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Big Brand names whose products are way overrated

Capt. Autumn

Can I kick off with Dyson?

A huge launch and massive marketing drive for Dyson products but I've always been underwhelmed by how they actually perform. Maybe the fuss generated is something to do with it being the first UK designed product to make a big splash in many the year but, for me, they are the Apple of products from a marketing perspective but an Acer in terms of performance.

When I finally kicked my under-performing Dyson to the kerb and replaced in with a big ugly Meile, I nearly cried in gratitude when I heard the motor rumble to life and watched as my carpet was sucked to within an inch of it's life.

So, what brands do you think are overrated?

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ben.schlomo

Guinness.

Capt'n Midnight

Roger the cabin boy wrote: »

Dreary me.

Android, Apple, Windows, all have pros and cons and are as good as each other all things considered.

And all used the BSD stack for TCP/IP networking and utilities. With considerable differences in implementation.

This makes me :mad: every time I have a networking issue or delay in reacquiring setting specially with WiFi in windows where it just works in the others. Sick of uninstalling / disabling / device manager / even regedit just to get WiFi to connect if there's anything non standard.

double jobbing

I had three iPods back in the day and each started manfunctioning within 18 months of purchase.

Hence why I wouldn't have an iPhone if you offered me it for free.

Roger the cabin boy

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

And all used the BSD stack for TCP/IP networking and utilities. With considerable differences in implementation.

This makes me :mad: every time I have a networking issue or delay in reacquiring setting specially with WiFi in windows where it just works in the others. Sick of uninstalling / disabling / device manager / even regedit just to get WiFi to connect if there's anything non standard.

Aye.

Even with the threat of the EU, companies like Apple still insist on proprietary solutions

EmmetSpiceland

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Guinness.

What’s this? Have we another “casketeer” in our midst?

Hungrily waiting for the day when he can scuttle down to the old ale house and have the serving wench bring him the latest “peanutbutter braü”, no doubt.

HopsAndJumps

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Guinness.

Guinness have one of the finest marketing lies ever told, the two pour pint.

It makes the drink sound sort of magical. Though it makes zero difference to the taste.

Hotblack Desiato

HopsAndJumps wrote: »

Guinness have one of the finest marketing lies ever told, the two pour pint.

It makes the drink sound sort of magical. Though it makes zero difference to the taste.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yleLTZzkQtw

JohnnyFlash

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Guinness.

Guinness is a pleasant , easy to drink, and reasonably priced stout that’s conducive to putting away a heap of. Most of its regulars know it’s a mass produced beer. They don’t care.

It’s the lads paying 7.50 for a half pint of Witches Tit down the local neckbeard bar who seem to have an issue with it.

YFlyer

thequarefellow wrote: »

Asics running shoes. I was talked into spending almost €200 on a pair of these for their 'superior quality and support; choice of top runners etc etc' when I started running a few years ago. They fell apart after 6 months.

Wow 6 months. Must be some special durable material.

Asics grand for the heavy mileage.

I prefer the lighter shoe such as Nike Lunar or any of the lighter New Balance.

hoodie6029

Microsoft Office.

You have to pay a subscription for this now. I lost my installed version during the upgrade to Win 10.
For most home users the functions they'll use haven't changed since '97 so the subscription is a complete rip off.

I changed to Libre Office and haven't looked back.

This is a great thread apart from the Apple v Android debate.

Capt'n Midnight

hoodie6029 wrote: »

Microsoft Office.

Copied from the leaders or cobbed together from companies they bought out.

That's why the the save defaults and shortcuts are still different between Word and Excel and Outlook.

The big change since the 1980's is that then you used to use Lotus 123 to read broken Excel files. Today you use Libreoffice.

Since before most people on the planet were born Microsoft have consistently failed at reading their own file formats. :mad:

L1011

HopsAndJumps wrote: »

Guinness have one of the finest marketing lies ever told, the two pour pint.

It makes the drink sound sort of magical. Though it makes zero difference to the taste.

Invented by the marketing team when draught came out. As prior to that it was poured from two casks, one fresh/heady and one totally stale and that's why it had to go in two pour - let the heady bit settle then top off with stale. They realised people would be perturbed by the change from it taking 4-5 minutes to taking 30 seconds so had to think of something

Its complete, utter, total marketing bollox and anyone who thinks there's any advantage to a two part pour is delusional. You cannot and will not be able to tell the difference between a one part and two part poured pint even if you have convinced yourself you can. Deluded sheep.

ALL the mythology around Guinness is insane. Its only a decent quality, relatively cheap stout as said up thread. It isn't ****ing magical. And I don't yet know a habitual Guinness drinker who understands that - they all buy in to at least some of the hoodoo

Feisar

L1011 wrote: »

Invented by the marketing team when draught came out. As prior to that it was poured from two casks, one fresh/heady and one totally stale and that's why it had to go in two pour - let the heady bit settle then top off with stale. They realised people would be perturbed by the change from it taking 4-5 minutes to taking 30 seconds so had to think of something

Its complete, utter, total marketing bollox and anyone who thinks there's any advantage to a two part pour is delusional. You cannot and will not be able to tell the difference between a one part and two part poured pint even if you have convinced yourself you can. Deluded sheep.

ALL the mythology around Guinness is insane. Its only a decent quality, relatively cheap stout as said up thread. It isn't ****ing magical. And I don't yet know a habitual Guinness drinker who understands that - they all buy in to at least some of the hoodoo

You can’t get the domed head just proud of the glass with a one pour. The white “cream” is more viscous and is needed for that effect. Therefore you need to let the head form and top it up.

In blind taste tests though I’ve yet to find a person tell the difference. However the visual plays into people’s perception of taste and the domed head tastes better.

L1011

Feisar wrote: »

You can’t get the domed head just proud of the glass with a one pour. The white “cream” is more viscous and is needed for that effect. Therefore you need to let the head form and top it up.

In blind taste tests though I’ve yet to find a person tell the difference. However the visual plays into people’s perception of taste and the domed head tastes better.

After even one pint, do you think anyone notices the shape of the head?

I would need access to a pub and a tap to verify whether the shape thing is actually true (or can't be replicated much, much faster which I suspect it can - the two part invention was just for time) which of course I can't right now. Waah.

Feisar

The biggest lie/marketing scam about Guinness is that it’s somehow intrinsically Irish. A Protestant landlord brewer went over to London and came back with a stout recipe. Stout isn’t an Irish invention. Guinness wouldn’t even employ a Catholic in a management position until 1972, when I believe they were forced to.

L1011

Feisar wrote: »

The biggest lie/marketing scam about Guinness is that it’s somehow intrinsically Irish. A Protestant landlord brewer went over to London and came back with a stout recipe. Stout isn’t an Irish invention. Guinness wouldn’t even employ a Catholic in a management position until 1972, when I believe they were forced to.

Ties in with the "Bushmills is Protestant, Jameson is Catholic" thing that Irish Americans STILL spout when, well, the Jameson family weren't Catholic and Bushmills employed Catholics quite early.

c.p.w.g.w

Feisar wrote: »

The biggest lie/marketing scam about Guinness is that it’s somehow intrinsically Irish. A Protestant landlord brewer went over to London and came back with a stout recipe. Stout isn’t an Irish invention. Guinness wouldn’t even employ a Catholic in a management position until 1972, when I believe they were forced to.

Always prefered Beamish

L1011

c.p.w.g.w wrote: »

Always prefered Beamish

Also a Protestant family making an English beer. As will be most of those financially successful in the 18th century for obvious reasons (penal laws etc)

Its completely irrelevant now except to misty eyed yanks who don't do enough research.

c.p.w.g.w

L1011 wrote: »

Also a Protestant family making an English beer. As will be most of those financially successful in the 18th century for obvious reasons (penal laws etc)

Its completely irrelevant now except to misty eyed yanks who don't do enough research.

Was there any Irish business run by Catholics that are still around

the beer revolu

c.p.w.g.w wrote: »

Was there any Irish business run by Catholics that are still around

Barry's Tea.
1910
I'm guessing they are a Catholic family.

But, yeah, much later than the likes of Guinness.

snoopboggybog

L1011 wrote: »

Invented by the marketing team when draught came out. As prior to that it was poured from two casks, one fresh/heady and one totally stale and that's why it had to go in two pour - let the heady bit settle then top off with stale. They realised people would be perturbed by the change from it taking 4-5 minutes to taking 30 seconds so had to think of something

Its complete, utter, total marketing bollox and anyone who thinks there's any advantage to a two part pour is delusional. You cannot and will not be able to tell the difference between a one part and two part poured pint even if you have convinced yourself you can. Deluded sheep.

ALL the mythology around Guinness is insane. Its only a decent quality, relatively cheap stout as said up thread. It isn't ****ing magical. And I don't yet know a habitual Guinness drinker who understands that - they all buy in to at least some of the hoodoo

Your wrong, its takes a while for a pint of Guiness to settle and this is why there is a two part pour. The reason for the two part pour is.

1) It allows the pint to settle before giving it to the customer
2) When the pint is settled and the barman is adding the last fifth of the pint it gives a much better head.

The next time your in a pub ask the barman to pull a pint straight with one pour and ask them to pull it normally with the the two part pour and compare the pints. The two part pour pint will win hands down as your topping up the pint when its allready settled, resulting in a better head on the pint.

Sheep_shear

Heinz ketchup, or Helman's mayo, or any big brand condiment. I honestly don't get it, I pick up the Lidl equivalent and notice no difference.

Homelander

Sheep_shear wrote: »

Heinz ketchup, or Helman's mayo, or any big brand condiment. I honestly don't get it, I pick up the Lidl equivalent and notice no difference.

I genuinely find Heinz Ketchup/Mayo quite generic so Tesco/Lidl/Aldi own brand is similar enough.

Will pay the extra for Chef though.

EmmetSpiceland

Am I right to take the implication that Irish Protestants are somehow not “Irish”?

CrankyHaus

Sheep_shear wrote: »

Heinz ketchup, or Helman's mayo, or any big brand condiment. I honestly don't get it, I pick up the Lidl equivalent and notice no difference.

Have to disagree. Like teabags, the taste difference is noticeable and the price difference so small as to make it a false economy.

Homelander

CrankyHaus wrote: »

Have to disagree. Like teabags, the taste difference is noticeable and the price difference so small as to make it a false economy.

In fairness own-brand ketchup or Mayo is about 80c? You'd pay almost quadruple that for Heinz/Hellman's or whatever.

Whatever about paying the extra or appreciating the difference, it's not a false economy.

Feisar

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

Am I right to take the implication that Irish Protestants are somehow not “Irish”?

Yes, in reference to Anglo-Irish landlords. Not Joe from down the road.

JohnnyFlash

CrankyHaus wrote: »

Have to disagree. Like teabags, the taste difference is noticeable and the price difference so small as to make it a false economy.

There's few things worse than calling around to a house (pre-Covid of course), and seeing they are making the tea with McGraths or that one they sell in Lidl. Even the sight of Lyons isn't great to be honest.

People who skimp on teabags are the sort of money-pinching misers who also consider all-you-can-eat buffets to be good value, scour the Bargain Alerts forum for cheap Chinese smartphones, and who buy a Dacia Duster.

CrankyHaus

Homelander wrote: »

In fairness own-brand ketchup or Mayo is about 80c? You'd pay almost quadruple that for Heinz/Hellman's or whatever.

Whatever about paying the extra or appreciating the difference, it's not a false economy.

4 times the cost sounds like a lot, but how much ketchup are people actually getting through?

I doubt I buy it more often than every couple of months, if that. So about 3 quid extra 4-6 times a year; €12 -18 per annum to enjoy the taste of my condiment, and my meal, rather than tell myself that's it's nearly as good and sure you can't taste any difference. If you genuinely taste no difference more power to you. But I'm not ruining good meals I took time and money to cook just to save the price of a pack of smokes over a year.

Similar accounting applies to teabags. Your overall expenditure on them is so low in the first place that saying own-brand is 4 times cheaper is misleading. Especially since you're just guaranteeing you won't enjoy every one of those 240 cups of tea, with time, milk and maybe sugar added, that you'll get from the box.

Homelander

I'm the same, I prefer to pay the €3 for Chef. I'm not going to skimp on enjoyment of a meal for the sake of a few euro every few weeks. But not everyone feels the same.

A real false economy would be paying €1 for 500ml ketchup because it's cheaper than €5 for 600ml ketchup.

My housemate goes through about 3 normal sized bottles of mayo every week! He buys Aldi's version, he's actually not concerned at all with the cost, he just likes it. The difference per year would be literally hundreds of euro...