I don't get the whole iPad 3 craze.

[onenote]

177. Of course not. But that's an apples and oranges comparison

You have chosen to spend a lot of money on a camera that you plan to hold onto for 15-20 years. Other Nikon afficianados will not hold their cameras that long, as new models, with new capabilities are introduced. Which is fine. Depending on what someone wants out of their camera and how important new features are, each person makes their own decision.

Of course no one buys a tablet, or a laptop, or even a PC to last 10-15 years. Just as no one buys a phone for 10-15 years. If someone spends $500 every 3 years for a new computer or tablet, in 10-15 years they'll spend $3000. I don't know how much you spent for your Nikon, but a full Nikon set up with lenses etc can easily run that much or more -- all at once, if that's how one chooses to buy it.

But that's the point. Its no more irrational for someone to spend $500 every few years for a new device that they use every day as it is for someone to spend several times that amount for a device (i.e., a digital SLR camera) that they use often but not nearly as often. (Obviously, if you're a professional photographer that analysis is not applicable, but the overwhelming majority of purchasers of digital SLRs are not professional, full time photographers).

For some people $1.50 a day is a lot. But But they're probably not the ones buying iPads. Moreover, since most people don't replace their iPads every year, its proably more like 75 cents per day or less. I don't worry about "getting" those people that spend far more that per day for a cup of coffee and I don't worry about "getting" those who spend their money on something that they enjoy, need, and/or find value in.

I'm curious about one thing -- did you start a similar thread about the "Air Jordan craze"? Seems to me that you should "get" the idea of people fighting to buy a $200 pair of sneakers every year -- particularly where its quite likely that the folks buying those shoes can afford them far less than the typical iPad purchaser -- even less than you "get" the "iPad craze."