Also a smart TV and an iPad isn't really all that generous? Like, they'd probably strain Jane's budget, but if the parents can afford a couple big vacations a year, they're probably something they could have bought for themselves if they'd wanted, and if SiL is charging what she should for her art, it's probably the price of maybe three or four commissions, not counting framing. (And almost definitely less than the cost of the time for making the album at LW's hourly!)
An iPad is what you get if you want an Apple portable computer without shelling out for the price of a MacBook. And a smart tv is just a "TV" these days - I took my mom TV shopping for Christmas a couple years back and the only non-smart option was high-end screens mostly intended as gaming monitors, and low-end smart TVs are actually relatively cheap because they're subsidized by filling them with hardcoded ads for streaming. "A smart TV and an iPad" is quintessential "I wanted it to sound more generous and expensive than it was."
PLUS, those are both things that only really become useful if you've got expensive ongoing subscriptions. LW did not mention they also paid for a couple years' iPad data or covered all the streaming services. We did end up getting Mom a smart TV, but also told her not to connect it directly to the internet unless she had a specific reason to. (And if you aren't already in the Apple ecosystem, an iPad is *less* useful than a cheaper Android tablet or laptop.) So they're kind of like giving someone a purebred puppy they didn't ask for.
It's basically "we got them something they didn't need or want and probably can't use that wasn't really very expensive for us, since we're rich, but it was supposed to seem generous" and then they're mad they're not being effusive about it.
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An iPad is what you get if you want an Apple portable computer without shelling out for the price of a MacBook. And a smart tv is just a "TV" these days - I took my mom TV shopping for Christmas a couple years back and the only non-smart option was high-end screens mostly intended as gaming monitors, and low-end smart TVs are actually relatively cheap because they're subsidized by filling them with hardcoded ads for streaming. "A smart TV and an iPad" is quintessential "I wanted it to sound more generous and expensive than it was."
PLUS, those are both things that only really become useful if you've got expensive ongoing subscriptions. LW did not mention they also paid for a couple years' iPad data or covered all the streaming services. We did end up getting Mom a smart TV, but also told her not to connect it directly to the internet unless she had a specific reason to. (And if you aren't already in the Apple ecosystem, an iPad is *less* useful than a cheaper Android tablet or laptop.) So they're kind of like giving someone a purebred puppy they didn't ask for.
It's basically "we got them something they didn't need or want and probably can't use that wasn't really very expensive for us, since we're rich, but it was supposed to seem generous" and then they're mad they're not being effusive about it.