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Macworld: News: Apple Event – Live Coverage

UPDATE: Early adapters suffer flames of purgatory:

This *** big time :( I had to quit partying for a month to scrape up money for the iPhone. I feel terrible! $200 is quite a lot of money, especially for a student. They even deleted my thread :( Very unprofessional)

1 COMMENT

  1. What I am amused by is all the folks who are complaining about the price drop on the iPhone. Given that the iPhone was, at the time of release, the single most expensive phone to buy (when buying an accompanying service plan) that did not come with gold plating or diamonds on it, why are they surprised that the price dropped? I will admit that it is a remarkably short time after release, but still.

    Apple never sells anything cheaply. Many people will say because it is a good product, but I think it is more that there are way too many “Apple Zombies” out there who will buy almost anything with an Apple logo on it, regardless of the price or the quality of competing products.

    I loved the iPhone when I saw it, but the price made me pause. $500 for a phone is absurd. I knew the price would drop and I simply held off on it. I still think $300 is still a bit much, so I am going to wait a while and buy something else for now. In another year, they will no longer be exclusive to AT&T and once there is more competition, theprice will go down. Also once other phones with similar capabilities start arriving (and you know they will) it will drive the price down further.

    -dennis

  2. Heh. Tip of the hat to anyone who can convince people the brand is important enough that people like Dennis abov might be called cheap (someone in the linked thread says as much about a poor consumer who bought the cheaper iwhatsisit). Who knows, maybe in associating with Starbucks Apple will loosen up a little. Even when it was mostly thought of a rival of Microsoft, Apple made its money on hardware. It firmly follows the mode of a luxury goods brand now, and has always priced most of its gear as such.

  3. “Many people will say because it is a good product, but I think it is more that there are way too many “Apple Zombies” out there who will buy almost anything with an Apple logo on it, regardless of the price or the quality of competing products.” -Dennis Thomas

    I agree with you regarding the cost of their cell phone, price drop or not. I’ve been using Mac computers since the early ’90’s. It’s not because I thought they were “cool” or wanted to feel special. I liked that when I was using it, the ease of the interface suited me better than Windows and the fact I’ve never ever have gotten a virus to this day. I’ve owned three computers and one laptop since ’92 and each has gotten their fair share of mileage out of me.

    I am not an “Apple Zombie” according to your generalization, sure maybe some are but it’s like with any product. I’m an objective consumer and not a fan of a product. I like Apple but don’t feel the need to buy everything Apple.

    To use automobiles as an analogy, if you’ve liked Honda because of it’s reliability and resale value, then you’re going to stick with it until something that suites your need and your budget come along. To me, it’s worth paying a little bit more, like Windsor Newton Series 7 Sable brushes. I can go through 5 – 6 cheapy $5 brushes a year, but why if I can use a $20 brush I bought 10 years ago.

    I look forward to new technology because we win either way.

    And what’s wrong with Zombies? What was one of the top selling trades this year according to Diamond’s stats?

    Just to add one more thing. I remember even for my age in the ’80’s comics weren’t as hip as they are seeing right now with the masses. This is a great time for our profession. Just because comics are popular doesn’t mean that many more people can produce them. Quality over quantity. Yeah, this is a rant — it must be my starbucks coffee and my ipod turned up ;)

  4. The idea that Apple products are always more expensive than the same or comparable product is a myth that’s been exposed by a multitude of sources over the past few years, even by Windows-centric publications. Yes, sometimes Apple products are more expensive, and the reasons for that can be subtle and sometimes it can be explained by corporate greed. Unfortunately, that’s business.
    I can certainly understand why the iPhone price drop has miffed people. Apple rarely drops the price on existing products until the next version is released, and the assumption was this would be true for the iPhone. Obviously, Apple’s desire to get the iPhone in more hands has led them to a drastic price drop early in the product’s life cycle. It sucks for us early adapters, but that’s also business. People who bought their iPhone at an Apple store in the last 2 weeks can go request a price adjustment.
    Also, ATT’s exclusive contract for the iPhone is for 5 years. Whether Apple will release other models with different carriers remains to be seen.

  5. Wow. Having to quit partying for a month to save up for an expensive, superfluous luxury item / status symbol the moment it’s released… Oh, the sacrifice!

    And yet he still has the strength to carry on.

    Clap… clap,,. clap…

  6. Two words. Premium Pricing (I hope I spelled Premium correctly)

    Apple charges a little bit more for everything because its part of the image. I believe I remember hearing/reading somewhere that Apple makes about 50% profit on their i-items. When you pay more it makes you think its more important.

  7. OK, I admit that my second paragraph up there came out a little more harsh sounding than I intended. I should have added that the products gennerally are well designed and of good quality. I held out for a while until I could spare the cash for an iPod myself, rather than go out and buy one of the other players out there, mostly because I liked the way iTunes did things versus other products I had used.

    However, I still stand by my statement that Apple charges more because they know that there is a population out there that will pay danged near any price that Apple cares to charge in order to get one of their products, not because it is the best thing out there, but because it has an Apple Logo on it.

    TJ: I guess I was mistaken about the length of the exclusive contract with AT&T. I figured Apple didn’t want to hitch its wagon to only one horse forever, even the biggest one in a market as fast moving as the cell phone business.

    I am not sure what multitude of sources you are referring to. I am only going by my own experience of comparing prices for Apple and non-Apple products. I’m not saying that there are not more expensive products than Apple out there, I am saying that there are a lot of them that are cheaper than Apple that are comparable. Apple has a strong brand and they charge accordingly. I don’t feel very much specific loyalty to any brand when it comes to electronics. I want soemthing that fills my needs at a price I am willing to pay. With respect to the iPhone, I thought it was a great device that did a lot of things I did not really need for a price that was far too high.

    Dan: I did not mean to imply that any particular person was an “Apple Zombie”, just that there is a large enough population of people who ARE to make it worth Apple’s while to charge, as someone noted, “luxury pricing” and get away with it. I like Apple products, but I have no particular love or dislike for them. I use Apple products and will use them again in the future, I just don’t really like the way they price new products and don’t like the way that they (most of the time) do not drop the price on items until they are trying to get rid of them so they can sell the new stuff.

    Geez. I did not mean to write so much. I guess I am regressing to the Usenet flamewars of my youth! :-)

    -dennis