Finding Glamour in the Gadget

The New York Times > Technology > Circuits: "Consumer electronics have long had a high end, notably in the audiophile world of $10,000 turntables, $15,000 amplifiers and $50,000 loudspeakers. Two years ago, a Nokia subsidiary called Vertu started selling platinum cellphones for more than $20,000. And on a massmarket level, consumers who might pay $300 for a conventional television are flocking to spend $3,000 or more on flat-panel models.

With Sony�s move, a company of worldwide scope has thrown itself behind the concept of electronics as luxury. But what are luxury products, and why do people aspire to own them? Why does someone spend $3,000 on a watch when a $10 model will tell time accurately? Why does someone spend $50,000 on a fur or $100 on a cigar? Why is decorative jewelry almost as old as the human race? "