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Quiz: Are you a tech cheapskate?

Summary: There are tons of ways to save money by using your wallet as a mini-flak jacket against the expensive main street. Some are misconceived and will cut you corners in the long run - like buying a cheap tacky laptop that will only last you a few months.

Zack Whittaker

By for iGeneration |

There are tons of ways to save money by using your wallet as a mini-flak jacket against the expensive main street. Some are misconceived and will cut you corners in the long run - like buying a cheap tacky laptop that will only last you a few months. Instead, buy a durable netbook that will last you longer and you can get just as much done on a similar budget. There's one for free. Now let's see if you can try ten more in this money saving quiz. By the end of it, you'll be better off with plenty of money saving tips. Instructions: Click on your answer and then see how many others agree with you. Then click to see the answer and the next question. [poll id="36"]

The correct answer is... » Answer is B. A monochrome laser printer

[poll id="45"]

The correct answer is... » Answer is D. -- Ubuntu Linux desktop. Too easy, hunh?
[poll id="37"]

The correct answer is... » Answer is A. Get a phone with built-in media player, high-definition camera and good data plan [poll id="38"]

The correct answer is... » Answer is A. Use a free cloud service provider like Dropbox to synchronize your files to and from the web [poll id="39"]

The correct answer is... » Answer is D. Download Kindle software for your smartphone or PC and download the ebooks. [poll id="41"]

The correct answer is... » Answer is B. -- Use the free Wi-Fi available at the nearest fast-food chain. [poll id="42"]

The correct answer is... » Answer is C. -- C. Amazon.com

A. CNET.com refers you to Newegg.com and Buy.com - $599
B. Newegg.com $599
C. Amazon.com $626
D. Buy.com $599. Remember, you always have to take taxes and shipping costs into consideration. [poll id="43"]

The correct answer is... » Answer is C. Outsource your communications to the cloud where you can pay per person an annual flat fee [poll id="44"]

The correct answer is... » Answer is A. -- Ask your friend to install Skype and talk over the web [poll id="40"]

The correct answer is... » Answer is D. -- Invest in a data plan that gives you 500MB of data per month Correct answers If you had 10 right, your house is cluttered with gadgets - bought with the money you've saved. 8-9 right, you're a cheap date. 5-7 right, you're so rich you don't need to worry about saving money. 3-4 right, your credit card is probably maxed out. 0-2 right, just go to McDonald's - and buy a Big Mac. Thanks for playing! Related stories Apple discussing unlimited downloads of purchased songs from iTunes ZDNet blogs: The Toybox Gartner: Tablets sap PC demand; PC ecosystem cringes AT&T gets competitive with post-paid data plans for tablets Hardware 2.0 'Very Best Kit List' for March 2011 10 techy ways to cut the costs of college

Topics: Apple, Hardware

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30 comments
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  • Some moronic "correct" answers

    #1- If you keep your data in a local hhd because you want the data secure, suggesting the usage of a "free" cloud service to access the data remotely is totally STUPID.

    #2- Suggesting the purchase of a more expensive smartphone with an expensive data plan as a cost saving measure is plain moronic. Smartphones are luxuries not necessities.

    #3- If an email service is outdated, suggesting a "cloud" based that charges a yearly per-person fee is completely RIDICULOUS. So yo go from a working old system to an insecure one that is more expensive (in the long run) ... then there is the chance the company will go belly up and you are completely out of a service.
    wackoae
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Quiz: Are you a tech cheapskate?

      @wackoae

      The survey is based on the cheapest option.
      alsobannedfromzdnet
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Quiz: Are you a tech cheapskate?

        @alsobannedfromzdnet Exactly.
        zwhittaker
        Reply Vote

  • Oh, right! Unbutu is a cost saver unless...

    unless you actually need to run the software you already have! Sure, if you're already running on Linux you save money by buying a Linux PC as an upgrade. Unfortunalyly, if you're running a Mac, your cheapest upgrade in the long run is a new Mac. If you're on Windows, for the cheap, stay with Windows. The initial layout of cash will be maybe 5% more but when you have to replace all your software to run on the new OS it runs into serious bucks!!
    Scubajrr
    Reply Vote

    • Absolutely.

      @Scubajrr
      If you were running Windows you have licenses. You can (and I have many times) installed XP (typically) inside a VMWare Player for critical apps. In on case, it was to avoid a $5K mandatory upgrade to a CAD program because it could not run on anything above W2K. Another tip, you can keep your "ancient" hardware working for you this way pretty easily. Simply set up a shared disk between the host/guest OSes.

      I have several friends run old copies of publisher that way, a realtor running Zipforms that way, etc.

      TripleII
      TripleII-21189418044173169409978279405827
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Quiz: Are you a tech cheapskate?

      @Scubajrr How do figure Linux software costs so much?
      _Papa_
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Quiz: Are you a tech cheapskate?

        @becabill Lots of people believe the FUD that MS dishes out about linux. Accually I moved our entire office to Debian 5, and except for 1 program that we VM XP with, the cost was $0, and has been for about 2 years.

        Also until the program <I>we have to use's </I> manufactor drops XP, and we're forced to upgrade. There's no real reason to upgrade Windows. Even then, it'll be like what $90?

        LibreOffice works just fine, Thunderbird, Firefox, and may other programs works just fine in linux. Anymore, linux and a good GUI is as good or superior to Windows; except for the occasional Windows <I>only software</I>.

        And I got 7 out of 10. I'm a cheap date all right ;)
        kcredden2
        Reply Vote

  • kindle app.... ? why

    There are plenty of places to download free ereaders and ebooks who needs kindle...
    MStalnecker
    Reply Vote

  • Disagree

    I agree with most of the "correct" answers. However, using a fully decked out phone rather than a 3g with lower data makes no sense. Also, Dropbox does not remove files from your computer, in fact it adds files to any device you sync to, so that won't help someone with a full hard drive.
    rahenry
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Quiz: Are you a tech cheapskate?

      @rahenry

      Ever heard of "delete"?

      Up to dropbox, then delete = space cleared on hard drive.
      alsobannedfromzdnet
      Reply Vote

      • Buy anexternal drive

        @alsobannedfromzdnet ...they don't cost that much. Copy your critical data to that. Keep it under YOUR control.
        _Papa_
        Reply Vote

  • RE: Quiz: Are you a tech cheapskate?

    Ok, I do have to disagree with some of the answers.....Linux may save you some money, but if you already have software on a particular platform, then it won't.

    Also, the could based email doesn't work if you receive too many emails per day, we are currently using this setup and it is slow. The other problem you have is if their internet connection goes down, then you are without access to your email until they get it back up. (This happened just a couple of days ago). If you do it all in house, then you have complete control.
    cmwade1977
    Reply Vote

  • Some thoughts.

    3G smartphones have media players and can generally do everything a "4G" phone can do, simply slower. They also come with high quality camera's so I think that was a false choice.

    Why couldn't you take an existing computer and install an Open Source distro instead of only upgrading and installing Windows? Now, here's a tip. I have bought 4 used headless PCs from a local Goodwill for $59 each. I have installed Linux and used them to create media PCs that connect to HD TVs. the biggest associated cost is the bluetooth or 2.4 GHz keyboard. They typically come with XP so that may work for you.

    Also, if you want the cheapest black and white solution, a 24 pin dot matrix printer, my brother still uses a couple and they are indestructible and cheap to operate. It will require the use of Linux since there is little change of drivers in Windows.

    Books for school, you gotta go to the used bookstore typically on campus and buy the previous edition. Once I learned that you had to have Version 12 of, say, Discrete Time Systems because it fixed 4 spelling mistakes, I save a bundle in Uni buying previous editions.

    Email servers, why buy new. Even a 486 will work as a Linux email server. See above, a 1GHz 500Meg ram machine used is $59. :D

    TripleII
    TripleII-21189418044173169409978279405827
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Quiz: Are you a tech cheapskate?

      @TripleII

      Digital copies of the "classics" i.e. copyright has expired, are free you just need something to read them on, preferably something you already have.
      alsobannedfromzdnet
      Reply Vote

    • Dot matrix printers...

      @TripleII will out print most any inkjet or laser if you're not picky about fonts. You can find surplus paper at giveaway prices. Ribbons are another matter, though.
      _Papa_
      Reply Vote

  • The Question is weaksauce

    Obviously If you are technological literate you would choose to use a 3G dongle (smartphone) and Tether Internet to your laptop as you connect whenever you need to 24/7 since your always on the network, otherwise you would need to STOP by at mcdonalds or starbucks to look like a douchebag, therefore the question "You need to work on the go" is irrelevant.
    So the answer here obviously C
    C. Buy a 3G dongle on pay-as-you-go

    -Also the pay as you go 3G is available by prepaid smartphone like virgin mobile.
    ATIX
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Quiz: Are you a tech cheapskate?

      @ATIX

      I agree, the money you save by not eating McDonalds all the time along with possible associated healthcare and gym membership costs will easily pay for a PAYG dongle and some credit.

      TCO
      alsobannedfromzdnet
      Reply Vote

      • Mickey D's

        @alsobannedfromzdnet Yeah, even I won't go to MacDonald's except to take my grandkids.
        _Papa_
        Reply Vote

  • I agree -- Most of the &quot;Correct&quot; answers are incorrect.

    In fact, some of the questions didn't even offer reasonable choices.
    Vulpinemac
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Quiz: Are you a tech cheapskate?

    Some of the stuff I couldn't come up with an answer for so I just picked one. Several of the questions had really stupid answers. Suggesting cloud based stuff is stupid too.<br><br>I guess the name of the article wasn't "What is the smartest cheap way to do this" but was "What is the cheapest way to do something even if the option is stupid." I'm not amused. Using free wi-fi is just stupid, I think I'm going to start going to McD's and sniff packets to see how many of you are stupid enough to type in your passwords and other stuff. Sure it is the cheapest option but if you are a "professional", you should be making enough money to afford a $50 a month 4G data plan for your laptop.
    SteelTrepid
    Reply Vote
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