I haven't had unrequited consumer lust for awhile. Sure, we got the little camcorder at Christmas, but I didn't sit around for months before buying, pining and doodling little love poems in the margins of my mind.
Maybe it's the economy, but lately I have a few wishlist items that I can't quite justify purchasing. Obviously there's always the big stuff (western European farmhouse, trip to Estonia, my own aqua-massager-lung...), but these new items are different. They're things that everyday people I know own. Things like...
1. A Kindle. Or a Kindle II, which comes out next week. Actually, I don't know any "real life" people with one of these, because everyone keeps showing me their iPhone or Crackberry and saying, "I can read books on here! And so much more!"
Well, yeah. But it's not e-ink. I am very much in love with the e-ink. No glare. Like reading a book. On a paperback-sized screen. While I'd never deny that these smart phones are totally magnificent, it's the e-ink that I want. Look, I used to read The Iliad on a green-screened Palm. I deserve a Kindle.
Sure, there are other e-ink readers, but Amazon has the wireless book-buying. And? And? You can subscribe to The New Yorker for less than a buck an issue. The only reason I haven't reactivated my NYer subscription is because I already have boxes - heavy, heavy boxes - of back issues filling my closets. I can't stand giving them away, so I'd rather go without than surrender more cubic feet.
The only problem is, and I know I've mentioned it here before, is that I currently get most of my books from the library. Our library offers e-books, but they are protected, and thus they can't be read on the Kindle. Plus, the e-book selection is small compared to print. If I had a Kindle, I'd have to have a book budget. If I had to work with a book budget, I couldn't get 12 books at a time and not worry if 11 of them were duds.
I still want a Kindle, though. That's how good the marketing is.
2. A Wii. Or, more accurately, a Wii Fit. Two of my favourite people (hi Chris, hi Tillie) have WF and it just sounds so fun.
And if healthy exercise accidentally happens along the way, I won't complain.
There's probably more, but I have to sign off to get my two-hour nap before the alarm goes BEEP-BEEP-BEEP. (Even capital letters don't convey its harshness.)
The point I wanted to eventually make isn't that I'm cluelessly coveting unnecessary gadgets while people are worried about where their next meal is coming from. (Although, spending money does help keep jobs going, right? Except then you have to wonder about the best place to spend it, and what if the best place to spend it doesn't have what you want?)
But let's think optimistically ahead to when the economy is good again. (And it will be, if history does its classic repetition thing.) Do you know what would be neat? If Amazon's wishlist feature contained a micropayment donation system.
What I mean is... it would be interesting, even fun, if people could pledge tiny donations toward other people's wishlisted items. Like, I want a Kindle. It's $350. Let's say people could pledge up to $5 toward my Kindle. Any people - un-mutual friends who want to chip in on a gift, fans of the Kindle who want to spread the love, passing philanthropic strangers - could pledge.
Then, when enough people agree to pay, Amazon takes the money and sends you the item. Can I get a "Squee!"?
I think it would even be fun from the buying side. I'd happily donate a buck here or a buck there to help people have things I love. I can see myself going to the product pages for things I really like and tossing a few bits toward someone owning, say, Xanadu on DVD.
The whole feature could be heavily customized. Anonymous donors? Matching funds? Email notifications along the lines of "You are 80% of the way to a new Kindle... why not go ahead and kick in the last 20% now?"
And again, no one is charged until the goal is met, and you can rescind your pledge at any time.
And yes, I was thinking of the old "everyone send me a dollar" ads from the back of tabloids when I thought this up.
I'm not even sure I would benefit on the receiving side. I don't think I know enough people well enough to get a Kindle. But! I was kind of hoping there'd be so many Kindle fanboys (or girls) that they'd be eager to help strangers drink the Kindle-aid.
(My plans may be wicked and self-serving, but they're also transparent.)
Amazon, please take this idea and do something with it.* With the current economy, one-person-one-gift wishlists are out. Wishlists that create a greater sense of community while costing everyone less should totally be in. Totally.
* (I give the idea freely, Amazon, but, if implemented, a Kindle II would be a nice gesture.**)
** (Conveniently wishlisted for your shipping ease, Amazon.***)
*** (Wow, 50% of my wishlist has been discontinued. Two items are actually blank.)
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