These Were Your Biggest Tech Regrets Last Year.
Wi-Fi extenders. Used processors. “Piece of shit” Kindle Fire. Lifehacker readers tend to be quick-witted and discerning, thanks in part to the range of productivity tips they enjoy every week. However, even the best of us make mistakes.
My technical regret for 2018 is simple: I bought the SNES Classic. Do not misunderstand me. I think The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is one of the best video games ever made, and that will never change. However, I had this weird feeling when I was buying it – after I went straight to the local Target when I saw they had a few in stock – I’ll probably play the console for a week, think about happy thoughts of my childhood and let her gather dust.
I was right.
This year, Lifehacker readers also made a few blunders. Last week we asked you to share your stories of tech regrets , and here are some of our favorites. May 2019 be in your favor someday.
Wi-Fi extenders aren’t always that useful
Lifehacker Reader Yes, I’m driving 240 … Seemed to have made the mistake of choosing a Wi-Fi extender which unfortunately didn’t help much with his wireless problems. Without getting into the weeds, basic extenders tend to be trash for several reasons: you don’t get that much extra range, as you need to position it within the bubble of your Wi-Fi router for the best possible speeds. After that, the performance of your Wi-Fi with a repeater can be halved anyway, since the repeater has to perform a double function – to send the same data back and forth to your router and connected device. A dual band repeater can help with this, but you’re still better off getting a better performing router. Better yet, opt for a mesh system that uses a dedicated high-speed (5GHz) Wi-Fi backhaul network. Or connect your home to an Ethernet network and set up multiple access points. There are many possibilities.
With a smartwatch, try before you buy
Lifehacker reader Heyhowareyouall mourns her new Apple Watch. I understand, I understand. I had an Apple Watch a long time ago (first generation I think), then I sold it, and it took years before I convinced myself that I would need another smartwatch someday – for the same reasons you describe. I find most smartwatch apps are terrible at best, and I mostly use my fitness smartwatch features. If I don’t exercise, this is an expensive watch that I can also use to manage my podcasts on my iPhone if I’m lazy.
I don’t really have any good suggestions for this other than remembering Apple’s 14-day hardware return policy. Two weeks should be enough to figure out whether you like the new expensive purchase (or gift) or not.
The same advice applies to you, reader of Lifehacker tulleytwo , who told us that their biggest regret was “Homepod. I bought one because I thought it would come in handy. It’s not, and my wife reminds me of this every time I want to buy a new tech toy. ”
Maybe virtual reality isn’t the best thing after all
For the sake of the article I’m currently working on, I’m not going to say that virtual reality is terrible. Having spent enough time with a number of mainstream headsets, however, it’s fair to say that virtual reality is still in its infancy. And this comment from Osmodious, a Lifehacker reader, really solves the problem.
The headsets are bulky and awkward to wear after a decent period of time, and the picture can’t compete with what you would get on a decent monitor or amazing gaming display. Most of the reasons for buying a virtual reality headset right now are games. You can still have asuper fun experience , don’t get me wrong, but I think I’d rather save money on a cute display or GPU upgrade than a headset that seems funny at first but doesn’t look like the sort of thing you would. used on a regular basis.
Get back to your time machine
Technically, Lifehacker reader Ron Mexico Will Pay for the Wall has n’t bought a CueCat in 2018 – I hope – since this weird barcode scanner came out in 2000. The idea was that you would use this oddly shaped device to scan codes, which would then redirect you to websites. Because, as you know, we all need some kind of hardware gadget instead of a simple text hyperlink. Maybe he would have had some support if he looked more serious than this:
Hack your purchases to get what you want
I’ve never heard of System 76 Oryx Pro, let alone System 76 (I’m guessing it has nothing to do with the nature of Overwatch .) And while I also know little about installing Linux distros – unfortunately not mine – I recommend To Lifehacker reader, Douglas, for taking the time to find a solution and working his way through standard hardware to get the exact results you want. For the sake of space, I cut out a portion of your answer about what you did with your laptop that didn’t work, but intriguingly, you plan on using it as your daily desktop driver. Let me know if you can connect five monitors. I’d love to see what it looks like … and if your laptop lights up after an hour of playing on this awesome sounding rig.
How long do you have to wait to buy what you really need?
Ah, I know this game well. I’m always on the lookout for the next big update, but hesitate to pull the trigger because even a decent-sounding deal can now be overshadowed by a terrific deal later – which is why I consistently make all my big tech purchases on Black Friday. This tends to save me the most money, although it means I only “allow myself” to buy new equipment in a very tiny amount of time.
However, don’t be discouraged , Lifehacker JoshTheBat reader! You saved a little money, which is better than not saving at all. In terms of upgrades, replacing the mechanical hard drive with an SSD – I’m guessing that’s what you did – is the kind of upgrade you’ll notice right away. Sure, you could save a little extra money if you waited, but you would have to endure the slower experience for more weeks / months.
Maybe you should wait before buying any tech gear.
The second verse is the same as the first. (This time with the participation of Lifehacker reader in the title role).
When it comes to smartphones in particular, I’m always of the opinion that it’s better to wait a bit – if you can – because you never know what deal you’ll get when the hype about the launch dies down. Heck, even Apple has done some pretty decent deals this year for the new iPhone XS and XR, assuming you swapped an older iPhone to get it. Sure, you’d have to wait 1-2 months after launch to get them, but if you can use the older iPhone for a little longer, you could save a few hundred dollars in total.
Since both the Pixels and iPhones usually arrive in the fall, I’d say it’s at least worth waiting until the crazy shopping time of Black Friday to make the big new smartphone purchase. It’s usually only a month or so, and it’s one of the best opportunities to get a new phone for a lower price. Or, as Camelot, a Lifehacker reader put it:
Real dog> Robot
Well, yes. I can’t agree with your kids anymore, Lifehacker Retrobanana reader. A real dog is much more fun than some funny little robot that is limited to a few interactions – or even a few hundred interactions. At some point, the novelty factor disappears. And given that kids probably have their obsessions already etched into their tiny brains ( Fortnite , anyone?), Even a shiny new robot toy probably won’t hold their attention for long compared to tech toys (or household toys). animals) that they already love. …
Maybe you could introduce your pet to Anki Cosmo or Vector?
Worst smartphone owner nightmare
Yes, Lifehacker FryCookOnVenus reader . It definitely counts. ?