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Actually it does - iPhones have a LIDAR sensor for their face recognition that you can use as a 3D scanner with a suitable app. Android phones do not. I happily use Android but this is the one thing I would like.
thats very niche reason to blow a thousand quid!
I think the flagship Honor phones have LIDAR
phones are a very good example, incremental improvements hyped up by slick marketing so that they are status symbols, getting you to shell out a grand every year or so when mid/ budget phones do everything really need
also applies to mtbs, geometry is fairly settled, a 5 year old bike loses nothing to a 2025 bike (apart from not needing batteries)
and haircuts, Ive never been in a position to understand why a haircut can cost so much.
Well when yo have good hair a good cut is worth every penny :-). Last time I grew my hair I had a £10 cut at a barbers and it was rubbish compared to a £40 cut at a good hairdressers. I could do without all the faffage in the good haircut place tho
Tj reminding us all again,that he does indeed still have a good head of hair!
Have we got this far in with nobody mentioning premium petrol and diesel?
Out here in Canada standard petrol is 87 octane. Subsequently my 15 year old VW requires "premium". Lah do dah!
It did actually start knocking when I ran it on standard for a while.
Cars are a funny one. We hired a little Dacia a couple of months back, and it was perfectly ok, if a little agricultural. If I was pottering around town now and then, it'd be fine, but not great for racking up hundreds of miles.
Like with the watch thing, if the primary function is basic transport, then yeah, it's alright, but if transport is secondary to a status symbol, not quite.
but objectively if do drive a long way, it's more comfortable and relaxing in a better car
As somebody who has never owned a premium car I'm fully aware that this is the case.
Part of me lies to myself that it isn't true to justify the real reason I don't buy more expensive cars - I'm tight/ prefer spending the money on other things.
The car thing can be looked at from a variety of ways.Enjoyment- when younger i had a fast car, but at various times in my life i have also had a slow car 2cv !!. It was a fun drive in a different way , keeping momentum, timing gear changes,, watching gradients, character etc etc.
It felt fast at 50 mph!
The fast car (Imprezza) was too fast really and if you drove it everyday it becomes normal, a bit like a motorbike, you start riding it faster for the thrill
I think if you enjoy driving you make the most of the slower vehicle.
If you do not " bond" with the vehicle then thats another story. Esp its uncomfortable.
I drove the 2cv to Portugal and back via France as well......
But i am tight and my van and cars now were bought with well over 100,000 miles on them and have character!
definitely mechanical watches. I have a Casio quartz g-shock that picks up radio signals to always give precisely the right time … and I use that to set my mechanical watches
Unless its a genuinely bad or old car i don't think Molgrips argument holds water.
Or maybe my arse is unpicky but i've driven many many hire cars over long (and windy backroad long, not blasting up the M# and trunkroads) distances all around scotland chasing railway bridges and never ever thought "jesus i needed a mercedes for this"
Probably the most critical thing to how comfortable i was was whether it was automatic or not.
Alcohol - why bother with ChateauNeuf-de-PooPoo when you can just drink rubbing alcohol?
TBH just buy more isopropyl alcohol as you can clean your brake discs as well.
Kill 2 birds with one stone (and possibly yourself so don’t try this at home)
Alcohol - why bother with ChateauNeuf-de-PooPoo when you can just drink rubbing alcohol?
TBH just buy more isopropyl alcohol as you can clean your brake discs as well.
Kill 2 birds with one stone (and possibly yourself so don’t try this at home)
I once randomly decided to try meths. Not take a swig just a single droplet on my tongue. Holy shit you'd have to be desperate.
Another time i accidentally swigged white spirit... Clear ribbed plastic bottle with clear liquid next to the clear ribbed plastic bottle with clear liquid... That was actually less of a shock but had an unpleasant mouth feel.
The phones thing is really interesting and i would love to see some one do some proper long term research. As far as i can work out in the high end phones at the same price point you’ll get a better camera on Android than iPhone. Android i think are better value for storage.
so why am i typing in an iphone?
I use to own a £350 mid range samsung. It basically died due to being in damp pockets. It also had 3 persistent software niggles. There were a few things the Facebook app would refuse to do so I’d have to use the web version.
So needing a sealed phone i bought an iPhone 12. It died due to a combination of lawnmower damage destroying the sealing then a year later water damage. But overall i was impressed. Well made and no software bugs
My theory is that iPhones stay in use longer. That’s based on collecting phones at the start of every lesson. But I’d love to see a proper study on it
Have to disagree about bottom brackets, Hope last way longer than cheap Shimano and you can replace the bearings, I can't tell the difference between cheap and expensive porridge.
I think the issues crap bearings, good bearings cost a little more but the leap to ceramic bearings (at bicycle leisure markup)that don’t have any real benefit for boggo cyclists other than bragging rights on how much you paid (although may have a placebo effect ) 🙂
Paracetamol, Ibuprofen etc. Active ingredient is exactly the same in supermarket generic own brands as in the expensive stuff on the next shelf.
Can't put a price on placebo effect, though. My mum is convinced Nurofen "works better" and pays through the nose for it, whereas I'm so cheap I once made my own paracetamol.
Expensive luggage...pointless
Many of my work colleagues have been using the knock-off Rimowa aluminium cases from Shanghai and they're indistinguishable from the real thing. No complaints to date.
Some suitcase manufacturers place a big deal on their warranty, but I can confidently tell you that Samsonite don't give a shit about theirs and have so many get-outs that I'd buy any other brand before one of theirs again.
My theory is that iPhones stay in use longer. That’s based on collecting phones at the start of every lesson. But I’d love to see a proper study on it
I’d agree with this just got some iPhone 16e’s to replace xr’s (2018).
A medical friend told me that the stuff that goes with the active ingredient in Nurofen is better quality than the non-branded equivalents and consequently is better on the stomach.
We own many 80 litre barrel bags. The cheap ones from Go Outdoors have better zips and materials than the North Face one
Although the active ingredients in generic and branded medicines are identical, there can be differences in the formulations that they are delivered in and the coatings on the tablets that may make them slightly quicker acting or easier to swallow.
There is the slightly awkward fact that branded medications work slightly better due to the placebo effect.
It’s not a big difference, but it is a differences.
Personally, knowing all this, I use the cheapest generics, but other people’s MMV.
I once randomly decided to try meths. Not take a swig just a single droplet on my tongue. Holy shit you'd have to be desperate.
Another time i accidentally swigged white spirit... Clear ribbed plastic bottle with clear liquid next to the clear ribbed plastic bottle with clear liquid... That was actually less of a shock but had an unpleasant mouth feel.
TBH my m8 was telling me about gin production.
You buy in the base alcohol NGS (neutral grain spirit) at 99% dilute it and add your berries/flavouring , distill it again etc
The art I suppose is being able to make consistent batches at scale.
But white spirit,isopropyl and methylated spirits are absolutely toxic to us so best not use as a base for any home made gin.
As per recent stories in the news over this stuff
I have a rolex that I inherited and it is actually an inferior tool for telling the time as it gradually loses time and it needs adjusting regularly. It is basically a piece of jewellery as far as I'm concerned
it is,instead of gold chains or rings but it’s functional jewellery as it’ll give you some idea of the time 🙂
Quite often on cheaper products I find that one of the ways that cost savings are made are in quality control.
A medical friend told me that the stuff that goes with the active ingredient in Nurofen is better quality than the non-branded equivalents and consequently is better on the stomach.
First aid at work certificate?
The active ingredient in both is Ibuprofen. It's a chemical compound. It either is Ibuprofen or it's not, there is no better quality. As others have pointed out, there may be other things in some brands to ease swallowing or speed absorbtion etc. but the active ingredient is the same.
Not stuff with li-ion batteries in
A medical friend told me that the stuff that goes with the active ingredient in Nurofen is better quality than the non-branded equivalents and consequently is better on the stomach.
First aid at work certificate?
The active ingredient in both is Ibuprofen. It's a chemical compound. It either is Ibuprofen or it's not, there is no better quality. As others have pointed out, there may be other things in some brands to ease swallowing or speed absorbtion etc. but the active ingredient is the same.
Primary Reader Award?
Perhaps if you had read the post by Blackhat properly before posting your patronising reply you might have noticed what they actually wrote rather than what you thought they wrote and were also the first of the 'others' to point this out.
But thanks for your input.
Guilty as charged, hands up. Skim reading and having a bad day, but that's no excuse. Apologies to Blackhat, my rude reply was uncalled for, and thanks to Winston for pointing it out.
I've also been having a bad day and so I apologise for my rude reply to your rude reply! Hope your day improves (and mine) We deserve it.
Looking at the thread I reckon there are three different strands emerging. There are definitely things where the cheap equivalent is exactly as good and the same as the most expensive option - bottled water must be the winner here.
Then you have things people perceive to be better but really aren't - Most ultra high end stuff sits here like Overfinch, Rolex, stupid high end audio cables etc its obviously not the same thing as the cheaper stuff but it really doesn't perform any better than the alternatives.
Then finally you have the iPhone v cheaper android/Dacia v BMW/Squire v Fender etc which is basically just diminishing returns.
Your £1200 iPhone doesn't do anything that my £250 Android does
If you just want to think about functionality, you're right. In the same way that my 10 year old Renault will get you to my seaside flat, the same that a brand new shiny Porsche would. But 5.5 hours in a Porsche would be far more comfortable, it'd make overtaking some much easier, it'd be quieter (so I can listen to my music better) etc.
My iPhone doesn't do anything that a cheap Android phone does, it's true. But the screen is noticeably nicer to look at, with a sharper picture; the phone responds instantly to my inputs; the camera takes photos that are clearly better than a cheap Android phone. I use my phone a lot, and all these little things add up. Are they essential? Clearly not. But do they make my life "nicer"? Definitely yes.
(And FWIW I regret getting an iPhone, this time round. I should have got a Samsung Galaxy, not that it changes in any way what I've written above!)
Then you have things people perceive to be better but really aren't - Most ultra high end stuff sits here like Overfinch, Rolex, stupid high end audio cables etc its obviously not the same thing as the cheaper stuff but it really doesn't perform any better than the alternatives.
I doubt anyone buys a Rolex expecting it to tell the time better than a cheap Casio... they buy them to let other people know they have enough cash to waste on a Rolex.
They buy them to let other people know they have enough cash to waste on a Rolex.
Is that your opinion of all jewellery?
Paracetamol, Ibuprofen etc.
I was under the impression that paracetamol was the generic drug. Certainly ibuprofen is, same goes for s****y antihistamines, that cost £5 a packet, when a generic version from the high street shop of your choice will cost about a quid.
Dried pasta.
Watches.
A £25 casio tells the time just as well, better, even, than a Patek Phillipe that can easily set you back over a hundred grand.
People must only buy these things for washing money?...
People must only buy these things for washing money?...
Applies to loads of things from the perspective of those who don't appreciate them. A lot of people would be bewildered by the amount people on here spend on a push bike.
Should we all just buy the most basic, utilitarian version of everything we own and use, which just meets the minimum spec to perform its function? Or is there room for a little artistry/novelty/luxury if it makes us feel good?
I'm not into posh watches, but I understand why people might be.
Did read the title of the thread? 😅
Casio watch? Some hold their time better than others.
G-shock is a good place to start, or just go for a radio controlled watch if you require absolute chronological precision.
dried pasta? Stick with the wholewheat stuff. Organic is even better for peace of mind.
android vs iPhone?
does android actually vet their third party apps, or does anything go?
Fairly expensive headphone cable?
if it’s connected to proper equipment, then oh yes!
People still wear watches? 😁
I have three. One is a 'nice' watch (not by STW standards of course, it's a Citizen Eco-Drive which cost a couple of hundred quid). I mostly wear it when I'm going out and want to know the time without looking at my phone constantly. I have an old smar****ch, the original Huawei W1, which I mostly wear these days if I want to don't want to miss calls without looking at my phone constantly. And I've got a bargain basement G-Shock for when I'm on the bike and don't want to... you get the idea.
Each has a function. The only reason I can think of wanting to replace any of them with something more expensive is I'd quite like payment functionality on the smar****ch.
Oh good grief. Smart watch.
Dried pasta.
Nope!
Massive difference in Barilla or De Cecco compared to Tesco/A.N.Other own brand stuff.
TBF, Lidl italiano range is very good, but there's a big difference between brands.
have enough cash to waste on a Rolex.
Rolex ain't even all that expensive. Few years back I put on a display for Jeager le Coultre..... Cheapest watch in display was 190,000€.... Most expensive was over 2m€....!
Talking of other bullshit brands.....
I put in a display in Munich for Loro Piana. Cheapest item I could find in the store was a baseball cap for 380€. Most expensive was a jacket for 32,000€.
What a load of bollox. People who can afford such things should be introduced to much higher taxes.
Talking of other bullshit brands.....
Going off piste, but don’t most brands end up being nothing than a bull shit brand,they start off actually having different attributes that make them stand out, ie quality and reliability and then that brand name literally gets milked whereby the owners have no interest in keeping those attributes other than cranking the price up.
What I’m getting at is the brands you aspired to as a kid were actually good then but now are a pale imitation.
I’ve seen YouTube videos going over old vintage clothing showing how the quality of materials and workmanship was much higher for a brand then than now (and the use of China for manufacturing and finishing in other countries - although there’s a bit of disinformation going on from China )
Have we got this far in with nobody mentioning premium petrol and diesel?
If your car is designed for higher-octane petrol (especially turbos), it will perform better if you buy high-octane. If it's designed for lower-octane petrol, buying higher-octane won't give any benefit.
Android auto works fine in my Dacia.
Would rather spend £10k on a car than £50k that's for sure. Still gets me from a to b. You are just being suckered in by marketing and being sold an aspiration.
Would rather spend £10k on a car than £50k that's for sure. Still gets me from a to b. You are just being suckered in by marketing and being sold an aspiration.
Sometimes, if I’ve had a shit day at work, or it’s late, or I’m knackered, or a combo of all 3, I’ll get a cab home (rather than ride/get the train. Mostly the drivers have mid/low spec corollas/auris’/prius’ and the like and they’re fine, they get me home more quickly/easily than my way. There’s a couple of drivers though, one has a Merc E class and another that has a huge Lexus and they are wonderful. Super comfy seats, quiet and smooth and much nicer places to be. Thats on a 20 minute journey. If I had to spend any amount of time travelling by car, I know which end of the market I’d be looking.