‘WASTEFUL’?

Something very annoying:

Why is it that when certain things stop working or break (like my beloved RICOH GR III), it cannot be easily fixed by me, and has to be sent elsewhere?

Or another example, I find a pair of NIKE shoes I really like (Air Force 1, Flyknit, special edition), but once the soles wear out … I essentially have to throw them away, and waste time trying to procure a new ‘perfect’ thing similar to it?

The thing I’m trying to figure out:

How to balance minimalism (minimalist design), and inter-changeability?

For example, I get it– the thin MacBook laptops has nothing interchangeable in order to make it as light, slim and sexy as possible. Yet the tradeoff is that when something gets outdated (like the processor, RAM, storage space, battery, etc) … I cannot easily swap out a new version or one.

Then I figured out, the dilemma:

When it comes to cameras, do I buy the newest RICOH GR camera, knowing that it will only last me 2-3 years before it breaks and I gotta buy a new one, *or* is it better to get a more expensive (bigger, bulkier) but inter-changeable lens camera, that will last longer?

Or with shoes:

Is it better to get uber-minimalist shoes (cheap price) that will wear out in a few months, and just keep buying new versions of it when it runs out, or is it better to buy the more expensive boots (in which you can repair the soles), but the boots are heavier and bulkier?

What would MANDO do?

Assuming we live in the Star Wars universe, what will MANDO from the Mandalorian do?

It seems in this quasi-future, they all wear boots, and have things which are bulkier, more cyber-punky, but more rugged, swappable, and inter-changeable. Even in Blade Runner 2049, Ryan Gosling is still wearing a leather sherpa jacket, instead of some strange plasticky-neo-futuristic designed jacket (Ghost in the Shell design).

Another thought on devices

Then another thought:

Is it better to just buy the newest device, but the highest specs (the strongest processor), but the least storage, and just keep buying new versions of it?

For example with the iPhone, is it best to just buy the newest iPhone Mini (which includes the newest processor) and get it with the least storage? Or just buy the cheapest new iPhone (like the iPhone SE?)

Laptop thoughts

Or with laptops — is it best to get the most powerful laptop currently available, or just buy the newest cheapest MacBook Air (the least RAM, the least storage)?

Getting the design you like?

Or perhaps, just get the design you like. Even when looking at the new MacBook Air vs the new MacBook Pro (14 inch), I really hate the way the 14 inch looks (irregardless of the specs). Too thick, too much bezel, and switching back to the old types of ports seems like a step backwards.

And when comparing the 13 inch MacBook Air and the 13 inch MacBook Pro (Touch Bar), it seems the MacBook Air is the better bet, given it is still lighter (.2 pounds lighter), and according to our design ethos, the design that is the lightest is the best.

Price isn’t the issue

Our personal luxury:

Honestly at this point, price isn’t the issue.

It is just getting the thing you prefer the most. Which is:

The most small, the most premium, the most powerful (smallest footprint) possible (and the most ultralight).

ERIC

What would MANDO do?

Another thought on devices

Laptop thoughts

Getting the design you like?

Price isn’t the issue

DESIGN THOUGHTS