For thoughtful, insightful answers—or at least discussions with some funny comments—about these and other pressing consumer issues, here’s a roundup of recent posts and stories. The list even includes a special bonus question: What’s the difference between a collection and junk?
Apple
Used iPads Flood the Resale Market
So does that mean you’ll be able to scoop up a used, first-generation iPad on the cheap?
Cheapskate Wisdom … About a Cheaper, More Productive Alternative to the iPad
“It’s called a laptop, and experts say they’re still better than tablets for users who want something that’s truly functional.”
Saying No to Upgrades
In today’s world, where many consumers feel a two-year-old cell phone is outdated and a car without “new car smell” is sad, we’re taught constantly that upgrades are necessary, and that gadgets and gear must be replaced regularly and often.
iPaid Too Much: Is a Tablet Price War Coming?
Perhaps you’ve heard of the iPad? The device that’s certainly fun, but arguably a fairly useless time suck? Well, in addition to this “it” gizmo, by one count there are more than 100 other tablets in the works or currently being sold by 64 different manufacturers. That’s a lot of tablets.
The iPad Debate: Is It Remotely Useful or Just a Total Time Suck?
“A salad spinner would have been a better investment, and I don’t even eat that much salad.”
The Smaller, Cheaper iPhone for the Masses
Are the rumors of a less-expensive, no-contract “iPhone Nano” true?
$1,400 for Smurfberries!?! Why You Should Think Twice Before Handing an iPhone Over to an 8-Year-Old
Parents want their children to become comfortable with technology. But in the course of amusing themselves with apps and games, kids can unknowingly (or perhaps knowingly) pile up huge bills on their parent’s credit cards.
119 Money Tips: How to Avoid Investment Scams, Fake Consumer Reviews, Supermarket Rip-offs, Horribly Lame Valentine’s Gifts, and More
Also: the best-ever personal finance books, and tips for saving on everything from weddings to the latest gadgets.
Personal Finance Guru Q&A: ‘The Ten Commandments of Money’ Author Liz Weston
Liz Weston, author of a new personal finance bible of sorts, issues this key point in as straightforward a way as possible: “Anybody with a high school education can figure out the basics of money.”
Personal Finance Guru Q&A: ‘The Real Cost of Living’ Author Carmen Wong Ulrich
In the first of a new series of Q&As with personal finance experts, the TV host and author of Generation Debt offers her thoughts on everything from why she would never pay cash—or even put more than 20% down—when buying a house, to why she always pays top dollar for quality tequila.
Why the $49 iPhone Still Costs Too Much
When the iPhone was introduced in 2007, it sold for $399. A couple months later, you could buy one for half that. Some iPhone models later dropped to $99, and now AT&T is selling the iPhone 3GS for the enticing price of $49. Sounds like an amazing deal.