Let the arguments start rolling in. Sure, you might need seat warmers in Texas for any number of reasons but most likely those aren’t the primary uses of the car. Keeping bagels warm? Probably doesn’t justify the extra expense.
Every time I make a big purchase, like a car, I get pulled into more and more options that I never thought I’d need. It’s the value hunter in me. I can get $4k in options for $2k. Nevermind that $2,500 of those options I don’t really want. But what you forget about is the long term complexity that gets created by that upgrade. It’s not that I spend extra money for things I didn’t need once. But that I won’t get that money back on resale, and that those options are expensive to maintain, and in many cases make the vehicle more difficult to operate. If you need seat warmers, those little buttons are welcome additions. If you don’t, they are just buttons that accidentally get pressed in the summer heat while you are getting your car washed. Not fun on the ride home.
E-discovery technology is no different. Most people make a list (or find one on the internet) of the features that they are expecting to see in the application. Then they evaluate the options based on cost per feature, not realizing that unneeded features are costing them money up front and throughout their use by adding complexity. If you only need 5 features, you should buy the product with 5 features… even if it costs the same amount of money.
And here’s the kicker. In my experience, fewer features means higher quality. Aren’t those extra features just distracting us from what really matters? Safety, performance, and economy. Okay, and maybe style. Those are the most important factors for buying a car or e-discovery technology. Save yourself the hassle of buttons you don’t need, accessories that always fail, and a sweltering tail end.
