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Apple employees only get a 30% discount which more than likely represents all profit made. Thats still OVER $2.1 million spent...

These machines are not being sold as one time computers for profit. They are considered internal assets that they will get at cost. It is not costing them anywhere near what you think they cost. It is not as if the retail team goes to an apple and whips out a credit card. This is an internal business expense that they just get from existing inventory and re-use.
 
These machines are not being sold as one time computers for profit. They are considered internal assets that they will get at cost. It is not costing them anywhere near what you think they cost. It is not as if the retail team goes to an apple and whips out a credit card. This is an internal business expense that they just get from existing inventory and re-use.

Plus could they not send them through the refurbished process after they've been used and end up probably making money on them still?!?!
 
So... you go into an Apple store, download (copy) and install Lion on the spot? Or burn it to media and take it home?
 
Plus could they not send them through the refurbished process after they've been used and end up probably making money on them still?!?!
Assuming they don't keep them around for other server or internal purposes, they very well could do just that.

I doubt they will do that though (refurb them that is), it makes more sense to re-use them internally as part of regular business. Of course it isn't as if Apple has to buy their computers at retail prices now do they?:D
 
In my opinion, this is a meagre solution for a problem that we should not have in the first place. Just offer copies on DVDs and let customers decide what works out for them. They should be encouraged to buy Lion via the App Store, not forced.

Totally agree. . .
 
Pretty cool.

The even better news about this is that since Apple has uses for Mac Pros, they definitely won't be going away any time soon.
 
Love it, Love it, Love it.!

This is what the future is gonna be like. No more having to worry about keeping cd's and usb drives. Everything of the cloud
 
WoW, calm down everyone. After you download it, you can burn it to DvD. I wouldn't be surprised is the Apple store doesn't burn one for you if requested.

I can see some $ opportunities on this one. Ebay and ioffer will likely be loaded with dvds :)
 
WoW, calm down everyone. After you download it, you can burn it to DvD. I wouldn't be surprised is the Apple store doesn't burn one for you if requested.

I can see some $ opportunities on this one. Ebay and ioffer will likely be loaded with dvds :)

yeah I totally agree with you, because the whole OS is stored on your hard drive (and you can actually restore the entire OS from the hard drive) and with the built in apple functions you can burn a copy onto a CD.

Apple itself will not sell physical DVD copies of the OS but mac users will have burned copies in no time.

Hard Core Mac Pros delivering the OS in minutes sounds epic, I would want to go not just to get the new OS with style, but also to check out the bad boys performing on edge. I'd ask them to have system monitor running as it streams the information to everyone !
 
I dont see why Apple can't just have lion on their store units that allows a straight copy to USB device. Why make each user download it separately, that sounds idiotic. Im no programmer but I'm sure theres a way you could pay, copy to USB and have it registered to your app store account.

Come on keep the line moving Apple :)
 
I dont see why Apple can't just have lion on their store units that allows a straight copy to USB device. Why make each user download it separately, that sounds idiotic. Im no programmer but I'm sure theres a way you could pay, copy to USB and have it registered to your app store account.

Come on keep the line moving Apple :)

They are offering something better, instead of having line ups and people needing to have their key ready and the problems that could happen with not enough space etc. Your last line was funny, because your idea would cause more line ups.

You simply connect to Apply Network and download it in minutes, i personally think its so much better
 
yeah I totally agree with you, because the whole OS is stored on your hard drive (and you can actually restore the entire OS from the hard drive) and with the built in apple functions you can burn a copy onto a CD.

Apple itself will not sell physical DVD copies of the OS but mac users will have burned copies in no time.

Hard Core Mac Pros delivering the OS in minutes sounds epic, I would want to go not just to get the new OS with style, but also to check out the bad boys performing on edge. I'd ask them to have system monitor running as it streams the information to everyone !

Well beings I already am running Snow on a i7 2600k @ 4.5GHz with 16G of DDR3 ram, I don't feel the need to see a new mac pro, unless they have one running dual Sandy bridge xeons :). Especially since @ home I can download 4Gs in under 10 minutes.


I really don't see a Mac Pro upgrade yet, it seems kind of premature with a new line of Intel CPUS for socket 2011 only months away. Currently I don't believe there are and Sandy Bridge 6/8 core CPUs available. There will be this fall. With the time frame in between upgrades it seems a little silly not to wait for the best.
 
I assume you'd be able to put it on a flash drive as well. Not everyone has laptops.

I would not assume that. The running joke when this was brought up a month ago was users with iMacs hanging around the store with 27 inch machines :D

I would like to think Apple would ease the pain of distribution to those who have have slow download speeds.
 
They are offering something better, instead of having line ups and people needing to have their key ready and the problems that could happen with not enough space etc. Your last line was funny, because your idea would cause more line ups.

You simply connect to Apply Network and download it in minutes, i personally think its so much better

I can see it now 100s of people carrying their MAC pros into the store??? Im sure the "big Citys" with fiber lines will have super fast 100+MBs connections but in rural America they wont be much faster then normal consumer speeds. I have a 40 meg connection in the middle of no where, it will take less then 10 minutes for 4G to download.
 
Apple removed the Floppy drive and people complained but today we are glad they did. Apple is now moving all their software to the App Store. And people are complaining. But I'm sure in a few years we'll all look back and be glad Apple made this move.

Personally I'm glad Apple made the move. Even with my POS internet.

1. It's very green. No world resources and extra cost wasted on the media and packaging.
2. Less chance of a day zero update needed. Cause the time between release version shipped and ready for sale is now zero.
3. Apple does not have to worry about shipping. So it can be released when it's ready and not have to worry about shipping all the discs.
4. You as a consumer don't have to hang around for the postman or go to a store to get Lion. Just start the download, then live your normal life and come back a few hours or maybe closer to a day later and it'll be done.
Cheaper cost for the consumer.
5. No chance of people getting the release version of the OS early. Cause there's no physical shipments to hijack and store staff members can't take their copy early.
6. The release time can be any time in the day now. Not when the Store opens up. Also you can start the download when you want to. Not be constricted by Store or postman hours.
7. No need for an external dvd drive if you own a MBA.
8. Getting the digital distribution channel working correctly now. So in the future when that's all there is, they will have it working perfectly. Unlike the competition.

And probably more which I can't think of now. But I made my point. Even with a POS net connection this new disc-less OS is a very good idea.

Just adding to that, there isn't much competition for internet here in Canada, thus our bandwidth caps and slower speeds (comparing to Norway they're about 10x slower). This would give the companies just more reason to increase the bandwidth caps & speeds in the future, distributing more and more software through the Mac App Store
 
just came to my mind, it would be so much harder for people that torrent all of their software to do this one. The updates would most likely be pulled out from the Mac App Store too if they don't keep them on the Software Update. Much more people buying the next operating systems to come for Apple this way :p
 
just came to my mind, it would be so much harder for people that torrent all of their software to do this one. The updates would most likely be pulled out from the Mac App Store too if they don't keep them on the Software Update. Much more people buying the next operating systems to come for Apple this way :p

Nothing will slow/stop torrents. The GM gold is all over the torrents. Im sure the retail one will be tomorrow as well.

Torrents are for noobs. There is much faster ways to get stuff other then P2P/torrents.
 
Apple removed the Floppy drive and people complained but today we are glad they did. Apple is now moving all their software to the App Store. And people are complaining. But I'm sure in a few years we'll all look back and be glad Apple made this move.

Personally I'm glad Apple made the move. Even with my POS internet.

1. It's very green. No world resources and extra cost wasted on the media and packaging.
2. Less chance of a day zero update needed. Cause the time between release version shipped and ready for sale is now zero.
3. Apple does not have to worry about shipping. So it can be released when it's ready and not have to worry about shipping all the discs.
4. You as a consumer don't have to hang around for the postman or go to a store to get Lion. Just start the download, then live your normal life and come back a few hours or maybe closer to a day later and it'll be done.
Cheaper cost for the consumer.
5. No chance of people getting the release version of the OS early. Cause there's no physical shipments to hijack and store staff members can't take their copy early.
6. The release time can be any time in the day now. Not when the Store opens up. Also you can start the download when you want to. Not be constricted by Store or postman hours.
7. No need for an external dvd drive if you own a MBA.
8. Getting the digital distribution channel working correctly now. So in the future when that's all there is, they will have it working perfectly. Unlike the competition.

And probably more which I can't think of now. But I made my point. Even with a POS net connection this new disc-less OS is a very good idea.


Well said, I'm totally onboard with Apple's decision to go totally digital. just think of the environmental impact or lack of, its great, no need to leave my home, again it's a plus. Packaging, distribution, fuel cost and I'm sure there's many more. Hey I just look up on my shelf and what do I see? boxes of used software, most of which is taking up space for what....

Apple you are doing the right thing! Hats off you YOU!

For the complainers, get over it! we have seen Apple take the lead
in the past, does floppies bring back memories, Intel CPU.........

If you are on dial-up then move into the 21st century :cool:
 
Just adding to that, there isn't much competition for internet here in Canada, thus our bandwidth caps and slower speeds (comparing to Norway they're about 10x slower). This would give the companies just more reason to increase the bandwidth caps & speeds in the future, distributing more and more software through the Mac App Store

I'm not sure which part of Canada you live in, but here on the Vancouver Island
there's no issues with internet if you live in any of the communities from Campbell River south to Victoria. If you have Shaw as your internet provider and are on normal high speed your cap is 120 GB per month, extreme is 250GB per month. So do the math, 4 GB is not going to take you over the top. On extreme the 4 GB will take approx 20 min on the outside. Extreme is 25 MBPS
and if you require more, then go with Broadband 50 or broadband 100 http://www.shaw.ca/Internet/
Shaw doubled the bandwidth without increasing the cost to the consumer.
People have short memories, remember the days of the dial-up? there was bandwidth caps. They need bandwidth caps in order to support the cable system. Remember also that we still have analog cable systems here in Canada which are in the process of being fazed out, this is turn will provide more options for higher bandwidth in the future.
One last point, don't compare Canada with Norway or other much smaller countries, Canada is very large (at last check, 2nd largest) with a very small pop to support it!.
 
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