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Hands-On With Apple's $4999 Pro Display XDR and $999 Stand
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It applied to all the people who might or might not buy which most people agree that the $999 smartphone is 999 times more valuable than a $999 adjustable stand and there is nothing you can argue about it because Apple really made a mistake by not including a typical stand and force the customer to pay more for something that supposed to be part of the package. Apple is likely the first brand that refuses to include a monitor stand and develop a horrible impression from the customer's point of view.
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Most people would also agree these two items are mutually exclusive. If one needs a $999 for a $4999 monitor they are going to buy it. Apple doesn’t care if the customer has a “horrible impression”.
You misunderstood dude, it's Apple that develops a horrible impression by pricing the monitor accessory as expensive as a smartphone and refuse to include a typical stand. I won't be surprised if You are going to think it's the right decision if Apple stop include lightning charger for the newer model of smartphone and force you to buy the separate lightning charger that cost $999 so you can charge it.
Apple can't stop people from thinking what they want to think. It doesn't mean that Apple too should drink from the poisoned well as well.
The truth of the matter is this. In a parallel universe where Apple did sell the monitor with the stand, we will never have known if said monitor had retailed at $6000 or $5000. As it is, I maintain that Apple has made the right move moving forward.
The target market for this XDR display is possibly already working in a studio which already employs expensive VESA mounts on their existing monitors. By selling the monitor, stand and mount separately, Apple is making it more affordable for potential customers who wish to buy the display, but have no need of a stand or a mount. And if they want either the stand or the mount (or even both), the option is always there to add them at the time of purchase.
I just do not understand what is so hard to grasp about this concept.
Nor is your analogy about the smartphone not bundling the lightning charger apt. Apple currently has an installed base of over 900 million iPhone users. It stands to reason that every year, we get tens of millions of people who are getting their first iPhone (and also, their first apple product). In this context, it doesn't make sense to not include the charging cable with the iPhone.
I would have hoped that Apple enthusiasts would be able to "think a little different", but when I see how they practically fell over themselves to criticise products like the Apple Watch and AirPods, I sometimes wonder why I keep expecting that something will change.
That’s just a bunch of hyperbole. However posters before you have suggested to stop including the 5w brick as it’s mostly landfill. Maybe charge $999 for those?
Exactly. I had been pondering a Mac if my laptop died until the bumped the price even higher.
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I just don't understand why they don't separate their website into consumer and professional.
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Yes this was my exact thought at first. Does the stand do anything other than hold up the monitor? At least my Pro Max can do a long list of different things.
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Mac mini is $799, it was $749 for the same 8GB/128GB config in 2014. 13” Air is $1,099 for the 8GB/128GB with a beautiful Retina display, $999 in 2014 for the 4GB/128GB config with 1440x900 display.
Seems like not much price increase to me.
Why, so a few people who are easily triggered won’t have to see the iMac Pro, Mac Pro or XDR monitor that they don’t need and can’t afford to buy, since they don’t use their Macs to generate revenue? Sorry, Apple’s website isn’t meant to be a safe space.
If Apple sold hundreds of millions of XDR stands instead of thousands, the price could very well drop to less than $100. If Apple only sold thousands of iPhones, they could be priced at $10,000 or more.
It’s known as economies of scale, and it’s a powerful concept in business and manufacturing.
btw, for the price of your Pro Max, you could have bought 22 $50 Android phones. But that not really relevant to the XDR stand either.
Do you like it if Apple sells the lightning charger for $999 and won't include any of it in the newer model of the smartphone? I think you're going to like it.
It’s irrelevant if I like it. If I need it and in the target market, I’m going to buy it.
Now that various friends who need the display (as opposed to people who are still bitching that a monitor with specs that rival reference displays that cost ~$30,000 is selling for $4,999) have had a chance to play with the stand, many who planned to use VESA mounts, decided to get it instead. The easy ability to take it off and on the stand to put into a road case without any tools is a major advantage. It means that there is no chance of torquing the display while in the case as it travels.
Ease of set up and tear down for DITs and on set Colorists makes it quite compelling for them.
That is true. What is also true is that if making the product at a lower price point to satisfy those non-buyers, harms the target audience, it is a problem. This is a stand for a $5,000 - $6,000 monitor. It has very specific requirements for that target. Those who do not need those features, but need the monitor, can buy a VESA mount and a VESA arm and be happy. Those who want the tool-less mount and unmount and the other special features, will be very happy to pay the price. Many of those complaining about the price of the stand are not even candidates for the display. It is not comparable against $1,000 monitors, it is a reference display comparable to monitors that cost 3-5 times its cost. There are many great displays for $1,000, but if one needs a reference monitor, they just do not solve the problem.
We don't know this yet. It's reportedly a great monitor, but it's not all clear whether it performs at the level of a $30K critical HDR grading monitor, Apple's claims notwithstanding. We'll have to await both unbiased pro reviews (from people who buy the monitor, rather than those who've been given loaner pieces by Apple) and, most importantly, whether it is able to achieve Dolby and Netflix HDR grading certification. The current consensus on the pro forums I've viewed is that this is highly unlikely, and that Apple lost credibility by equating the XDR to monitors able to acheive such certification; but we'll have to wait and see. It may be that its best use is to fill a gap between consumer monitors and reference monitors.
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It doesn't matter if you need it or are in the target market dude, Apple can just simply charge you out of the target market. Initially, Apple assumes you are going to buy the $999 power charger but that might not be the case for other people.
Then I go somewhere else provided what I need is good enough for the job I have to do, Apple won’t care. But if it’s not, I’ll spend the $999 to do the right job, dude.
Seems like this is going around in circles. The price is the price. Apple is charging x dollars for this as presumably there is a benefit at x dollars. Maybe you could get a less expensive monitor, but then it wouldn’t have the capabilities of this monitor.
Your replied barely makes any sense to a human. Spend the $999 to do the right job? Maybe Apple should charge $9999 for the newer model of the stand that couldn't function any more difference than a typical stand. Then, you are going to tell people that aren't overpriced and expect to pay even more for something that used to part of the product.
Your replies make the same amount of sense to the same human population. So good going there.
Apple charges what it charges. Those who need it will buy it. Those who can’t afford the monitor and stand can crib about it on the internet. Overpriced is a Subjective, value judgment. What’s overpriced to one may be chump change to another.
I will give you the benefit of the doubt, as it seems you are not a native English speaker, but your argument seems to get weaker and weaker.
Are you an on set Colorist or DIT? Do you need to be able to move your reference monitor from your home/office to a shooting location on a regular basis? This is a very special purpose stand for a very special purpose display. From speaking to many friends in the target market, there is the feeling that it is easily worth the price, saving time in set up and break down, as well as keeping their expensive monitor safe.
You have created what we call a straw man argument and it is about as valuable as most equivalents. It fails on both ends. The stand is not just like other stands, it is a very specialized stand with functions to serve a very specific target market. Second, the stand is not twice the price of the display it serves, but less than 1/5th (or 1/6th of the more expensive one).
Based on what would you expect him to say that? Because you do not think it is worth it (while clearly not its target), anyone who does is just stupid? Again, people who do not need what this stand offers can get VESA mounts, and those who do can decide if it those features are worth it to them. Apple is quite upfront about its pricing and functionality. People can make informed choices. Just because it is not for you does not mean that everyone who buys it is an idiot.
Wish this monitor was like $1299.
They'd sell faster than Popeyes chicken sandwiches.
Heck, I'd buy 2 or 3 myself.
They'd sell faster than Popeyes chicken sandwiches.
Heck, I'd buy 2 or 3 myself.
Uhm Im guessing most people in the industry do use the vesa mounts (which is also overpriced imho and the stand should just click in the vesa mount instead of the vesa mount being another option...)
Exactly their target market.
Very true. Many/most DITs and on set Colorists are freelancers who own their gear and rent it to the production that hires them.
Calling this a “a metal stand with a magnet” is like calling an Arri a box with a lens. This is a very specialized stand for a very special monitor. DITs and on set Colorists need to be able to set up and break down quickly. They also need to be able to safely pack their display for travel. Being able to separate the monitor from the stand without tools is a very valuable thing. It may have been a mistake to show this specialized item to the general audience without being able to clearly explain why it matters so much to its actual target.
Yup, people with no understanding of the use for this complained about the $5,000 monitor and the $1,000 stand. It might have been smarter to not highlight it and explain it in detail with interviews with potential users explaining why it matters to them, but it might not have mattered.
Why? A substantial portion of this display’s target market will use the VESA mount? Should they have to pay for the $1,000 stand that they are not going to use? If Apple had offered a $800 discount for the monitor if one bought it with the VESA mount, do you think people would not have figured out the actual price of the stand? Do you not think that people would have said that Apple was trying to hide the cost?
Glad you have a product that fits your needs, so you do not have to buy a product not designed for you. NEC’s display is focused on Adobe RGB, not P3 or Rec. 2020.
Do you have a Blackmagic Design Mini or Micro Panel in front of your display? How about a Tangent? How about some other set of color grading wheels? What about an edit controller with transport control?
Maybe, just maybe, they worked with their primary target group and made sure it fit their needs, recognizing that it would not be perfect for many other people. If the stand had gone as low as you want, would you buy the display and the stand? If not, why does this matter to you at all? You are not its target and that it does not meet your needs, makes no difference.
That’s great.
Have you spent a lot of time in Color grading suites? In very light controlled environments, a non-matte screen is less of an issue. However, I am unclear on your point. Are you arguing that they should have sold the non-matte screen for $6,000 so that they would not be charging more for the more expensive process, or that they should have just made much less (or maybe even lost money) on the matte display? Having a color accurate matte display cost more and they pass that cost on to their customers (or are you claiming there is no additional cost and it is just price gouging?).
Glad you have a product that suits you. Once again I want to know if Apple had released this product, with a stand that went lower, had a matte display and cost $7,000 minimum, would you have purchased one? If not, why are you complaining about details on a product that would not serve your needs any way?
That is great. Thanks for letting us know that there is a monitor for a completely different application that has a completely different set of characteristics exists. Just out of curiosity, what did this monitor cost you? How old is it? What is its model number?
So after all those statements, you finally get to the point that your monitor is not for the same target market as the XDR, and their needs might be different that yours.
Glad you like their products. Have you considered the possibility that it is not a lack of common sense, but that they are serving people whose needs are different than yours? Is it possible that this is good for them and serves their needs well? Maybe it is priced appropriately for them?
The Apple Stand is nothing special and functionality is just as ordinary as another type of adjustable stand. Apple price it 7-9x more expensive which is ridiculous to think the product is groundbreaking and I wouldn't be surprised if you are incredibly inclined to get rip off even though the product feature and price doesn't justify its value.
Absolutely nothing Apple makes is special. Their computer is a computer, Final Cut Pro is just another video editing application, the iPhone is just another phone. The Mac Pro? Yup, just another tower.
There is zero special about what Apple makes. Some folks just like to buy things made by Apple (as witnessed by the folks that want Apple to get back into wireless access points), and they’re willing to pay whatever price Apple asks. Is that too hard to understand?
You acknowledged that the Apple stand wasn't priced reasonably and regarding of the functionality it brings nothing new to the market.