Last week I insisted I wouldn't drop $500 on the new iPad even if it shot laser beams and turned into a flying car.
Now we know the new iPad does have some neat features: a super-high resolution retina display (it's "resolutionary," according to Apple's oddly punning marketing), a new camera and better battery life, among other improvements.
Have all those new features made me change my mind? Nope.
My earlier post struck a chord with a lot of Mashable readers who also love technology but can't afford every new gadget. Apple has dropped the price of a new iPad 2 to $400, but that's still more than I'm willing to pay to enter the tablet market.
If I was sitting on a great deal of expendable cash, then I'd be all for it. It's a cool gadget with lots of impressive features.
But I still can't justify spending that much on a device that really doesn't do anything I can't do with my laptop.
Ultimately, as I've said before, a tablet is still a want and not a need. I do want one very much, though -- if only because they are easier to carry around and use on public transportation or during a quick meeting.
But they're not five hundred dollars easier -- not to me, anyway.
But what about the video camera, you ask? Well, I already have a camera. And I don't look ridiculous when I'm using it.
So, what's a guy like me to do? I've been watching eBay like a bargain-loving vulture, feeding on the technological leftovers of the early adopters. I've seen good-condition used iPad 2 models being sold for about $350, and that's tempting.
But I'm hedging my bet that if I hold out just a little longer, I'll find a good-condition iPad for $300 -- and if I get really lucky, the seller will throw in a case, too.
If you think the $200 difference is minor, then we come from different budgetary worlds. As a just-starting-out young professional, that's no small chunk of change. It is nearly what I pay for groceries each month.