A lemon is a product that is “sour”, malfunctions, and simply does not work as it is supposed to. With that, half a lemon is a product that works properly half the time. Also see Treadmill Malfunction. Many of our computers, Ipods, cell phones, digital cameras, and more have been half a lemon since the day of purchase. We spend so much money on these, and they work as promised only half the time. The notebook freezes, the Ipod skips without request, the camera is slow to delete a picture, and our cell phones drop a call. We have all been through this. After we buy an item, we are excited to get home and start using it. After some time, the problems begin. Some examples: our computer crashes, it does not boot up, it would not restart, the battery stops charging, the CD player cannot read the disc, and more. Since the problems do not all happen at the same time, we learn to put them aside and live with them…but why? What else is that when we finally decide that enough is enough, and it needs to be repaired, we realize the warranty expired a day before. We are in fact stating that it is OK as long as we do not own a lemon, but only half a lemon. But aren’t the two very similar?
Is it just me that feels we should get what we paid for?
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a nice comparison - it is really frustrating to found out too late that the warranty expired, espacially with “expensive” products such as computer. when I decide to buy a product, one of the most important things that i check is the time of the warranty - it’s measured to money. keep up the good work!
Intersting and thought provoking…
But what about services? For example, a cell phone or internet service where the consumer is ‘forced’ into a contract and find that the service is not even half as promised. A classic example is hi-speed internet. The companies advertise and tout their service is superior and as fast as 1 mbps, but once you take the service it crawls to less than a tenth of it?
Services are also a problem, but I feel as if sometimes it is not as bad because you are able to instantly speak your opinion of the service in question. With our products, we do not always spend the time to call support and complain of a feature malfunction, but we learn to live with it.
It is true though, that we are occasionally forced into a service that is also half a lemon - satisfying only half the time.
[...] by Yuri Suzuki, the Lemon Light is a simple light bulb in the shape of Half a Lemon, which when attached to a real half a lemon, will light up. The concept attempts to make us realize [...]
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A lemon is a product that is “sour”, malfunctions, and simply does not work as it is supposed to. With that, half a lemon is a product that works properly half the time. Also see 
chen — August 4th, 2007 @ 11:57 pm
a nice comparison - it is really frustrating to found out too late that the warranty expired, espacially with “expensive” products such as computer. when I decide to buy a product, one of the most important things that i check is the time of the warranty - it’s measured to money. keep up the good work!
Ram — September 1st, 2007 @ 2:25 pm
Intersting and thought provoking…
But what about services? For example, a cell phone or internet service where the consumer is ‘forced’ into a contract and find that the service is not even half as promised. A classic example is hi-speed internet. The companies advertise and tout their service is superior and as fast as 1 mbps, but once you take the service it crawls to less than a tenth of it?
Eran Abramson — September 1st, 2007 @ 7:04 pm
Services are also a problem, but I feel as if sometimes it is not as bad because you are able to instantly speak your opinion of the service in question. With our products, we do not always spend the time to call support and complain of a feature malfunction, but we learn to live with it.
It is true though, that we are occasionally forced into a service that is also half a lemon - satisfying only half the time.
Lemon Light Presents: Let There Be Light with Lemons | Walyou — June 30th, 2008 @ 9:53 pm
[...] by Yuri Suzuki, the Lemon Light is a simple light bulb in the shape of Half a Lemon, which when attached to a real half a lemon, will light up. The concept attempts to make us realize [...]