But they often rely on RF signals from wi-fi access points or custom infrastructure, poor-quality GPS signals or expensive, high-quality sensors.

ENGADGET: Cambridge Consultants develops indoor tech to pick up where GPS drops off

But anyone hoping for a truly radical revamp of the country's high-quality but hugely expensive and inefficient public health service will be glum.

ECONOMIST: Germany's health-care reform

Microsoft falls into the broad category of high-quality stocks that were incredibly expensive in 1999 and have not gone anywhere since (and have often declined, as is the case with Microsoft).

FORBES: Will Microsoft Inject Trademark Mediocrity Into Promise Of Skype?

Digital filmmaking is taking off as a cheap but high-quality alternative to movies printed on expensive film.

FORBES: Apple Goes Hollywood

As with all technologies that become more affordable as the technology spreads, high-quality performance is no longer prohibitively expensive.

FORBES: Consumer Electronics Deliver Music the Way the Artists Intended

Expensive, African-produced items (even if high quality) are simply not sold in those mass-produced stores like Game and Macro.

FORBES: Why Wal-Mart Is Bad News For Africa

Lederhosen are more expensive, starting at about 120 euros each, but those looking for high-quality items should expect to reach deeper into their pockets.

BBC: In Munich, trachten turns trendy