Style or Functionality

[W0LB0T]

which do you prefer, when purchasing consumre electronics, and or other goods.

lets take for example an MP3 Player: theres two diffent models, one is small and slim and has a comes in a range of colours. or theres one which basically looks like someones straped a phone keybad to a house brick. the small one has only limited storage capicity and features, where as the phonebrick TM. has a huge memory and can play almost any format you can throw at it, and you can literely throw it at them and it will keep on rocking.
http://www.pso-world.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=66&pictureid=5515
me personally i would buy the Phonebrick TM.

lets see what you lot havt to say about it. you cannot say both becasue something that can do 2 things well sucks at two things at the same time.

[TheOneHero]

PSO taught me looks > usefulness.

Though I don't suppose that works for everything...

I tend to lean more toward style, but for things that matter, functionality.

[Solstis]

When it comes to consumer electronics, I'd go with style.

I don't have that much music, so the phonebrick wouldn't be very appealing to me.

That said, my old iPod nano (I think 2nd gen? The aluminum sort) has been dropped on cement quite a few times (has the chips to prove it) and still works. So, style and function are possible, but you have to do some research to find it.

[Kent]

It really depends on what exact sort of consumer electronics we're talking about.

In the case of digital media players, I went with the brown Zune since it fulfilled both the style and functionality I was looking for. I'm considering upgrading to one of the newer ones... But the 120GB only comes in black, and they left out the snazzy two-tone scheme on all of the newer ones. Additionally, the models that do come in various colors now all hold significantly less than the original run. Doesn't really make a whole lot of sense to me, but at least they cut out a lot of potential snootiness.

[Nitro Vordex]

PSO taught me looks > usefulness.

How'd you learn that from PSO? o_O;

I prefer things that work than things that look pretty.

Though, nice looking cars are always cool. ;o

[CrimsomWolf]

Functionality is important, but then again I wouldn't buy something that according to me looks awful.... but I wouldn't buy something that's ultra-pretty, but does almost nothing...

I guess that I would buy the style one - carrying a brick-sized MP3 everyday would be problematic...

[SabZero]

Oh god, YES to the brick. As long as it doesn't weigh as much. Most consumer electronics are so sensitive, all it takes is to look at them wrong to break them >_>

[CupOfCoffee]

Well, in the given example, you have to consider that part of the functionality of a portable MP3 player is portability... and in that case, the stylish model certainly has the Phonebrick TM beat.

Generally for electronics, although it is sort of a case-by-case thing with me, I lean toward the stylish side. Then again, I don't own that many electronics and my cell phones have traditionally been the thickest, ugliest, freest phones available... and usually among the least functional, too, so it goes both ways. Ugly isn't always smart, and pretty isn't always dumb. Besides, I'm a graphic design student so the artistic sense of a thing is of slightly more interest for me than for Joe the Plumber.

[Tessu]

In video games: Style.

In real life: Functionality in MOST cases. Of course, it seems that usually the items I take interest in are functional (based on anecdote) so I don't see too big of a problem.

I say in most cases because, come on. Who wouldn't want a speaker shaped like Arle?

[Sord]

functionality, also, I don't buy/own an MP3 player. Don't listen to enough music to get one.

[amtalx]

Form over function is for women. :p

I'm an engineer, so functionality almost always wins. Make the sh*t work, then make it pretty, not the other way around. I still fail to understand how teenage girls can buy new iPods every year because the last one broke citing "they're just so pretty!" as reasoning.

[Kylie]

Why can't you have both? It's entirely possible to find something that looks nice and works well at the same time. Sometimes you have a sacrifice a little of each to have both, but it's worth it.

[Sol_B4dguy]

True, but this is assuming we can only have one or the other.

I have to go with amtalx, here. Function > Form. I don't care if your plane resembles a flying, pooping butt if it's the single most reliable thing to fly.

[TheOneHero]

I don't care if your plane resembles a flying, pooping butt if it's the single most reliable thing to fly.

If I'm gonna die in a plane crash, I'd rather they say it was in the sleekest jet ever than a crusty ass. :wacko:

[Kylie]

True, but this is assuming we can only have one or the other.I know, but you can't expect me to choose between something ugly that works and something shiny that doesn't work well (or at all). I have to have a friggin' balance, or I'll asplode. >_>; Buuuuut... I guess I'd go with the brick and just never use it in public (unless everyone else did :wacko:).

[Libram]

The cheaper one?

[DreXxiN]

The cheaper one?

LOL. So neither? :P Woot!

[Lyrix]

Probably the small, limited one in the example, assuming limited doesn't mean it only plays .midi files and only holds one file XD

In that case, neither, it HAS to look at least decent XD

[Aisha379]

I almost always prefer Functionality over style, but in this case I might have to go with the stylish one, because the size of the other is most certainly not functional.

Call me when the Phonebrick mini comes out.

[Leviathan]

Style. >,>
Women's pants pockets are extra small.

[Shiro_Ryuu]

I agree w/ CoC, while the smaller one is hardly capable of anything, the Phonebrick TM is a bit huge and difficult to carry around, making it very inconvenient. Unless you made Phonebrick TM Nano or mini, then I might buy that.

[Blitzkommando]

I overanalyze my purchases, something I learned from my father. As such I'll factor cost, features, availability, potential sales/rebates, reliability, support, warranty as well as appearance.

That said, my first two "MP3 players" were those awesome CD/MP3 players because at that point in time CDs were a hell of a lot cheaper than any hard drive based players. When they finally became practical I ended up with a third generation iPod, from Sam's Club due to the huge amount of accessories it came with while staying below retail for the regular ones. I then moved to a brown Zune, a second generation 80GB black Zune, and most recently to a 32GB iPod Touch. Having used it I have to say that I'll never go back to a strict MP3 player simply due to the huge capability of it exceeding any other player on the market without going to something like a UMPC. I was honestly not expecting to use the internet capabilities of it nearly as much as I have, and hey it still plays music quite well.

Oh, and that ancient iPod still runs just fine as an external hard drive. The Zunes still work as well and the 80GB is used if and when I need more than 32GB. I should probably sell the brown, but I would probably get somewhere around $10 for it so it's likely not worth it especially since it still works.