Last weekend, I bought a Div-X player. I was weighing between purchasing a Panasonic brand or a Pioneer. I've been telling myself that if it's audio electronics, it must be Pioneer. If it's video, it must be Sony or JVC. (Note: These choices are mine alone and not based on series of battery tests and marketing studies. Nothing like that. It's mainly based on hearsays).

After visiting eight electronic shops last Tuesday, returning to two of them twice within 10 minutes, asking the features of each of them, I finally made a decision. But wait...

I decided that I should sleep on this and not be impulsive about buying the player. Hmmmm. I'll purchase it tomorrow, Wednesday, I told myself.

The next day, I went to the market to buy my veges and on my way home, I saw this shop along Khalid which I failed to visit the previous day. On their shelves are rows and rows of branded and unbranded Div-x players: Panasonic, Sony, JVC, Hitachi, Soney, Bonus, Monster, and a partridge in a pear tree.

How much is it?
It's two hundred forty-seven (Saudi Riyals).
Last price?
Two forty.
How about the Panasonic?
It's two hundred.
Last price?
That's the last price.
How about this? (I pointed to an unbranded silver colored player.)
That's one forty.
Last price?
One thirty five.
Said I: One thirty.
Okay.
(Long silence)
If I buy this and then later I changed my mind and opt for the Pioneer, will you allow me to swap it and pay the price difference?
Make up your mind now.
(Another long silence)

My feet were, all of a sudden, heavy and I am silently cursing myself. The compulsive, impractical, wasteful me have taken over my physical body once again! Clutched in my arms is a newly-purchased Div-x player.

When I reached home, I didn't open the box yet. Sort of suspending the inevitable woe-to-me-I-bought-a-cheap-gadget feeling. I then whispered to myself: I should have bought the Pioneer...

As I was fumbling at the remote of my new Div-x, I noticed something: There is no stop button...where is the stop button? Oh, there. It says: 'step' instead of 'stop'.

The rewind button is also not working. If I click the << button, the CD automatically restarts from 00:00:00. Grrrr...

All the slots (for MPEG, USB, memory card, etc) are at the back of the player.

One thing I like about it is, it's working. And oh yes, it plays my CD's. And yes, it's cheap.

In this life, we really get what we pay for -- literally, idiomatically, eletronics and all.