Back around 2004 I switched from Windows computers to a Powerbook G4. It was inarguably a slower and much more expensive computer than its Windows equivalents at the time. The desktop G5s were still pretending to be in race with Intel, but the laptops were an embarrassment.<p>And yet I switched, because despite the significant performance deficit, it was a better experience — both for the OS but also a metal chassis that was a pleasure to both to touch and look at — an experience that dominated a minimum of half my waking hours of every single day.<p>All of which is to say that anyone who is wondering why consumers would spend $500 on a hair dryer are completely missing the forest. If the device lives up to Dyson’s hype, every hair stylist in America will happily pony up for it, no hesitation. Just for the noise alone, $500 to make all day <i>every</i> day better is a bargain.<p>also see: the hand dryers, which are a huge hit and have close to zero consumer penetration