> People utilize technology products as fashion statements first and foremost,

It's true that tech has a popularity-breeds-popularity effect, but I don't think it's mainly fashion (at least, for industrial use of tech like PLs used commercially), but network effects around available knowledge and skilled users.

Abstract technical superiority often isn't a commercial win without reliable availability of people able to use it effectively at costs that make it efficient. There's situations where buying the limited knowledge pool, or paying to grow on house skill, is worthwhile, but often the “worse” solution that is well-known is better practically