When "Better" is actually worse

[Artemus]

A thread over in the Lounge got me thinking about products that pretentious people pay a premium for to show off their exquisite taste, sophistication, or extraordinary abilities that actually perform the intended function worse than the less expensive alternatives in both objective and subjective (if proper controls are used in testing) terms. Things that were mentioned in that thread were:

1. Mechanical watches.
2. Audiophile products (tube/valve amplifiers, vinyl lps versus cds).
3. Fountain pens.
4. Super cars, due to the ability to use in a parking lot, and I'll add the poorer reliability compared to a Toyota . (I was stuck behind a broken Ferrari a while back. Probably not a "super car," but more you spend, the less the reliability it seems.)
5. A type of beer that had too much hops, which I can't remember and am too lazy to go look up. (I personally find all beer undrinkable so I have trouble relating to this one.)

Anyone else have things that they cannot believe people spend $$$$ on when there is an alternative for $ that is clearly better for the designed purpose?

 

[spikepipsqueak]

I am showing my plebian taste when I say that I prefer the Homebrand to all the Mocconas and "funky" instant coffees in the world. The latter seem to be trying to deny that they are just a warm, brown drink, and charging heaps for the pretence.

Homebrand potato chips are just chips; potatoes, oil, salt, without all the additives, for the most part. The same seems to be true of lots of foods.

Your post reminds me of the joke about the millions that NASA spent on producing a ballpoint that would write in zero gravity. The Russians used a pencil.

People get all attached to names and images and forget about the basics, like purpose.

 

[fast]

Phones, remotes, cameras

Sometimes, especially when trying to buy a gift for one that is elderly and not tech savvy, better for many is frustratingly useless for others.

 

[beero1000]

Store-bought electronics accessories
Branded 'Gaming' PCs
Textbooks
'Natural' foods.
Anything made by Apple.

 

[beero1000]

I am showing my plebian taste when I say that I prefer the Homebrand to all the Mocconas and "funky" instant coffees in the world. The latter seem to be trying to deny that they are just a warm, brown drink, and charging heaps for the pretence.

Homebrand potato chips are just chips; potatoes, oil, salt, without all the additives, for the most part. The same seems to be true of lots of foods.

Your post reminds me of the joke about the millions that NASA spent on producing a ballpoint that would write in zero gravity. The Russians used a pencil.

People get all attached to names and images and forget about the basics, like purpose.

As an aside - that story is used as a 'stupid Americans' parable, but in reality pencils are a bad thing to have in space. Graphite powder and wood shavings don't mix very well with delicate electronics and crucial life support equipment. Both the Russian and the American space programs eventually switched to using 'space pens'.

 

[Artemus]

I'll add Frank Lloyd Wright houses/buildings. Apparently a large majority chronically leak and many have structural problems.

ETA Another good link, for this thread anyway. A comment says a FLW house is owned by "two of the most pretentious people on the planet."

 

[gmbteach]

Phones, remotes, cameras

Sometimes, especially when trying to buy a gift for one that is elderly and not tech savvy, better for many is frustratingly useless for others.

We purchased a kindle for my father last year, and he is having trouble learning how to drive it! Then he said he was interested in getting an iphone! I said - not until you can drive your kindle!

He had to get a new phone, and all it is set up to do is phone, camera and text. It is capable of other functions, but these have not been enabled and I don't think he will even attempt it.

I will go back to buying books for him from now on.

 

[skepticalbip]

There is bottled water which many seems to think they have to have with them at all times now. I've seen it cost as much as $1.50 for a half liter bottle - more expensive than milk, beer, or gasoline in many cases. And much bottled water is bottled from the city water system. The ones that aren't are not regulated so can not be treated to kill those little nasty organisms that could be in the source.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

There is bottled water which many seems to think they have to have with them at all times now. I've seen it cost as much as $1.50 for a half liter bottle - more expensive than milk, beer, or gasoline in many cases. And much bottled water is bottled from the city water system. The ones that aren't are not regulated so can not be treated to kill those little nasty organisms that could be in the source.

Monster Cables verses Bottled Water

Though, in general, neither is worse with price. Not better, but not worse either.

Someone mentioned Apple products. I've had two iPhones and in general, they have been flawless. Apple products are well overpriced, but their quality isn't bad from my experience.

 

[GenesisNemesis]

Store-bought electronics accessories
Branded 'Gaming' PCs
Textbooks
'Natural' foods.
Anything made by Apple.

Hey, is it pretentious of me to buy a peanut butter brand that contains flax seed oil instead of hydrogenated oil? It clearly seems like the better option.

 

[ZiprHead]

Phones, remotes, cameras

Sometimes, especially when trying to buy a gift for one that is elderly and not tech savvy, better for many is frustratingly useless for others.

We got a couple of these for my FiL.
https://www.flipperremote.com/

 

[Bomb#20]

My wife was just griping last night about trying to find a store using a mall directory. They'd replaced the traditional ones with new electronic mall directories that made you go through menus and lists to get a graphic display of the route from the directory kiosk to the store you were looking for. There were, predictably, ten people in line waiting to use the bloody thing because it's no longer possible for several people to look for the stores they want all at the same time. God knows how much the mall must have paid for the idiocies.

 

[Archimedes]

There is bottled water which many seems to think they have to have with them at all times now.

I *do* feel the need to have a bottle of water with me at all times. But I'm sensible enough just to fill a half liter bottle at home before I leave the house.

If I am buying bottled water because I'm genuinely thirsty and it's my only option, I just buy a litre bottle of the cheapest non-brand stuff they have for about 50c vs. €1.50 for a half liter of some brand like Ballygowan. It's all the same stuff. It's just fucking water.

Yet I know people who insist that the branded bottled waters are far superior to the non-branded waters or to the stuff that's piped into their house.

 

[TV and credit cards]

There is bottled water which many seems to think they have to have with them at all times now. I've seen it cost as much as $1.50 for a half liter bottle - more expensive than milk, beer, or gasoline in many cases. And much bottled water is bottled from the city water system. The ones that aren't are not regulated so can not be treated to kill those little nasty organisms that could be in the source.

When I worked at Yosemite tourists would buy bottled water from the store in the park. If there is one place to drink the water from the tap, it's Yosemite.

I always carry water with me. I use an orange juice bottle (Uncle Matt's Organic Orange Juice with pulp, I'll have you know) for about six months at a time. When the plastic gets cloudy, I swap it out for a fresh empty.

I've bought a lot of what can be considered pretentious shit over the years. Some is good. Some not. Some okay but you're paying a premium for the name.

I used to save and save and save when I was younger than I am now. I thought I was saving to buy the "good things in life". In 1998 I bought a new BMW. I loved the car and was very frustrated with it at the same time due to all the issues that would crop up with it. It helped to better define money and happiness for me.

 

[skepticalbip]

There is bottled water which many seems to think they have to have with them at all times now.

I *do* feel the need to have a bottle of water with me at all times. But I'm sensible enough just to fill a half liter bottle at home before I leave the house.

If I am buying bottled water because I'm genuinely thirsty and it's my only option, I just buy a litre bottle of the cheapest non-brand stuff they have for about 50c vs. €1.50 for a half liter of some brand like Ballygowan. It's all the same stuff. It's just fucking water.

Yet I know people who insist that the branded bottled waters are far superior to the non-branded waters or to the stuff that's piped into their house.

Yeah, I generally throw a canteen filled with tap in the car if I am going to be driving for a couple hours or more or when going fishing, but not always.

You will probably enjoy this short Penn and Teller video showing how easily people can become water snobs...

 

[rousseau]

I am showing my plebian taste when I say that I prefer the Homebrand to all the Mocconas and "funky" instant coffees in the world. The latter seem to be trying to deny that they are just a warm, brown drink, and charging heaps for the pretence.

Homebrand potato chips are just chips; potatoes, oil, salt, without all the additives, for the most part. The same seems to be true of lots of foods.

Your post reminds me of the joke about the millions that NASA spent on producing a ballpoint that would write in zero gravity. The Russians used a pencil.

People get all attached to names and images and forget about the basics, like purpose.

Potato chips are a good one. Large bags of no-name or PC chips go for under 2 dollars in most grocery stores here, and the difference is indistinguishable. I could apply that to a lot of no-name or PC products.

The first thing that came to mind for me when I saw this thread was Scotch whisky. After a certain point you're paying for either status or a story. Even bottles that go up to 100-120 cdn are very good whiskies, but the quality ratio does not equal the price ratio.

 

[gmbteach]

Phones, remotes, cameras

Sometimes, especially when trying to buy a gift for one that is elderly and not tech savvy, better for many is frustratingly useless for others.

We got a couple of these for my FiL.
https://www.flipperremote.com/

Dad has the remote Sussed, which is good!

 

[thebeave]

I *do* feel the need to have a bottle of water with me at all times. But I'm sensible enough just to fill a half liter bottle at home before I leave the house.

If I am buying bottled water because I'm genuinely thirsty and it's my only option, I just buy a litre bottle of the cheapest non-brand stuff they have for about 50c vs. €1.50 for a half liter of some brand like Ballygowan. It's all the same stuff. It's just fucking water.

Yet I know people who insist that the branded bottled waters are far superior to the non-branded waters or to the stuff that's piped into their house.

Yeah, I generally throw a canteen filled with tap in the car if I am going to be driving for a couple hours or more or when going fishing, but not always.

You will probably enjoy this short Penn and Teller video showing how easily people can become water snobs...

Love that video. I've posted it on this forum a few times over the years.

There's a similar P&T on organic food, where a couple of P&T shills are at a Farmer's Market and they secretly cut a banana in half. They label one half as "organic", and the other half as non-organically grown. People then take a bite of each (not knowing they're from the same banana), and tell the P&T shills which one tastes better. Invariably, they all choose organic.

Another one they did is called "The Best" (can't find it on YT anymore, though). Some slob from P&T's show is in the back room of a fancy restaurant smoking and heating up TV dinner food in a microwave and slapping it onto fancy plates, and serving it to the guests. The waiter puts a pretentious backstory on the food, like its organically grown by French artisan farmers or some such nonsense. And of course, the diners are raving about how great it is. Hilarious.

 

[gmbteach]

There is bottled water which many seems to think they have to have with them at all times now.

I *do* feel the need to have a bottle of water with me at all times. But I'm sensible enough just to fill a half liter bottle at home before I leave the house.

If I am buying bottled water because I'm genuinely thirsty and it's my only option, I just buy a litre bottle of the cheapest non-brand stuff they have for about 50c vs. €1.50 for a half liter of some brand like Ballygowan. It's all the same stuff. It's just fucking water.

Yet I know people who insist that the branded bottled waters are far superior to the non-branded waters or to the stuff that's piped into their house.

I used to travel a lot in my job to some fairly unclean places where the water supply was adequate, but only just. I quickly learned the benefits of one of these:



They cost about $10AU and replacement filters are about $4AU and they last about two weeks in unsanitary conditions, and about 2 - 3 months in metropolitan places. Sounds a lot, but it's better than having Bali belly all the time! It's cheaper than buying bottled water. We also have a jug for when dad comes to visit.

I got so used to having filtered water, that I just keep it up now. I carry the bottle. Everywhere, even to school and bed, and drink from it whenever.

 

[gmbteach]

A few people have discussed homebrand versus generic on here and on the whole I will agree.

Some things; like sugar, flour, trash bags and chips, I don't have a problem buying homebrand. There is no difference. I will not buy homebrand baked beans though, as when I did do a comparison, I found them watery unflavoured muck! I will also not buy generic tinned dog and cat food because the ingredients aren't as food, though the dry food is.

I will buy generic aspirin and ibuprofen as, as it has been pointed out to me, the ingredients are the same. I will also buy chips and other products that have stood up to the named brand. I will also do a comparison of ingredients and cost and generally get what is cheaper and has less salt, sugar and sat fats.

It's the same as any other brand, you should buy the version you are happy with.