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Wow...so you believe people pay more for a Mac because it's more than just a computer? It's not just a computer? You just can't have a rational conversation with a religious zealot like you.

No, I believe if some one is willing to pay 500 dollars more for the computer than obviously they see a difference in it other than being just a computer (otherwise they are being completely illogical if the mac is just another computer and yet they're going to spend 500 more on it).

I mean, I certainly wouldn't be buying a Mac if I didn't have a strong preference for it. I could easily get a PC for cheaper. And a 200 dollar ipod certainly wouldn't be swaying me to pay that much extra if I didn't like the Mac much more already (especially if I could get a 200 dollar xbox with the PC).

You failed to get my point entirely. My point was that if they were already considering the Mac over the PC, when the PC is much cheaper, then obviously they put a large value on the Mac.

Of course not the same thing; different tools, same job, slightly differences. The mac is not some separate transcendental artifact. It's a computer. JUST A COMPUTER.

Yes, it is. And if it is just a computer to them, why are they buying it when they can get a much cheaper one? Obviously, the person chosing the Mac over the PC obviously sees some sort of value in the Mac over the PC. The difference makes a difference to them.

And I agree with some one else, if you really are swayed to buy a mac just cause an ipod came with it.. you need to learn math skills and logic. If it is just a computer to you, buy the cheaper PC, buy the ipod, and you've still paid less than the mac! It's stupid to get the mac just cause it came with an ipod! You should be getting it cause you prefer it strong enough to justify the difference in price (and while I can be cynical, I do believe most people aren't so stupid as to just buy the much more expensive computer cause it came with a shiny toy they could have easily afforded by the difference in price in computers).
 
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1. http://store.apple.com/us/product/FC086LL/A?mco=MjI4NjY2MTE
The free iPod touch of last year was really a (renamed) touch 2G from 2008.
Apple sells the MC model version of it for $149.
It's hard to imagine the manufacturing/raw costs exceed $100 on the device.

2. Also, of that 30% that apple "makes" on app sales -- it really goes back to the big pool of operating costs -- App store reviewer costs, state and federal tax, accounting, customer support, etc. I remember reading this is just enough to cover the costs of the operation.

3. There are already oodles and oodles of iOS devices in the hands of kids today. If the kid / his parents can afford a MacBook , there's a good chance they already own an iPhone or iPod touch. From what I've seen, At typical high schools around the nation you can expect at least 200 iOS devices per 1000 students. Apple doesn't need to flood the market with more iPod touches.

4. When a "free" iPod touch is sold on craigslist for a lower price to someone who would have bought it through apple, apple now has "lost" the full retail value of that sale (like opportunity cost) and not just the manufacturing cost.

5. The giftcard will be great for perpetuating the small-but-growing Mac app store. Users can see this as a free way to get certain needed apps. It makes devs happy.

In the end, I think the cost to apple to provide a $100 gift card vs a ~$100 iPod touch evens out in a way more beneficial to consumers and to apple themselves.
 
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Wow...so you believe people pay more for a Mac because it's more than just a computer? It's not just a computer? You just can't have a rational conversation with a religious zealot like you.



Of course not the same thing; different tools, same job, slightly differences. The mac is not some separate transcendental artifact. It's a computer. JUST A COMPUTER.

I think I can help out here.

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Both are JUST A COMPUTER (your words not mine), but they're really not the same thing at all. If the iPod Touch was the deal breaker then you really shouldn't be making the purchase anyway because you clearly aren't sold on the mac.
 
I wish Apple would go for a little more market share honestly. You got Windows 90% +. Linux is there obviously but not widely used. Apple could get to 20% + if they would open up a little. I understand being stingy, you want to see how much you can get away with and how much you can push profits. All part of business.

Also I am guessing they will be done with optical all together soon with the MAS. Which I believe will keep them at a lower market share maybe even shrink slightly. Its a little too soon to go all in on DD only just yet. Sometimes I wish we had a 4th OS option. Of course if Apple stars failing in certain areas then the prices might get better and they may expand they playbook per say.

Can't stay this hot forever.
 
wow. Macmall it is

Thanks for the link though
Edit : Macmall throws in a free parallel too. So there goes my PO

For those of you who, like me, think a hundred dollar iTunes card is useless, I just wanted to mention that you can in many cases get your new Mac from MacMall for less than you would pay via the educational discount. If you click through the prices on AppleInsider for this link, you will get another 3% off too--which doesn't sound like much, but can be nice on a $1200 computer.

http://www.appleinsider.com/mac_price_guide/
 
For those of you who, like me, think a hundred dollar iTunes card is useless, I just wanted to mention that you can in many cases get your new Mac from MacMall for less than you would pay via the educational discount. If you click through the prices on AppleInsider for this link, you will get another 3% off too--which doesn't sound like much, but can be nice on a $1200 computer.

http://www.appleinsider.com/mac_price_guide/

i usually get the new Macs on the Thanksgiving day! very simple, easy $100 off on some model and some credit card cash back ( of course I am not a student, so this back to school was never been in my radar)
 
This was bad timing for Apple. With Microsoft's free Xbox package, most students are going to prefer a PC.

Im pretty excited for this, Apple (AAPL) stock price is probably going to take a hit when they report this quarters earnings. Haha time to short AAPL, and buy after they announce earnings! $250 anyone?!
 
I wish Apple would go for a little more market share honestly. You got Windows 90% +. Linux is there obviously but not widely used. Apple could get to 20% + if they would open up a little. I understand being stingy, you want to see how much you can get away with and how much you can push profits. All part of business.

Also I am guessing they will be done with optical all together soon with the MAS. Which I believe will keep them at a lower market share maybe even shrink slightly. Its a little too soon to go all in on DD only just yet. Sometimes I wish we had a 4th OS option. Of course if Apple stars failing in certain areas then the prices might get better and they may expand they playbook per say.

Can't stay this hot forever.

Is Google not producing an OS or am I referencing a squashed rumor?
 
The $100 card cost Apple nothing, only to a maximum of $70 due to the 70-30 split, but seriously, there are many angry people out there now, hoping to get their iPod with a Mac.
 
This was bad timing for Apple. With Microsoft's free Xbox package, most students are going to prefer a PC.

Im pretty excited for this, Apple (AAPL) stock price is probably going to take a hit when they report this quarters earnings. Haha time to short AAPL, and buy after they announce earnings! $250 anyone?!

iPhone is the cash cow now, so this is no deal breaker for apple...
 
Is Google not producing an OS or am I referencing a squashed rumor?

They are, but I was speaking more in terms of already having an established one with good software already out. They may do well with the ChromeOS though. Just getting it started. Well see.
 
1. My idea wasn't moronic, it's reality (all I said was that prices get expensive and companies tend to get worse on their offers). If you don't think that's the reality of it, well, when you grow up, you'll find out. Sorry, inflation has been happening way before any of us were born (even the oldest member here). And companies, especially in recessions, cut back on incentives (and sometimes they add to them, but sometimes that means they are using desperate tactics cause they have no other way to get sales, sometimes them offering something really good is a bad sign for that company/store). That's life.

2. If you are going to call some one a moron, you're just going to make them laugh if you end up looking like a moron yourself when you can't even figure out simple grammar rules such as your = possessive and you're = you are when you call them a moron. Oh, and shake their heads at how stupid the youth of today can be *sigh*.
Someone.
 
This was bad timing for Apple. With Microsoft's free Xbox package, most students are going to prefer a PC.

Im pretty excited for this, Apple (AAPL) stock price is probably going to take a hit when they report this quarters earnings. Haha time to short AAPL, and buy after they announce earnings! $250 anyone?!

I disagree, and I would say being a part of the college class of 2015 (incoming freshman college class) I know a thing or two about how this will play out. Now keep in mind I'm from a middle class area (possibly slightly upper middle class). With that said, of the 20-30 kids that I've spoken to about laptops for next year in college a handful have already purchased MBPs, a few more are expecting to open them as a graduation present, and a few others have just been putting it off until this announcement was made. We were not waiting to see what it was simply to see when it started. I've mentioned to a few of them that it could possibly be a $100 iTunes card and it didn't phase any of them in the slightest.

Also it was mentioned earlier that a typical HS has 200 iOS products per 1000 kids. I believe that is an extreme understatement. Coming from a school of approximately 2400 students I would wager nearly 80% owned an iOS device of some form, or had in the past (switched to android if iPhone etc.)
 
Japan had their Back to School promotion few months ago and they got free iPod Touch 4G....
 
They are, but I was speaking more in terms of already having an established one with good software already out. They may do well with the ChromeOS though. Just getting it started. Well see.

Ah I see. Well I've used builds of Linux in the past, am currently on a Windows laptop, and have an iMac as the family computer. With that said I would say there is enough spice to go around, not to say more wouldn't be welcomed. I do understand what you are saying though with Linux being more of a niche OS and Windows dominating the market.
 
Just another one checking in to say: I've been holding off on getting an iMac until I could get the "iPad nano" bundled in. The gift card just doesn't cut it. Yeah, Apple probably has some good reason for the choice, but that doesn't mean it works for me. Will consider waiting for Black Friday; I'm in no hurry at the moment.
 
Does anyone know of any retailers that might include an ipod Touch with purchase of a Mac? In addition to needing a new Mac laptop, I was excited at the prospect of an ipod Touch being included, which I was going to use as both my audio device and a mini wifi tablet.
 
calm down

The iPod has above 76% market share in the U.S. So there is hardly any incentive to throw more units out there for free.

$100 is a great idea to get people more "invested" in the iTunes and Mac ecosystem - with a $100 extra music it will be that much harder to give up in favor of Google Music, Chrome Apps or Amazon services etc.

Another point is this: why would you freak out over getting something for free? That is a really bad attitude.
 
itunes gift cards are always on some sort of discount, including close to or at 50% off a few times. so essentially, this is only worth about $50 or so.
 

Very true I had forgotten it was being included as free download. This deal seems more then worth it to me.

Also that "free xbox" is being tacked on to a computer worth about $150 less then what it is being sold for. Look at what the computers + xbox sell for and look at that same computer without the xbox attached.
 
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