Personal Budget = Happiness?

Lately i have bumped into some random friends try to convince me to get a Mac as my personal computer randomly.

actually i was hoping to spare some personal budget for some equipment upgrades for awhile, it is foreseen this year my business might do pretty well and slowly on track. it was a little bit struggle like every start-up business (not very seriously though), that i feel comfortable to do some nice thing for myself.

on top of my list is a mobile phone switch, seriously i have been back to Hong Kong from England for more than 2 years now, i am still using my old mobile phone, which is purely English blood do not understand a single chinese text. whenever i got a Chinese message, it appears in squares and i have to replied to the sender: i am sorry my phone cannot read Chinese, can you do it in simple English please? 2 years man, maybe i have send out this message for more than 100 times.

so i need to pick a new mobile phone as you know Hong Kong is a place take packaging seriously, personally i think the most basic nokia is good enough, but many friends and managers advice please get a decent one for that "business image". i feel maybe a blackberry or an iphone, or at least a business class nokia should do the job.

Now after some chit-chat with friends, i might consider getting a Mac as well. I might also want to get a PS3 or a xbox, since i never had a proper game console ever. i mean why not get everything together?

After doing some research, this is how i see it.

Mac, iphone and PS3 is something with a personal touch, they all design and refuse to cooperate with the rest of the world. i see if i accept Mac, i have to accept its concept (Stevens Job's), as a whole, iphone, ipod, the i-community.

this "for myself only concept" is pretty much similar to play station 3. the "iconic games" for play station 3 such the final fantasy series, metal gear series, GT5, killzone, are very focus on the story itself and not much with playing with other people online.

while on the other hand the "iconic games" for xbox 360 such as Halo, Gear of Wars, Forza Motor they do have good story, but you will find a network tag along with it, i can imagine i would get a xbox and play with many friends online, while get a PS3 stuck myself in a room for a week just to finish an amazing story.

this good old "personal vs networking" also define iphone and blackberry, i cannot imagine i bring an iphone for work and do not playing around with it (such unprofessional being), not to mention all the file type you just cannot share with normal PC user, while on the other hand, blackberry and nokia (or HTC) do make you feel you are doing business and take it seriously, that's the fact.

so yeah, Mac, iphone, PS3 is major for personal enjoyment.

while, PC, Blackberry, xbox is major for common share experience.

it is so hard, and hey why not get both? the truth is even i have enough money to get all, i will eventually have to choose between 2 ideas, the chosing reflects my own likeness, whether i only want something to enjoy myself, or do i enjoy things with a lot of people together.

this is my shopping list.

Mac: $13,000,

PC upgrade: $3,000

PS3: $2,350

xbox: $2,650

iphone 4: $4,000

Blackberry 9780: $4,200

i also need

badminton racket: $1,000

hiking equipment: $1,000

a total $32,500 for all items!

i think $20,000 is the max that i think its reasonable, you just simply cannot get all in life, otherwise usually end up with none.

this is like picking wife! whether you want to be with a woman all your friends love and comfortable and make your parents happy or with someone has a personal understanding about you. i wish i can have 2 wifes, but the fact is i can't, i won't able to handle 2 women, 1 will generate enough problems. :)

so yeah, i am taking my time, to make sure i make no mistake, by mistake is buying something i will regert later.

from what i see, those people only focus on themselves do not attend happiness at the end, people cannot satisfy themselves even they get what they want everytimes, they may carry a happy face though.

so eventually i might end up putting that $20,000 for a greater good, i don't know, let see.

personal budget = happiness? such a hard question.