Thursday, March 02, 2006
Apple going crazy with pricing on new products?
The latest products: leather cases for iPods, iPod Hi-Fi boombox and the upgraded Mac Mini have outrageous pricing. I think it's because Apple wants more revenue before launching new stuff.
Starting with the leather cases, my gosh it's 100 dollars! It's just a bag?! So what if the material is from some cow with so and so luxurious this and that, it's a freaking bag?! Plus for the Nano version, looks like the ear phones can't be plugged in unless the Nano is put in upside down. Even if the Nano needs to be put in upside down, it defeats the advertising's purpose of being able to see the iPod's screen when pulling it out from the oh-so-ingenious tab. Sheesh! I still don't get it, 100 dollars for a bag?! I guess it's to pay back for the enormous salaries Apple had to pay whatever team that designed the bag. Gosh.
Next up is the boombox at 350 dollars. Ok this one at least there is some sophisticated technology inside rather than just being an empty bag(ok with some tab to help pull the iPod out, oh my gosh). But 350 for a box is just too much. For 350, I'm going to expect a multiple box set up: at least 2.1, have a decent equalizer, a tuner, multiple inputs, a DVD/CD player and built-in ripping. Yeah, I think for 350 I would pay for something like that.
Finally the upgraded Mac Mini. First I think it's cool that Apple is continuing with this line. But I think Apple forgot the original intent for the product which is to introduce new, cost-conscious PC users in switching/trying out the Mac. Paying up to 800 dollars for this product, and keeping in mind it's just the "CPU" no monitor, keyboard and mouse, is too much. Come to think of it, since this product is meant to capture the PC switching segment, I think it doesn't make sense to have a low and high end model. In all seriousness, there is no real-world difference between the two models to be of any significance for a PC switching user or any new user thinking of using a Mac just trying the system out. Sure the high end model has so and so stuff, but the customer will always adjust their use accordingly because after all, the Mac Mini is meant to introduce people to the Mac.
Starting with the leather cases, my gosh it's 100 dollars! It's just a bag?! So what if the material is from some cow with so and so luxurious this and that, it's a freaking bag?! Plus for the Nano version, looks like the ear phones can't be plugged in unless the Nano is put in upside down. Even if the Nano needs to be put in upside down, it defeats the advertising's purpose of being able to see the iPod's screen when pulling it out from the oh-so-ingenious tab. Sheesh! I still don't get it, 100 dollars for a bag?! I guess it's to pay back for the enormous salaries Apple had to pay whatever team that designed the bag. Gosh.
Next up is the boombox at 350 dollars. Ok this one at least there is some sophisticated technology inside rather than just being an empty bag(ok with some tab to help pull the iPod out, oh my gosh). But 350 for a box is just too much. For 350, I'm going to expect a multiple box set up: at least 2.1, have a decent equalizer, a tuner, multiple inputs, a DVD/CD player and built-in ripping. Yeah, I think for 350 I would pay for something like that.
Finally the upgraded Mac Mini. First I think it's cool that Apple is continuing with this line. But I think Apple forgot the original intent for the product which is to introduce new, cost-conscious PC users in switching/trying out the Mac. Paying up to 800 dollars for this product, and keeping in mind it's just the "CPU" no monitor, keyboard and mouse, is too much. Come to think of it, since this product is meant to capture the PC switching segment, I think it doesn't make sense to have a low and high end model. In all seriousness, there is no real-world difference between the two models to be of any significance for a PC switching user or any new user thinking of using a Mac just trying the system out. Sure the high end model has so and so stuff, but the customer will always adjust their use accordingly because after all, the Mac Mini is meant to introduce people to the Mac.
# posted by kfcblog @ 11:56 AM 
