Although there has been a certain backlash against it, clothing has definitely gone down that route - see the rise of Primark and H&M as a great example.

I think people 'pay' for quality when they consider it important. Apple products are proof of this - even though we're tirelessly being told that there are better things out there than the iPhone and that PC laptops are actually superior to an iBook, the style and aesthetic is more important (and bugger the price).

Also witness the current rise in popularity of gigs again and the amount people are willing to spend to get the live experience.

It'll all turn on its head again in another 15-20 years, though. Always does

... but "Good Enough" is, er, good enough I guess.

I bought a kettle for less than a fiver last week - it could be prettier and could be quicker, and I can't see it lasting more than a year or two, but hey, it's white and boils water, that's all I need, and I just don't have it in me to spend £50 on a posh one...

There are side-arguments to be had on this issue (fostering a disposable culture for instance, and you don't get £5 jeans by paying fair wages), and it's interesting that "Good Enough" tends to only apply to tangible or buyable things (as opposed to say, healthcare or education, where money tends to be no object, subject to circumstance), but it rings true to me...

is tucked away in the middle of the article where it states that 'young people' prefer the sound of an mp3 file rather than higher quality formats because they are used to the background percussive sizzle that occurs when the sound is compressed.

I have a friend who vividly recounts how odd and unsettling it wasto listen to a CD for ths first time, because you could not hear the vinyl - the background sound of vinyl spinning on a turntable had always been there but subconsciously tuned out. Take it away and there was obviously something missing.