The world is full of gadgets. I have plenty in my house, and I’m sure you have plenty in yours. They come in all shapes and sizes: some connect to the Internet, some broadcast radio or television signals, many make our lives easier. Or at least they’re meant to make our lives easier. The truth is some gadgets turn out to be duds.
Whether they’re more trouble than they’re worth right from the day of purchase, break quickly and are unrepairable, are superseded in record time, or just aren’t as great as the commercials and reviews led you to believe they were. Some gadgets just don’t work out….which is where regret takes over.

This Week’s Question…

We want to know, What Gadget Do You Most Regret Buying? For the purposes of this discussion, “gadget” is a catch-all for every piece of technology hardware you can think of. This includes laptops, tablets, smartphones, television sets, microwave ovens, watches, etc. I’m sure you get the picture…
… right on cue, here is a picture of some guy surrounded by technology. Which is a form of pornography for some geeks.
We want you to cast your mind back and think about all those purchases of consumer technology you have made over the years. And then to come back here and tell us which fills you with the most regret. Is there one piece of hardware you wish you just hadn’t bothered with? Which you now realize that the money spent on it could have been put to much better use?
Tell us the reasons for this regret. Was it too expensive? Was it completely unnecessary and devoid of purpose? Did the technology you buy into get beaten into submission by a rival (I’m thinking VHS vs. Betamax, Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD)?
We want to hear your story of woe. Consider it a public service, as your pain may prevent someone else making a similar mistake in the future. We may even get a laugh out of your unfortunate journey into the world of consumer electronics.

Drawing Conclusions

All comments will be digested to form conclusions in a follow-up post next week where we will detail what You Told Us. One reader will be chosen for the coveted Comment Of The Week, getting their name up in lights, the respect of other readers, and 150 MakeUseOf points to use for MakeUseOf Rewards. What more motivation than that do you need to respond?
We Ask You is a weekly column dedicated to finding out the opinions of MakeUseOf readers. The questions asked are usually open-ended and likely to necessitate a discussion. Some are opinion-based, while others see you sharing tips and advice, or advocating tools and apps to fellow MakeUseOf Readers. This column is nothing without you, as MakeUseOf is nothing without you.