Apple Black Friday Sales Begin in Australia and New Zealand [Updatedx2]

[Bafflefish]

It's called Black Friday because retail stores who were in the RED all year (loss of profit) will use the day after Thanksgiving to get in the BLACK (increase in revenue and profit).

That was the original reason for it. However, that purpose for it hasn't been the primary reason for decades. Before the first "Black Fridays", the weekend after Thanksgiving was always viewed as the "kick off" period for holiday sales shopping leading in to Christmas. Up until not too long ago, the "Black Friday" weekend was the heaviest shopped/greatest revenue earning weekend retail-wise of the entire year (for at least the last decade, that weekend is now the weekend directly before Christmas).

However, it's essentially become a retail tradition, and so stores continue to do it in order to help boost their holiday sales period earnings. Sure, they still view it as a great way to bring in revenue, but isn't that what Apple is all about? Revenue?

Something tells me the likes of Best Buy, Target, Costco, etc. aren't "in the red", and yet they always put out amongst the "best" Black Friday ads of any company.

Does anyone here think that Apple is in the RED? I sure don't. They have billions in the bank and have consistently reported quarterly gains for the last few years. Apple does not need Black Friday so Apple is not the place to go shopping for a Mac.

No one here said that Apple was in the red. However, see above: plenty of companies "not in the red" offer great deals.

 

[Bafflefish]

No, of course not, but you're not making the ridiculous claim that everyone buys Windows PC's because they love them. It's a pretty bizarre thing to say and it's not backed up by any marketing research I know of. So, my suspicion is that the OP is projecting his/her personal opinion rather than making a realistic or useful observation about PC buying habits in general. As I said, I have yet to hear anyone say that they love their Windows PC, so it would be interesting to hear it at least once.

I *love* my Macs. I've never regretted purchasing one, and I'm sure I'll never regret purchasing my next one.

I also *love* my Windows 7 PC. In fact, I'd go so far to say that I enjoy Windows 7 just as much as I've enjoyed OS X. Both have been stable and high-performance.

How often do people actually say they "love" this or "love" that though? Amongst the IT crowd I'm involved in, I can't remember the last time I've heard anyone say they really prefer a particular product (and this is coming from a group that's probably 50% Windows, 40% Mac and 10% Linux/other).

In fact, just about the only ones I know who I've heard say they "love" this or that are the casual computer users who don't really do much besides internet usage and office applications (then again, that's a very high majority of computer owners). And to be completely honest, their opinion just about means nothing to me.

Edit: To respond to this:

What planet are you from? Because here on planet Earth, Mac sales are rising at a rapid pace indicating that, yes, there are boatloads of people who want to buy Macs (unless they are all buying against their will). And I have yet to hear a single person say that they "love" their Windows PC. If you're such a person, you should say so.

I think you mean that Apple's hardware revenue has been rapidly rising. Sales of hardware units have been increasing, but I don't know that I would call it a "rapid increase".

It does make me curious though how Apple would have fared had the economy actually hit a depression.

 

[DARKJ3DI]

wow. That's a good price on the elgato eyetv hybrid.

*yoink*

 

[Berio]

It's extremely frustrating that I can get the new Macbook from Amazon, or Best Buy with a free $150 gift card, cheaper than I can from Apple themselves. You would think they could at least MATCH these types of deals! Not everyday, but just MAYBE on black Friday.

why is that frustrating?
just buy it at amazon...

 

[MJD Dawg]

I am holding off on buying a new Mac Mini and 21.5" iMac till tomorrow morning. If the BF deals are better than the edu store prices, good enough, else I will just go with the edu deal . Two free printers with those can't be beat.

Looking at the Aussie BF deals, the pricing is exactly the Education price.

Here in Canada, the Edu price on the 21.5 inch iMac is $50 less than retail so that's what I expect to see tomorrow. Oh well, it's still $50, which I'll put towards Applecare (also cheaper with Edu price).

 

[na1577]

Just curious: Why? What exactly don't you like about OSX?

I mean, it seems that Microsoft is pushing their OS to be more and more OSX-like with each renewal. I even remember reading a quote by some bigwig pro-Windows reviewer who said that Windows 7 is the most Apple-like that MS's OS's have ever been (sorry, I can't find the quote).

I've used Windows all my life, so I know everything there is to know about it--shortcuts, solutions, usability quirks--and I don't know those of OS X. And though there are some benefits over Windows there aren't enough for me to want to spend the time to learn how to use it.

To answer your other comment, I think the OS X-like aspect of Windows 7 is the fact that Microsoft simplified a lot of paths and functions to make it easier for people who don't like using computers. And that's one of the big selling points of Macs.

I LOVE my Windows PC.

And I don't like OS X, at all. I only come here for iPhone/iPod stories, not Mac ones.

So why are you here!?

Normally I'd be nice about this, but was it really too hard to read a TWO LINE POST?

 

[MorphingDragon]

I've used Windows all my life, so I know everything there is to know about it--shortcuts, solutions, usability quirks--and I don't know those of OS X. And though there are some benefits over Windows there aren't enough for me to want to spend the time to learn how to use it.

To answer your other comment, I think the OS X-like aspect of Windows 7 is the fact that Microsoft simplified a lot of paths and functions to make it easier for people who don't like using computers. And that's one of the big selling points of Macs.



Normally I'd be nice about this, but was it really too hard to read a TWO LINE POST?

iPod? What an iPod? It costs a lot, it must be a coffee machine!

---

You'd be better going here for iNews.

http://www.ilounge.com/

 

[na1577]

I'm just fine right here, thanks.

 

[CountPollen]

Apple Store is offline

Just clicked on the mail link Apple sent a.o. to mobileme users and guess what:
The Apple is OFFLINE. This is of course because of the price updates for today, but now would also be the time for some last minute updates (tablet???)

 

[rotlex]

why is that frustrating?
just buy it at amazon...

It's frustrating because I would rather walk into my local Apple store and buy it. As far as Amazon, I just ordered it. . Still not understanding how Apple cannot at least match a reseller price thought. It's a good thing I like their products as much as I do, or I'd probably give up on them by now.

 

[batchtaster]

You'll do better with the Education Store.

http://www.apple.com/au/education/shop/

 

[Surely]

I've used Windows all my life, so I know everything there is to know about it--shortcuts, solutions, usability quirks--and I don't know those of OS X. And though there are some benefits over Windows there aren't enough for me to want to spend the time to learn how to use it.

To answer your other comment, I think the OS X-like aspect of Windows 7 is the fact that Microsoft simplified a lot of paths and functions to make it easier for people who don't like using computers. And that's one of the big selling points of Macs.

Fair enough. Thanks for providing a well thought out response.

From the sounds of things, I think that you would enjoy OSX if you gave it a chance.

Just clicked on the mail link Apple sent a.o. to mobileme users and guess what:
The Apple is OFFLINE. This is of course because of the price updates for today, but now would also be the time for some last minute updates (tablet???)

Yeah. A tablet. Totally. The perfect time. You heard it here first folks.

 

[Shanpdx]

Amazon has basic 21.5" imac for 1049.99

 

[dewalt]

No, of course not, but you're not making the ridiculous claim that everyone buys Windows PC's because they love them. It's a pretty bizarre thing to say and it's not backed up by any marketing research I know of. So, my suspicion is that the OP is projecting his/her personal opinion rather than making a realistic or useful observation about PC buying habits in general. As I said, I have yet to hear anyone say that they love their Windows PC, so it would be interesting to hear it at least once.

I love my Windows 7 PC. I definitely prefer it over OS X. I do have a new 13" MBP that my wife uses, so I do use OS X several times a week.

 

[ditzy]

£71 off the iMac and MBP. Not really an incentive to buy today for me anyway.

 

[ayzee]

What! no discount on the magic mouse on the UK store, come on apple!

 

[Kebabselector]

What! no discount on the magic mouse on the UK store, come on apple!

You can get a £3 discount off a wireless keyboard though

 

[greenmeanie]

No matter what you people think Steve does not want to be your friend. It is a business and they want to make money period.

You'd think with the global economy in the toilet and Apple banking serious $$$, they'd avoid being Scrooge with the their Black Friday sale.

Coachingguy

 

[DYER]

you know what, normally i pay no attention to black friday sales or the uk equivalent but i need to buy an imac and this REALLY caught my eye.
It sais extra discounts for students now I am looking forward to uni in 10 hours and checking out if i get even more money off.
have attached pic of part of the apple uk homepage for education store!!

 

[daviesified]

you know what, normally i pay no attention to black friday sales or the uk equivalent but i need to buy an imac and this REALLY caught my eye.
It sais extra discounts for students now I am looking forward to uni in 10 hours and checking out if i get even more money off.
have attached pic of part of the apple uk homepage for education store!!

Don't get your hopes up. The discount is the same as ever for students.

 

[gavstephenson]

I don't suppose anywhere else in the UK (other than Apple) is doing discounts today are they?

I've been waiting until today to buy. And I'm gonna - despite the mean reductions. But, even after weeks of thinking about it, I still don't know whether to get the
27-inch: 3.06GHz or spend that bit extra and get the quad core

 

[a0911091837]

I don't suppose anywhere else in the UK (other than Apple) is doing discounts today are they?

I've been waiting until today to buy. And I'm gonna - despite the mean reductions. But, even after weeks of thinking about it, I still don't know whether to get the
27-inch: 3.06GHz or spend that bit extra and get the quad core

ME TOO!!!! EXACTLY SAME SITUATION....

 

[billysea]

For the people that says Apple doesn't need sale, what about Walmart or Best Buy? They seem to be doing pretty well too (at least compare to most others out there). That doesn't mean they have to be so nit-picky with their sale.

Even a student discount or weekly Best Buy sale could beat Apple's annual sale of their own products.

 

[MorphingDragon]

I don't suppose anywhere else in the UK (other than Apple) is doing discounts today are they?

I've been waiting until today to buy. And I'm gonna - despite the mean reductions. But, even after weeks of thinking about it, I still don't know whether to get the
27-inch: 3.06GHz or spend that bit extra and get the quad core

Unless you do mega photo or movie editing or software development get the Dual Core. The quadcore is wasted power otherwise.

 

[gavstephenson]

Unless you do mega photo or movie editing or software development get the Dual Core. The quadcore is wasted power otherwise.

Big thanks for the advice.

No, I don't really do those things. I use Photoshop now and again. Does that quality as 'photo editing'?

So, do you think the duo would be fast even with lots of programs open?

I'm using a 1.9 GHz PowerPC G5 (memory 512mb) and I do want to see a big difference in performance on my new computer.