin? Maybe there's an app to calculate that number. Who cares?

Steve Guttenberg
Ex-movie theater projectionist Steve Guttenberg has also worked as a high-end audio salesman, and as a record producer. Steve currently reviews audio products for CNET and works as a freelance writer for Stereophile.
Steve Guttenberg

CNET News Poll


Can you resist the gadget-upgrade urge?

No, I'm ready to toss my Kindle for a color e-reader
I can't wait for 3D TV
I'm ready to give my HDMI 1.3 AV receiver the boot, here comes HDMI 1.4!
No thanks, I'd rather wait for technology to mature before I take the plunge


View results

My cure for post-CES information overload is playing music. For me, that means a return to the basics: pop on a LP, sit down, close my eyes, and just listen. Man, that feels good.

Call me a Luddite, but I like well-designed products you don't have to replace every year or so. Unless you have money to burn, why be an early adopter? Why buy a first generation anything? You'll pay a big price for being first, and pay again when trading up for the next "improved" model. I've never heard of anyone who regretted not buying a first- or even second-generation product. How's your HD-DVD player working out? I'm just saying.

High quality audio is mostly free of this sort of gee-whiz gimmickry. If you invest in a decent set of speakers, you'll get 10 or more years of use out of them. Buy a great amplifier, CD player, or turntable, same deal, which is why it makes sense to spend a little more up front, you'll get to enjoy high-quality gear over the long term. Prorated, the larger initial investment pays off, big time.

What's your oldest piece of consumer electronics?