If It Still Works, Don't Upgrade

I hold firmly to the belief that if something still works, it doesn't need to be upgraded. This flies in the face of the prevailing sentiment in advertising these days, especially when it comes to technology. Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to have the latest phone, MP3 player, or what have you.

Case in point #1:
Probably 10 years ago, I bought a compact (at the time) CD boombox for my desk in my office so I could listen to the radio and to my holiday CDs. It works great for my needs. As I was lugging it to work to put in my new office the other morning, I realized just how HUGE it really is. The remote control that comes with it is larger than most MP3 players these days. For a moment there, I vacillated: was it worth hauling this piece of antiquated equipment into the office? Wouldn't I much rather have a tiny MP3 player and stereo sound dock for it? Sure, maybe. It would take up less space. But, why bother when what I have works just fine?

Case in point #2:
For years, I used an old Nokia cell phone (see below, left) that my kids affectionately called "the brick." It was rather big and thick and didn't have any bells and whistles. No camera. No email. No MP3 player. No Internet capabilities. But, it placed and received calls just fine, thankyouverymuch. And, quite honestly, it was really all I needed.


This summer, a friend of mine, whose husband works for my cellular provider, offered me a free phone after seeing what I was still using. So, I upgraded to this little Motorola number (above, right). It's very nice, and it does have some extras, like a camera and an MP3 player. She had offered me a better phone with a full QWERTY keyboard and Internet-ready, but I chose not to take it. For starters, I didn't want to pay extra for a data package every month, and, as my husband so tactfully reminded me, I am online enough as it is without being able to get online from my cell phone. I do like the newer phone. It has better sound quality, the battery stays charged longer, and I was able to get a cuter ringtone (Blue Rondo Ala Turk). I wouldn't have gotten the phone, though, if it hadn't been free, because my old one worked just fine.

Not only is upgrading electronics unnecessarily an expensive proposition, you are also faced with the problem of disposing the old items in a safe, ecologically friendly manner. I'd rather have my 10-year-old boom box sitting on my shelf playing music than sitting in a landfill somewhere, or even sitting in my garage gathering dust. And, I am still looking for a way to dispose of my old cellphone in a responsible manner.