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Apple Advertising Snafu in Australia and New Zealand Leads to Confusion Over Possible Price Increases

Really with the complaints? Really???

It amazes me every day with the complaints I read online. Your laptop is a year old and you're angry with Apple??? Really? With the economy in the tank, it seems a bit spoiled to be complaining that your laptop is a year old. I know a lot of people who would love to own that computer but can't afford it. Then the iPad doesn't have a built in SD card reader, or there's no camera. Really? Really???

Seems we need a little perspective.
 
bcb23 said:
I have the 15inch with that crappy resolution. I cannot take it anymore. 1440x900 is just pathetic. It is barely above the resolution my wife's $500 netbook came with. And I am fortunate my wife encourages me to get new toys when I want them :D
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I too wish that 15" MBP had a 1680x1050 screen. The existing low res was the primary reason I ended up getting the 17" MBP.
 
ValSalva said:
Higher resolution isn't everything. Until OS X finds a way to scale up menus, preference panes, and fonts, then higher resolution is problematic.

It's great for editing big photos and having more screen real estate but it's terrible for reading and web surfing.

Zooming in on web pages can look ugly. I use Readability, a web browser bookmarklet for very small text but that eliminates 95% of the web design.
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That's the only thing I dislike about my 17" uMBP. Yes, the resolution is fantastic for video and photo editing, but menus and reading (even on MacRumors) requires me to lean in or squint, and zooming in results in a poor viewing experience.
batchtaster said:
So, basically to summarize: you were given a choice. With all the information available to you and coupled with free will, you made a fully informed choice, and now you're going to pretend that you're being hard done by (based on not being able to watch high-def Couples Retreat on your lo-def display at 30,000 feet) when you're not, all because Teh Evil Apple won't meet your singular demands and thus are the bully on the block, ruining your day and hoarding all the money, not handing some of it around simply because they claim to be a "business". Which you chose. Out of everything else. Willingly and fully informed. With no guns or other weapons aimed at you.
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Seriously, what's the point of watching High-Def on a tiny laptop screen? I understand if you only have a movie on Blu-ray and not DVD, so that can cause a problem. The 15" doesn't have a high enough resolution anyway, so it doesn't matter, but if you have a 17", then you can install a Blu-ray player yourself.

Read here: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1961733&tstart=86
 
bedifferent said:
It amazes me every day with the complaints I read online. Your laptop is a year old and you're angry with Apple??? Really? With the economy in the tank, it seems a bit spoiled to be complaining that your laptop is a year old. I know a lot of people who would love to own that computer but can't afford it. Then the iPad doesn't have a built in SD card reader, or there's no camera. Really? Really???

Seems we need a little perspective.
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Can you pass me some of that kool-aid?

Would you pay full price for last years model BMW (since everybody likes to use the car analogy when comparing Macs to PCs) when new models have been available at another dealership for several months? I might be loyal to one dealership because of the buying experience and service I received, but I will certainly want the BMW that's faster and has the newest technological features. Unless I am wrong, I think that's the argument most of us spoiled complainers have been referring to.
 
djcobb44 said:
Can you pass me some of that kool-aid?

Would you pay full price for last years model BMW (since everybody likes to use the car analogy when comparing Macs to PCs) when new models have been available at another dealership for several months? I might be loyal to one dealership because of the buying experience and service I received, but I will certainly want the BMW that's faster and has the newest technological features. Unless I am wrong, I think that's the argument most of us spoiled complainers have been referring to.
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The discussion here is not about the cars themselves, it's about the drivers. You wouldn't want the newest BMW if the driver was a baboon, which is how a lot of us feel about Windows.
 
djcobb44 said:
Can you pass me some of that kool-aid?

Would you pay full price for last years model BMW (since everybody likes to use the car analogy when comparing Macs to PCs) when new models have been available at another dealership for several months? I might be loyal to one dealership because of the buying experience and service I received, but I will certainly want the BMW that's faster and has the newest technological features. Unless I am wrong, I think that's the argument most of us spoiled complainers have been referring to.
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Car analogies rarely ever work, such as the example above. Most people would kill for a BMW. Then again, my family sells BMW's, Infiniti's, Lexus, Nissan, Audi, etc. so I'm fortunate in getting great deals on my cars. However, I don't suffer from car envy, there are more important things in life. Sure I can appreciate new vehicles but I don't think "Darn, there's this years model, and with 20 more horses and torque and look at the interior, mine's already three months old, I need!" It's ludicrous and simply demonstrates how marketed we are to consume in this country. We've let things define who we are, when they should have no relevance to our lives or identities.

How is that logic "kool-aid"? (and really kids, enough with the third grade "kool-aid" and "fanboi" b.s. If you ever tried to use that in a court of law you'd be laughed at, it's juvenile and serves no other purpose other than to insult and bait people into third grade rhetoric. Grow up).
 
The thing is not about the monitors or other little things, it's the processing engine that drives the computer. Admit it Apple is late in the game changing processors while everyone else has updated. Apple in the past was always ahead of the game in processing power but not this time. As for pricing they really need to do something there as it is way to high now.

I am simply updating from Powerbook G4 and waiting for a new release. Although I am happy with my 24" iMac Dual Core.
 
bedifferent said:
Car analogies rarely ever work, such as the example above. Most people would kill for a BMW. Then again, my family sells BMW's, Infiniti's, Lexus, Nissan, Audi, etc. so I'm fortunate in getting great deals on my cars. However, I don't suffer from car envy, there are more important things in life. Sure I can appreciate new vehicles but I don't think "Darn, there's this years model, and with 20 more horses and torque and look at the interior, mine's already three months old, I need!" It's ludicrous and simply demonstrates how marketed we are to consume in this country. We've let things define who we are, when they should have no relevance to our lives or identities.

How is that logic "kool-aid"? (and really kids, enough with the third grade "kool-aid" and "fanboi" b.s. If you ever tried to use that in a court of law you'd be laughed at, it's juvenile and serves no other purpose other than to insult and bait people into third grade rhetoric. Grow up).
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I apologize to those offended by the reference to 'kool-aid' when referring to a post calling others "spoiled" and accusing others of complaining... Again, my apology. So, back to the topic at hand...
I agree there are more important things to life. However, since I am a consumer, as we all are, it only makes sense that when there is newer technology or features that have been available to the rest of the PC world, it would be nice of Apple to incorporate this into their products in a timely manner.
 
At the refurb shop, they have a MP without any discount. (Though they did have a base quad MP that sold a week ago for $2,149.)

http://store.apple.com/au/browse/home/specialdeals/mac/mac_pro

The funny thing is, the A$ is hovering about the US$1=A$0.91 mark and projected to be around 0.9 to parity for the next 2 years (according to economic data I get at work).

Angry? you bet ya! Coz I'm tempted to go buy a build-my-own system for 1/3 of the price as a quad.
 
yawn..

apple dont give a sundried dingleberry about the notebooks, they are going hell for leather for their oversized ipod touch.

media you can sell from itunes is more of a priority for them than to provide high end notebooks to users who need productivity rather than play flight control on the train.
 
apple love their customers..

Babybandit said:
And the entry price is lower. So? It might not be the same specced, but it is lower.

People look at it and go - Right! It's lower. You forget that not everyone is geeky enough to care. Those who need it will say 'Hmm, lets get that one, it seems to have 2 graphics cards... That seems to be... Better!?'

You have to realize that there's a world outside where geeks live in.

In Business, Economics, Psychology, Media... There is something known as 'The Decoy Effect'.

Basically, it means that they offer 3 models (generally)

1) Basic Model, stripped down model with barely anything
2) High end Model, with a little bit of extra features not worth much
3) Middle Model, with most of the High End Model's features, and all of the Basic Models.

The mind will gear towards the Middle Model, and they feel they get the best deal (though it's actually the worse one, whilst the High End Model is the actual best value). This leads to profit maximization for the company, and a feeling of satisfaction for the user.

It's all business, and the normal user won't know that they stripped off a GPU. And honestly, they don't care enough. I'm sorry - but that's the truth. All that matters is, the entry price is lower. Many wants to use Macs, not for their specs, but for OSX. Lower Spec, but lower entry price still means more people!
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oh dear. get a refund from the business school you attended.

buying a high end model DOES NOT necessarily represent best 'value' whatsoever..it's aimed at people with, surprise,surprise, folks who have high end needs ( within the limitations of the specs) and the fanboyz who just to have the best they can buy.

as a newcomer who has switched apple, i am amazed, actually astonished that people are so fiercely protective over a brand that is technologically backward and priced at literally extortionate levels...

as long as a brand has such a strong loyalty, it's consumers will always justify paying insane amounts of money for not much or seriously dated tech because it looks 'good'....

apple really have done a number on you people , and if steve jobs told you that the word 'gullible' was going to be removed form every single dictionary in the world, you would probably believe him....

I cannot ever go back to windows, it was far too unstable and unreliable for me, but I know that my 27" quad core imac was ridiculously overpriced..but forced to pay it if it meant not having a computer that literally goes psychotic every time it opens photoshop..

apple exces are laughing their tails off knowing they have sold somehow the idea that there is a 'gap' in the market for a big ipod touch....and convincing the fanboys that there is wasn't exactly difficult, either...expect them to fall hook,line and sinker for that 'unbelievable' price point...
 
bluefox9er said:
I cannot ever go back to windows, it was far too unstable and unreliable for me, but I know that my 27" quad core imac was ridiculously overpriced..but forced to pay it if it meant not having a computer that literally goes psychotic every time it opens photoshop..

apple exces are laughing their tails off knowing they have sold somehow the idea that there is a 'gap' in the market for a big ipod touch....and convincing the fanboys that there is wasn't exactly difficult, either...expect them to fall hook,line and sinker for that 'unbelievable' price point...
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In the UK, I may agree, the pricing points don't translate quite as well as the states (and I assume by your diction you are from the UK, or at least international). Most will agree the iMac IS a great bargain. A 27" LED LCD IPS panel with a quad core system; Apple FINALLY decided to utilize desk top processors and components with their current beautifully designed all-in-one iMacs (I believe the PowerPC and maybe the first generation Intel iMac used a desktop processors, otherwise the iMac lineup has utilized mobile processors and boards for the past few years). The 27" LED LCD IPS panel is a gorgeous display, and as the 30" Apple Cinema Display is currently a 2003/2004 CCFL LCD model at more than the price of an iMac, it's a darn good deal. I'm surprised with all the other devices that someone used the iMac as an example of Apple's price points being too expensive.

Personally, I prefer Apple and OS X (but use Windows 7 when I need to use it, it's a great OS from previous systems) as the design in form and function is flawless. Anyone can build a tower for ~$500 with a dingy monitor. I'd rather have a Mac Pro with a well thought out interior as I'm almost always switching out hard drives (having the four internal bays slide in and out seamlessly is priceless), and having a system that looks as great as it runs is worth the extra $$$. I grew up on Windows boxes, but switched a decade ago. My 2004 23" ACD is still running well, and the 24" LED LCD is a great addition next to it. I've gotten a lot out of it for the money, and I wouldn't spend a penny on a dingy TFT panel that comes with Dell and HP systems (I'd rather get an EIZO monitor for the money, although Apple does utilize IPS panels which are a great bargain, especially for an LED LCD).

Whenever I hear people complain about an Apple "tax", I agree that some things are more than possible counterparts, but Apple does employ a great Industrial Designer with Jonathan Ive. Their products are designed to be great in both form and function, and as I use computers every day in my life, I'm thankful for that fact :).
 
bluefox9er said:
apple dont give a sundried dingleberry about the notebooks, they are going hell for leather for their oversized ipod touch.

media you can sell from itunes is more of a priority for them than to provide high end notebooks to users who need productivity rather than play flight control on the train.
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True. If you had a 20ft container and had to fill it up, you'd fill it up with iPhones/Touch rather than laptops to make the most $/shipment.
 
plaxico44 said:
Hasnt the value of the Aussie dollar change?
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Changes all the time. We are sitting on very nice exchange rate at the moment so here's hoping Apple do refresh the line up in the near future.

Apple tend to lock in the price for the product cycle locally, I guess by buying a longer term currency deal. So the price isn't changing every day. Although if they change options mid cycle then they might refresh prices across that product line.

Generally Australian Prices will be 5c per $ lower than current exchange plus our local gst(10%) then round up to the magic $xx99*. So if the Base MacPro stays at the same US price point then we should another $300 come off that lower price and $500 off Dual Processor. Now if the base model comes in the US comes (yes I know not likely) then big drops will be seen here.

*Sorry the joys of Trickle buying machines over a number of years as part of my day job. Plus I tend to notice such things. Yes I'm that sad.
 
I think apple should just start making electric cars with built in Mac Pro's. This way we could have tailgate parties with lots of chicks and really have an Apple experience. :-D
 
Well they certainly can't use the exchange rate as an excuse. The Aussie economy is going much better than the US, and the exchange rate is quite good at the moment, up over .92c. Gone are the days where we were are .72 and the exchange rate hurt us a lot. There is no reason the prices between the US and Australia should be anymore than 10%.
 
bluefox9er said:
I cannot ever go back to windows, it was far too unstable and unreliable for me, but I know that my 27" quad core imac was ridiculously overpriced..but forced to pay it if it meant not having a computer that literally goes psychotic every time it opens photoshop..
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No one forces you do pay anything, you choose too. What amazes me in your argument you spell out how **** windows is, yet you can't see the value in a mac. No one forces you to buy a mac, so stop whinging at the price.
 
brisbaneguy29 said:
Well they certainly can't use the exchange rate as an excuse. The Aussie economy is going much better than the US, and the exchange rate is quite good at the moment, up over .92c. Gone are the days where we were are .72 and the exchange rate hurt us a lot. There is no reason the prices between the US and Australia should be anymore than 10%.
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Well, when the last gen MP's came out in March last year, 1 Aussie dollar would get you $0.63 USD. Yet the MP was still priced similarly to the MBP/MB's when they were released in September at an exchange rate of $0.86. This all leads be to believe that Apple pegs a lot of it's goods at a certain exchange rate for local pricing, my guess is around $0.85.

With that in mind: $499 * 1.15 (import/customs) / 0.85 = ~675, iPad = $699.
 
iamkarlp said:
...
I think people around here are forgetting that computers are becoming (expensive) commodities. The majority of people, even people using computers every day to make their livings, do not care if it has the newest XYZ part. They want a working computer with decent battery life (if a portable) that looks good in their home or on there personage.
...
They want to know that it will work, do so reliably, and look good doing it.

This is why Apple has literally poured money into there chassis design.
....
It's only once you understand that the enthusiast market is a statistically small, and shrinking, market and that Apple understands the growing commoditization of the market will you understand their, admittedly intelligent, approach to PC products.
...
So far their bet on the commoditization of PC hardware is turning out to be correct, and while I may not always have every bell and whistle, I have had a stable platform for years now, one which allows me to be profitable in my business endeavours.

Karl P
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And that, I believe, is an extremely astute analysis. Thank You. :)

I will just add this. Apple is not just throwing money at chassis design, but also battery R&D for their portables (which you hinted at in your post.) At some point, for the majority of users, machines are as powerful as they really need to be. What will make a difference to people will be how long it can go between charges.
 
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