Well, my brothers, I stared into the abyss tonight, and the abyss blinked.
Once I picked up my car at MSP, I drove out to the Mall of America. Dinner at Bubba Gump shrimp, tasty as always, and then, bolstered by an ice cream/alcohol drink and some shrimp tempura, I swaggered into the Apple Store.
"Tell me of your iPhones," I bellowed. The resident Macxpert handed me one to try. I began playing with it, asking him questions. It felt good. Really good. The UI was snappy, things were logical, I like it.
I'm hemming and hawing. I ask about how hard it is to transfer my phone number. It's dirt easy, apparently. "What hesitations do you have right now?" he asks. I mention the 2 year contract w/o subsidy, he doesn't have a good answer for it, I take it he'd never thought of it. I mention that I'm pensive about 3G or GPS support coming out after I get it, he acknowledges the risk.
...but I'm still liking it. I'm liking what I see. I'm wavering.
Suddenly, I get hit by a thought. It's not something I'm used to.
"Say, does Minnesota have sales tax?"
"Why yes," he answers, "six percent."
Hmmm. I do the numbers. "In Oregon, we don't have sales tax", I ponder out loud.
He whips out the iPhone and starts punching numbers into it. I frown, then say "That'd be 23.94 in tax." I look over at the delicious iPhone, still frowning.
After a moment, he looks up in triumph. "That's $24 in tax", apparently not having heard me. I stay quiet, no need to correct him. It's apparent he's figured against $400 instead of $399. No need, I'm sure the calculator works fine when it gets good numbers.
Finally, I stir. "I... think I'll sit on it a little bit." They wave me out cheerfully. The folks at the store were helpful, no doubt about it, and I still think I want the phone.
But how much is not having a phone for two days worth? Will I suffer $24- sorry, $23.94 in inconvenience if I don't have a phone until I get back to Oregon? Also, I think I might be able to get a corporate discount through my employer if I wait.
Hmm... We shall see. Will I still lust after it when it isn't a lifeline thrown to me in the turgid seas of Minnesota?
