[Spivak]

You’re not really disagreeing with the author.

* $/use isn’t really a rate in the way you’re describing with predatory financing. It’s not a cost hiding measure but one of many ways of estimating utility. Optimizing for price alone and not $/utility will bite you for lots of goods.

* A $400 phone used 100 times is $4/use and a $1000 phone used 100 times is $10/use so markets still have plenty of an effect.

[zhte415]

Those seem expensive options. Why not take your phone out of your pocket more to check the time more? That would increase your use, and thus reduce the $/utility.

[2muchcoffeeman]

Thinking in terms of rate can still be used to wrongly justify things to yourself. Or can be used by others to make things seem like a good deal.

E.g. I should start a new hobby because I am definitely going to keep at if for 5 years! And then you don't.