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If you only look at the relative "utility" (btw: I also refute the utility concept as a tautologic issue, but nevertheless) : The "I get more of the same money next year than this year" argument, *is* an infinite regress absurdum, because you can continue this thought process year after year. (under the condition we don't expect the market to fall apart or other catastrophes ruining economy.)
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This will hold true if you assume that
- the person's life is infinite
- the person is trying the get the best value possible by choosing only once in his life.
- the person does not discount the future utility
If any of these conditions are not true, your logic falls apart.
For example, if a person has a certain cutoff, he can make purchase quite certainly in the future. Think about a person who will buy whatever e-ink like device with 9+ inch screen and less than 700$. Do you really think this person should wait forever or several years as you quoted? Given current market and technological evolution, if someone think so, I will doubt his sanity.
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If you think the "utility" you get by buying an iLiad is worth the 650€, then buy one, its really that simple.
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No, it is not that simple at least for some people. You are comparing the utility of Iliad with the price. When you shop grocery, do you buy the first item you see as long as the price is reasonable? As we compare competing products in the market, some people may compare the current alternative and future alternative.
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but we cannot tell somebody else what to do
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If you think I am doing that, you are mistaken. I consistently said that
some people
may be better off waiting depending on various factors. The 'some people' does not seem to include you and I am NOT implying that you should. I am constantly telling that there are
other people who think different and they may be better off not buying the current alternative and they don't necessarily have to have indefinitely. Whether each person belongs to 1) better-waiting-for-next group or 2) buy-right-now group, each person should decide depending on their evaluation of product/probability/... and so on.