Does Tech Packaging Matter?

[Rob Williams]

Just pick up the latest and greatest piece of tech? Whether it be a smartphone, notebook or really any other electronic gadget, do you ever stop and analyze how nice the packaging is? And better still, does it matter to you what the packaging looks like?

Read the rest of our post and then discuss it here!

 

[Optix]

I think the last time a shot of the box was included was on the GIGABYTE keyboard, but I might be mistaken.

I'd rather have the internal packaging be sound and the product come in a plain brown box than have all of this flash on the outside while my new toy floats around with ever bump and jolt.

Oh, and if you can't open a box, you have no business getting a tablet.

 

[Rob Williams]

Damn, you have quite the memory.

http://techgage.com/article/gigabyte_aivia_k8100_gaming_keyboard/

I can see why I included a picture of it

And I'll be honest... judging from the YouTube video I linked, I think most people just don't know how to cut through tape that seals the box shut. A proper box cutter would have cut through that no problem. I've had issues before with boxes that opened like a box of chocolates, but never anything like what's seen in the video.

 

[Big Red Machine]

When it comes to tech purchases, I always research the product as much as possible, then buy the product online, where it is almost always cheapest. Consequently, the attractiveness of the packaging is lost on me since I'm not choosing the product on the basis of how it looks on the shelf of some brick-and-mortar store.

What I do NOT like, however, is a package that's hard to open. I understand why some products are packaged that way (to discourage theft, ostensibly), but getting cut by jagged pieces of plastic is never fun.

 

[Rob Williams]

What I do NOT like, however, is a package that's hard to open. I understand why some products are packaged that way (to discourage theft, ostensibly), but getting cut by jagged pieces of plastic is never fun.

I couldn't agree more. Even clamshell packaging can be made to open easily enough (where little sockets click together), but most companies seem to not mind making it a real - and dangerous - challenge. The most ironic packaging I've ever seen was for a box cutter I bought. It was sealed shut and required scissors to open.

 

[Tharic-Nar]

Blister-pack packaging... the absolute worst, often used by memory cards, USB storage and most flash media, anything small really. Can't stand the stuff, scissors have a tough time getting through the edges, and a Stanley knife is more likely to cut your hand.

Packaging in general though, meh. So long as the internals are well protected, it doesn't matter to me. I'm not exactly going to wave it around, like I'm making a statement - and yes, online purchases means a brown box is fine, and preferable if it means saving money.

 

[madmat]

The stuff that needs a veritable chainsaw to open is stupid beyond belief. That's followed closely by stuff that comes in 3lbs of cardboard folded in a manner that would make an origami master cry in frustration. Put it in a simple box with bubble wrap and some foam. If theft is an issue, seal the box with tape. It's hardly rocket science.

 

[Tharic-Nar]

They avoid bubble wrap and foam because it's not easy to recycle compared to cardboard. It's easier to just bung the entire box into card recycle that separate the stuff out. I kind of like the card, adds rigidity to the internals so that they don't collapse when you pile them 60 high, ship them 4000 miles, thrown in a van, then thrown at your front door, whilst dropped 18 times by a bored delivery man...

 

[madmat]

They avoid bubble wrap and foam because it's not easy to recycle compared to cardboard. It's easier to just bung the entire box into card recycle that separate the stuff out. I kind of like the card, adds rigidity to the internals so that they don't collapse when you pile them 60 high, ship them 4000 miles, thrown in a van, then thrown at your front door, whilst dropped 18 times by a bored delivery man...

Yeah, screw it, who needs trees?

 

[Optix]

Besides fresh air, paper and building materials what the hell have trees done for me lately?!

 

[Big Red Machine]

Besides fresh air, paper and building materials what the hell have trees done for me lately?!

Just today I noticed how much cooler it was in the shade of one.

 

[madmat]

The reason I said that is because the majority of people don't recycle. Not paper, cardboard and plastics at least. Metals get recycled because there's money in it. The other stuff, from my experience, it costs money to recycle it. I'm already paying for trash service and they expect me to pay more so they can get my clean and sorted recyclables and sell them? Ha, dig them out of my trash.

Until recycling is made easy and painless and most importantly, free, it won't be universally embraced. Therefore MFG's need to package as if nothing will get recycled.

 

[Optix]

Recycling is free - sort it yourself and take it to a drop off bin. It takes a little bit of work (15 minutes every other Saturday for me), but with recycling plastic, metal, cardboard, box board and paper along with composting, our garbage output has gone from about six to eight bags every two weeks to no more than three.

What I want to know is why are we still using landfills? Why aren't we setting up incinerators that can create energy from our waste and put that back into the power grid? The start up costs would be higher but we aren't burying crap that takes hundreds of years to break down.

 

[Rob Williams]

It might be that madmat's city doesn't have recycling bins littered all over the city like they have here. But you're right... takes little time and is pretty convenient when that's an option.

The worst part about recycling is just the amount of space in your house it can hog. Shrink ray... do want.

 

[madmat]

Recycling is free - sort it yourself and take it to a drop off bin. It takes a little bit of work (15 minutes every other Saturday for me), but with recycling plastic, metal, cardboard, box board and paper along with composting, our garbage output has gone from about six to eight bags every two weeks to no more than three.

What I want to know is why are we still using landfills? Why aren't we setting up incinerators that can create energy from our waste and put that back into the power grid? The start up costs would be higher but we aren't burying crap that takes hundreds of years to break down.

Unfortunately it's not as simple here as it is in other places. Here you either pay your trash company to haul off your recyclables or drive 20 or 30 miles to a recycling center. Either way, you pay for it. In gas or for them to get it from you.

It might be that madmat's city doesn't have recycling bins littered all over the city like they have here. But you're right... takes little time and is pretty convenient when that's an option.

The worst part about recycling is just the amount of space in your house it can hog. Shrink ray... do want.

In California they had just started curbside recycling in the bigger cities, over 100,000 people, when I left. It was free and they took glass, metal, cardboard/paper and plastics. Heck, if they had recycling drops that were local I'd be happy to take a trunk load out to them once or twice a week. Instead the trash companies want to gouge you for trying to be a responsible citizen. The whole double dipping thing chaps me.

 

[Rob Williams]

Around here, the gas point is moot since almost all of the bins are located in the same parking lot of your supermarket or some other popular store. It's unfortunate that option is not more widely available. Maybe our government just happens to make a mint off our recycling, I'm not sure.

 

[madmat]

Here, as in GA not the US, waste disposal is largely privatized. Some states have community trash services paid for via property taxes, some have state run land fills and trash services provided by private companies that are paid for out of HOA dues or the home owner's pockets.

 

[Rob Williams]

Ahh, that's right, I do remember reading about that once.