6 Wise Tips on How to be a Genius Gadget Owner

I've owned important digital gadgets for many years now (by important, I mean stuff I use to earn a living), and it's only now that I've learned the importance, not only of taking good care of them but also of making the most of their value.

The Harrowing Depreciation Cost

When you own an electronic gadget, you need to realize that you are setting the stage for losses and costs that you may not be prepared for. Unless you own a rare collector's item that increases in value as time passes, gadgets are a huge liability in oh so many ways:

1. If they get broken, you need to spend to have them fixed.
2. They decrease in value as newer models are made available in the market.
3. There is always the danger of them getting stolen, in which case you will be poorer by how much their current value is.

Yes, there is always a depreciated expense in each of your purchases, no matter how perfect a gadget still is or how much care you put in it!

So, to take advantage of this bit of important information, I've come up with things you need to do to be a super wise gadget owner:

1. Buy something you really can afford.

And when I say "really afford," I don't mean just the item but also the maintenance cost that goes with it. Let's say you can buy cool gadget brand A with all the cash you saved. Good for you! But if you have to save for a few months before you can have it repaired or if its spare parts cost more than you are willing to spend, just buy the more affordable brand B.

2. Take advantage of product and service warranties.

During the first few days, weeks and months, use your gadget very often. Challenge it even - but only to the extent that it's still covered by the warranty. The warranty period is a chance for you to test its optimum ability without the worries. 

Last year, I purchased a Canon S100 and 2 months before its warranty expired, the lens got stuck! I had it repaired for free of course. But 6 months after, it happened again! Canon was charging me 9K to replace the lens system - that was almost the money I need to replace it with a better one from a competing brand.

I bought this quality point and shoot camera from Canon so I can bring it with me every time I travel because my DSLR camera has become too heavy for me. But if this stucking lens thing is the downside for all P.A.S. cameras, I may have to look for a better product variety - a mirrorless camera perhaps?

3. Good maintenance.

Keep your gadgets in a dry place. The last thing you want are fungi growing on your camera lenses. Clean your high tech gadgets regularly and if possible, use screen protectors and cushions that can help keep your iPads, notebook computers or cellphones from scratches and easy breakage.

4. Update your gadgets.

It may sound like I'm tolerating a luxurious lifestyle, but I'm really not. This advice was born from the fact that new gadgets continually go out of style. All products get phased out and if you reach that point, it would be hard for you to dispose of your gadget to accommodate a new one.

Around 5 years ago, I bought a Canon DSLR camera lens, which cost me 10K at the time. Lately, I've been taking unsatisfying pictures with it so I decided to go to a Canon Service Center to have it cleaned or repaired. Unfotunately, the Canon technician said that they can no longer fix it because the lens has already been phased out and they don't have spare parts for it anymore. What made me even sadder was what the Canon customer service lady told me next: Canon offers 10% discount on their cameras in exchange of an old product, broken or not. Sad, Canon made me feel my precious lens is now valued at 10% off any camera choice. I have to buy a P100,000 worth camera to realize its original market value. (Of course it has depreciated in value too so I'm not complaining). But it was even sadder that my hopelessness left me considering whether I should just buy a new one and give up this lens - MY FIRST GADGET PURCHASE BESIDES CELLPHONES.

Yes, this is how easily gadgets get stripped off their real value just because time flies.

My advice? 

1. Sentimental value holds no economic worth so don't hold a personal attachment to a gadget. 
2. Update your gadgets regularly. Sell and buy.

5. Know that gadget is not a replacement for talent.

In 2011, Nikon posted a controversial Facebook status that went: "A photographer is only as good as the equipment he uses, and a good lens is essential to taking good pictures..."

FB fans of the brand replied to the post negatively, with some saying Nikon (or at least the intern behind that status) is "insensitive," "unthoughtful," "unthinking" and "stupid."

I say yes, it was a dumb move by Nikon.

It's the talent, not the gear that can bring you places. The quality of gear you have matters only to a certain extent but you don't have to make ultra mega high quality an absolute necessity. Photos taken at odd moments and at amazing angles - those that tell a story are more valuable, inspiring and sensational.

6. Invest in your living.

Efficiency is a different thing however. If you are a graphic artist or a programmer, invest in a good, and i mean reaaaally good gear. Do not sacrifice efficiency for a low-cost computer announcing to the world that It's the talent, not the gadget. It's how you earn a living after all and you have to be an efficient worker. Work for it. Save for it. Spend for it.