I spend a lot of time reading on these forums, trying to learn as much as I can about 3D graphics technologies etc. I have an interest because I've studied electronics and programming. Many times, I find the good information is lost in a pile of arguments between different camps that religiously defend their favourite 3D companies.
My question is this: Do you feel brand loyalty has a postive or negative on the 3D scene? Obviously there is good and bad in everything, so I don't expect to get clear-cut answers. I'm just curious as to why people feel so much a part of their favourite companies.
I would say it's a negative. I do understand a certain amount of brand-loyalty. I am a turntable hobbyist, and I really enjoy Grado cartridges, so I try to support the company when I can. But I I do not doubt that there may be a better product available from another company, and I would never make any attempts to slander or downplay the success of another company offering a good product. I may or may not decide to buy this other product, depending on how important a buying decision it is. And sometimes I like to support the underdog, simply because I feel it's good to support alternative choices in the marketplace. But to me, if I'm going to make a huge investment of money in a product like a graphics card, I will most likely buy the product that best suits my needs. I have bought graphics cards from ATI, Matrox, Nvidia and PowerVR(Hercules), and all of them were wonderful products. Brand loyalty limits your own choices as a consumer, and I feel that few companies actually deserve loyalty because they have no real interest in you other than your wallet and the free advertising you provide them by promoting their products to your friends and peers. I will recommend a good product from any company. If there is a company I generally turn to for a product, and the current product is of poor quality, I'll usually recommend something else and say, "Maybe the next one will be worth looking into", or even recommend a previous product. But simply, I will never recommend a product that I feel is of poor quality. I feel that many people do not recommend a good product, they recommend the brand-name instead, which is an entirely different thing. You do no service to yourself or your friends by recommending brand names. And it's even worse when people resort to slandering a person for choosing a different product or brand. I am rambling now, so I will stop.
My question is this: Do you feel brand loyalty has a postive or negative on the 3D scene? Obviously there is good and bad in everything, so I don't expect to get clear-cut answers. I'm just curious as to why people feel so much a part of their favourite companies.
I would say it's a negative. I do understand a certain amount of brand-loyalty. I am a turntable hobbyist, and I really enjoy Grado cartridges, so I try to support the company when I can. But I I do not doubt that there may be a better product available from another company, and I would never make any attempts to slander or downplay the success of another company offering a good product. I may or may not decide to buy this other product, depending on how important a buying decision it is. And sometimes I like to support the underdog, simply because I feel it's good to support alternative choices in the marketplace. But to me, if I'm going to make a huge investment of money in a product like a graphics card, I will most likely buy the product that best suits my needs. I have bought graphics cards from ATI, Matrox, Nvidia and PowerVR(Hercules), and all of them were wonderful products. Brand loyalty limits your own choices as a consumer, and I feel that few companies actually deserve loyalty because they have no real interest in you other than your wallet and the free advertising you provide them by promoting their products to your friends and peers. I will recommend a good product from any company. If there is a company I generally turn to for a product, and the current product is of poor quality, I'll usually recommend something else and say, "Maybe the next one will be worth looking into", or even recommend a previous product. But simply, I will never recommend a product that I feel is of poor quality. I feel that many people do not recommend a good product, they recommend the brand-name instead, which is an entirely different thing. You do no service to yourself or your friends by recommending brand names. And it's even worse when people resort to slandering a person for choosing a different product or brand. I am rambling now, so I will stop.
