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What's the most useless thing you've ever purchased?
- Thread starter Blue Velvet
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Apple iPod Camera Connector
I got this a couple of years ago to use with my iPod photo and Canon EOS 350D.
It was totally useless, it took so long to transfer a 2GB card of photos that the battery of the iPod or the camera would run out before the transfer had finished.
OK, you could pop a new battery into the camera but the iPod? Really useful when you are camping for the weekend and want to empty your memory cards. Fortunately, the rapid drop in flash memory prices meant it wasn't a problem for much longer.
I got this a couple of years ago to use with my iPod photo and Canon EOS 350D.
It was totally useless, it took so long to transfer a 2GB card of photos that the battery of the iPod or the camera would run out before the transfer had finished.
OK, you could pop a new battery into the camera but the iPod? Really useful when you are camping for the weekend and want to empty your memory cards. Fortunately, the rapid drop in flash memory prices meant it wasn't a problem for much longer.
Let's see...
Well I'm quite proud to say that I am relatively good at impulse buying. That is, I rarely buy something that I never use.
There are one or two things though...
-Game Boy Color
That was just downright disappointing. It was just a game boy.... in color. Well if I look back I don't know what else I was expecting, but it sucked. I sold it after 6 months of collecting dust.
-Sony PSP
That was bought at the airport whilst waiting for a flight. The games are overpriced. But the worst of all was the ergonomics. I couldn't use the joystick thingy without getting cramp in my hands. Sold that as well.
One thing I didn't buy, but got as a x-mas gift (as requested repeatedly by myself..)
-Compaq iPaq PocketPC.
The first real "high-performance" PDA with a color lcd and everything. It was a real pain to find as they were super popular at the time. I believe my dad ended up getting me one on ebay at quite a premium. I used it for about a year but got frustrated by the ridiculously short battery life and mediocre text input support. Then it sat there for a year and the battery completely gave up. Replacing the internal battery. Used it for a week. And now its just sitting there again..
Besides that a few things that I bought on ebay but haven't used much (like a trouserpress )
Well I'm quite proud to say that I am relatively good at impulse buying. That is, I rarely buy something that I never use.
There are one or two things though...
-Game Boy Color
That was just downright disappointing. It was just a game boy.... in color. Well if I look back I don't know what else I was expecting, but it sucked. I sold it after 6 months of collecting dust.
-Sony PSP
That was bought at the airport whilst waiting for a flight. The games are overpriced. But the worst of all was the ergonomics. I couldn't use the joystick thingy without getting cramp in my hands. Sold that as well.
One thing I didn't buy, but got as a x-mas gift (as requested repeatedly by myself..)
-Compaq iPaq PocketPC.
The first real "high-performance" PDA with a color lcd and everything. It was a real pain to find as they were super popular at the time. I believe my dad ended up getting me one on ebay at quite a premium. I used it for about a year but got frustrated by the ridiculously short battery life and mediocre text input support. Then it sat there for a year and the battery completely gave up. Replacing the internal battery. Used it for a week. And now its just sitting there again..
Besides that a few things that I bought on ebay but haven't used much (like a trouserpress
)
Way back around 1999.
Sony Glasstron I think it was the PLM-A55.
Never used it properly. Tried it out and got such bad headaches. Hot and heavy as well while the actual video quality was awful.
What was I thinking!
Sony Glasstron I think it was the PLM-A55.
Never used it properly. Tried it out and got such bad headaches. Hot and heavy as well while the actual video quality was awful.
What was I thinking!
My PS2. I bought it on impulse with money I'd saved up 2 years ago. The only reason I wanted to buy it was because I really wanted to play DDR. I ended up spending about $300 in total buying the (everything new... stupid) slim PS2, 2 DDR games, 2 dance mats, memory card, extra controller, etc. I stopped using it after a month and now it just sits there and collects dust.
What was I thinking!
You were probably thinking about how cool you'd look wearing it
I love your 'tar, BTW.
Ackk! I felt like a **** wearing it even with no one else in the room.You were probably thinking about how cool you'd look wearing it
And all that virtual sex never did come to pass
Thanks! Getting it down to Macrumors allowed file size was a bugger though.
Why? I'd think that you'd be able to find *some* songs/albums/TV shows on iTunes that you wanted.
My iCybie. I could never convince myself that it was a suitable substitute for that Aibo I will never be able to afford.
A close second are the copies of XP Pro, MS Office S&T and Parallels my daughter convinced me she needed for her MacBook when she went off to college. She never uses Windows on her Mac.
A close second are the copies of XP Pro, MS Office S&T and Parallels my daughter convinced me she needed for her MacBook when she went off to college. She never uses Windows on her Mac.
I think all the PC's I bought over a 20 year period would fall into this classification .... effin useless ..
My sister was suckered into buying a set of those Titanium II knives you see advertised on the shopping channels. The ones that can "cut through marble and frozen tins". Bollocks. They can hardly cut a tomato, and a chicken breast is a real challenge.
The worst thing was that they were a buy one get one free deal, so after we threw out the first set we had another buried in a cupboard. I thought this was great when I left for uni, as it meant I didn't have to buy knives. I'd completely forgotten how awful they are. The main knife is so thin it bends to the side if you put any pressure on it, and slides down what you're trying to cut.
Want cheap knives? Get Tesco Value, you'd be surprised at how sharp they are.
The worst thing was that they were a buy one get one free deal, so after we threw out the first set we had another buried in a cupboard. I thought this was great when I left for uni, as it meant I didn't have to buy knives. I'd completely forgotten how awful they are. The main knife is so thin it bends to the side if you put any pressure on it, and slides down what you're trying to cut.
Want cheap knives? Get Tesco Value, you'd be surprised at how sharp they are.
Haha! I've never actually seen those things in real life, but remember watching the info-merical and thinking that it had to be too good to be true. And so it is! What were they, the equivilant of $30 for two sets? And how did they manage to give the amazing demonstration if they actually were a waste of time?
A lot of those types of products offer you "lifetime" guarantees. Except, at least in the US, lifetime is basically, as long as the corporation/ business still exists. They make money, and once enough folks start to get upset, they file for bankruptcy so the company is no longer in existence...
... months later, a very similar product with a whole new name is out on the market.
... months later, a very similar product with a whole new name is out on the market.
Logitech bluetooth keyboard and laser mouse, and force feedback joystick. 350USD wasted. great ergonomics but the keyboard bluetooth kept losing sync. mouse made my hand hurt coming from a Kensington trackball. good old trackball... and wired keyboard. force feedback did not work with mac, though it said it would. gah.
A lot of those types of products offer you "lifetime" guarantees. Except, at least in the US, lifetime is basically, as long as the corporation/ business still exists. They make money, and once enough folks start to get upset, they file for bankruptcy so the company is no longer in existence...
... months later, a very similar product with a whole new name is out on the market.
You forgot the other scenario. They make it ultra (#*$ing impossible / total PITA to get a return/exchange under warranty - so you get sick of waiting / form filling / phone calling - and give up.
Like that pile of defective CFLs I have with the "9 year warranty" from Home Depot - I've got like 8 of them that are bad - and it's impossible to get an RMA for just a single one. (all of them are less than 2 years old)
Only still have them - b/c I'm waiting for the town hazardous collection day.
Back in college as an undergrad, I had a tech course that required all projects to be submitted on Zip - 100 discs.... This was 2002. My computer (HP running windows before I converted) didn't have a zip built in, so I strolled down to Best Buy and dropped the 100 bucks on a spiffy zip-100 drive that I used a total of 4 months for this one class. I think the whole zip platform collapsed shortly after my class was done. Total waste.
I destroyed my zip drive when I brought it to England and plugged it in with an adapter sans voltage converter. It smelled like toasted marshmallows and I also blew out all the lights on the dormitory floor.
Superb waste of money with the advent of flash drives.
Superb waste of money with the advent of flash drives.
A lot of those types of products offer you "lifetime" guarantees. Except, at least in the US, lifetime is basically, as long as the corporation/ business still exists. They make money, and once enough folks start to get upset, they file for bankruptcy so the company is no longer in existence...
... months later, a very similar product with a whole new name is out on the market.
Shh! Stop giving away my business secrets!
Most useless thing I've bought so far was when I bought a Game Boy Advance.
Damn, you couldnt see that screen worth a damn without standing under a lamp. I must have played it for an hour or so, then it just sat forever.
I eventually sold it, got 30 cash for it and the game I had, and had a good night with a few friends.
For me I think it was home training simulator. I'm not sure if I name it correctly. There is one of the thing that you can see at the fitness center. I failed to do any exercises on it. Now I do few.. But still it is a little bit useless because if you want to do exercise you should go to the fitness center where you can find "sport atmosphere". There is a lack of it at home and you are lazy to do any sports.
Another useless things I used to buy: plenty of PC-games that I run only 1 or 2 times and than forgot about them because they are not so interesting.
I failed to do any exercises on it. Now I do few.. But still it is a little bit useless because if you want to do exercise you should go to the fitness center where you can find "sport atmosphere". There is a lack of it at home and you are lazy to do any sports.Another useless things I used to buy: plenty of PC-games that I run only 1 or 2 times and than forgot about them because they are not so interesting.