Feature lust is a type of infection that can infect you at anytime.  The effects are deadly since it can really drain your resources at the worst time.  Let me share with you my recent experience.  I still suffer it but am not sure if it is control.

Phones

When I first bought my handphone, it was just for basic communication to allow friends and office to get a hold of me whenever they need to.  Later I needed to have speaker phone feature.  It soon grow towards having more and more features like being able to store and read office documents (Excel or Word).  

I then started looking for ability to have my appointments on my phone.  That was when I switched to Windows Mobile.  I then got a taste of GPS.  Now it is a another feature I cannot live without.  Next was the ability to take pictures and videos.

As I move from one phone to another, the problem starts getting worst.  All this result in a drain on my financial resources and increase dependency on the phone.

Treadmill

I recent bought a treadmill to continue my pursuit to become the fastest man on earth.  The day I received my treadmill I started looking for a new one.  Even though the treadmill will get me started I started to salivate for additional features like the ability to simulate trails using Google Map, the ability to download training program and record a history of my training.

Of course all these features comes at a very high price.  The treadmill I bought cost US$ 1600/- vs the other unit I am now eyeing cost US$ 3800/-.

Software

I guess this is the reason why a lot of software turn into bloatware – the vendor’s quest to fulfill the feature lust.

Conclusion

This ailment is real and can be very disruptive if we fail to identify it early and control it.  We must control it but it is very difficult.