Shuffling along the Limits of Consumerism Guile

I've succumbed to the Mac. I've always managed to triumph over my previous pangs of desire to purchase these devilishly attractive gizmos by convincing myself that these things were far too costly for what they are worth.

And then along came the Ipod Shuffle. No, this Mac gadget, like all its predecessors, definitely lies not anywhere in the "decently priced" or "value for money" price range. Rather, for the simple design and features that it possess, this piece of white plastic sits just an inch away from being ridiculously overpriced.

And then you might ask me - "So why did you buy it?"

The truth is, I honestly do not know. I think it might have something to do with the fact that I have been looking longingly at Mac products for such a long time now. Each time the same thought runs through my head: "Damn! I'll jump on this thing right now if only it cost less than a hundred!". So far, this tactic seemed to have worked wonderfully.

Until now. The problem now is that the Ipod Shuffle is ingeniously priced at $99. A dollar below $100! I have been hit below the belt. My last line of defense crumbles against my raging consumerism desires! The marketing people at Apple have discovered the Archilles heel of the another bunch of survivors standing firm against the endless waves of Ipod releases. The $100 barrier has been breached! I can finally own an Ipod and become part of this cool new breed of human beings who pay exorbitant prices in exchange for a piece of an Apple gizmo in their hands!

So what if the Shuffle has no display, and so what if it has less functions than my ten year old Sony walkman. Everyday I find new reasons to convince myself that my investment is worthwhile. How's that! The crowning glory of the highest form of marketing - self convincing customers who take on the burden of finding reasons to justify buying your product at a ridiculous price! No need to advertise ever again!

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Note: In spite of all my ranting, I do, in fact, love my Shuffle a lot.