How to force Apple to lower (r)MBPs price?

[NewbieCanada]

Lol

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Why? It there were a possibility to pay less, wouldn't you try it? We are in an era where internet and social networks could join forces, target a common benefit, and reverse monopolies...

You can't boycott something you're already not buying.

You know the other day I was reading a review of the Samsung ATIV Book 9

13 inch
1920x1080
256 SSD
Only 4 GB RAM

Thin and light - lighter than a MBA, but lower battery life, higher res. Sells for $1900

An MBA with that size SSD costs $450 less. A rMBP will cost the same, but it will have twice the memory and 2560x1600. Both will offer longer battery life.

Macs are expensive, no question about it. But they are NOT expensive compared to similar Windows PCs.

If it's too much money to spend, then you can make compromises - lower res in an MBA, much lower costs in a Mac Mini. If you want a premium feature like retina display, you're going to have to pay for it.

 

[Astroboy907]

Why don't you call up Tim Cook with your demands? I'm sure that'll work wonders.

Apple needs to protect its margins. Unless there's a reason to lower the price of the rMBPs, they're not going to do it.

Isn't Apple the company with 60+ BILLION extra spending cash in its bank account?? Seems to me they have pretty great margins already.

 

[pat park]

I was told by apple care that if i started a really bad thread with super unrealistic expectations that i could get the part!!!!

 

[devilcm3]

interesting ... but it required a substantial amount of customers ... like .... a million?

they wouldn't care if some 1000 customers decide not to by, doesn't even look like a dent in their sales figures

 

[sofianito]

You can't boycott something you're already not buying.

You know the other day I was reading a review of the Samsung ATIV Book 9

13 inch
1920x1080
256 SSD
Only 4 GB RAM

Thin and light - lighter than a MBA, but lower battery life, higher res. Sells for $1900

An MBA with that size SSD costs $450 less. A rMBP will cost the same, but it will have twice the memory and 2560x1600. Both will offer longer battery life.

Macs are expensive, no question about it. But they are NOT expensive compared to similar Windows PCs.

If it's too much money to spend, then you can make compromises - lower res in an MBA, much lower costs in a Mac Mini. If you want a premium feature like retina display, you're going to have to pay for it.

Here are the specs of the ATIV Book 9 Plus. Are you referring to the Lite or Plus version?. The Lite costs $800 while the price of the Plus version has not been announced yet by Samsung...

 

[Mackan]

Shareholders also don't want Apple to become a 'cheap computer' company, so...lowering its products' quality and price will hopefully not happen.

They can lower the prices easily without lowering the quality. Apple has among the highest profit margins in the industry. Look at all the excess money they have today. They don't know what to do with it, and decided to start pay dividends.

If it were not for the shareholders, Apple could easily lower prices. They could set higher standards as well, offer longer warranty, etc.

 

[Timmy D]

I would continue to pay top dollar for an Apple product. I tend to purchase first generations and deal with any issues that may arise. I did have IR on my 15" rMBP but it's still under warranty and has been replaced. My 27" iMac was great! Any iPad, iPhone or iPad that is in my house still holds up. I can't say the same for any Dell PC or laptop that I have had in the house or office over the last few years. My work Dell laptop costs them $1500 and is not even close to my 15" rMBP. the Dell has been serviced four times since it was bought brand new in Dec of 2012. at this point if i shut it off it takes 30 to 40 mins to start up. my IT dept keeps saying its the best they could purchase at the time and i should feel lucky. so, I will always pay top dollar for a superior product. Apple is like a Porsche in a way, it's pricey but perfect to drive and can last a lifetime if the maintenance is maintain. ok, technology will change the "use" of an Apple product but it will still be usable for certain tasks for years to come

 

[sofianito]

interesting ... but it required a substantial amount of customers ... like .... a million?

they wouldn't care if some 1000 customers decide not to by, doesn't even look like a dent in their sales figures

I think we are underestimating the power of social networks...

 

[Astroboy907]

What I feel would cut a lot into apples sales and force them to lower prices would be if some independent company created a decent notebook that runs OS X out of the box. Not like that will happen after the Pystar incident...

 

[bobcan]

It Time is Money, I think maybe you should..

I think we are underestimating the power of social networks...

Honestly, if you DO value your time, as many here may well do, I would think you could Better Use it making some extra $$ to Invest in a Fine Quality Apple Product.. and I, for one, consider them that, generally..

Signed,
A Mostly Happy MBP User Since 2006

 

[ronjon10]

If enough people stop buying, Apple will lower prices, and then just stop making them. That's probably not what you want.

Just buy the year old models on clearance sales. There is a thread here about how folks are using 3-4 year old machines with no issues.

 

[Astroboy907]

There is a thread here about how folks are using 3-4 year old machines with no issues.

*Cough* check out the PowerPC threads. People here running machines 7-15 years old, some of those as daily use machines!

 

[sofianito]

Honestly, if you DO value your time, as many here may well do, I would think you could Better Use it making some extra $$ to Invest in a Fine Quality Apple Product.. and I, for one, consider them that, generally..

Signed,
A Mostly Happy MBP User Since 2006

To be honest, I am only interested in Mac OS X operating system because it leverages my productivity and allows me to spend more extra time with family and/or do things different than "working for bloodsuckers..."

Since rMBP has been introduced, I am not sure we can say the prices customers are paying are for "Fine Quality Apple Products"...

 

[noisycats]

Waw, 560 views in one hour... I think we are joining forces...

Yet out of all those views, you aren't getting many supporters. Are you?

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*Cough* check out the PowerPC threads. People here running machines 7-15 years old, some of those as daily use machines!

Please point me to one thread where a 15 year old machine is running daily use as a full fledge computer and not just as a hobby or novelty device.

 

[sofianito]

If enough people stop buying, Apple will lower prices, and then just stop making them. That's probably not what you want.

What if you change your reasoning to something more positive like: If enough people stop buying, Apple would have no other choice than to innovate, improve manufacturing process and quality, and reduce its profit margins. Customers will be happy and will buy more than before...

 

[noisycats]

What if you change your reasoning to something more positive like: If enough people stop buying, Apple would have no other choice than to innovate, improve manufacturing process and quality, and reduce its profit margins. Customers will be happy and will buy more than before...

Assuming they can't sell virtually every product they already make anyway.

Are you aware of the inability to keep up with demand with every new product launch? With several recent releases, you could not buy air freight space out of China, Apple had bought it all up. You'll see it again in about two months.

Business is about finding that sweet spot between supply and demand. Apple has largely found it. Considering all things equal, why would they want to sell more for less?

 

[sofianito]

Yet out of all those views, you aren't getting many supporters. Are you?

Apple is a highly profitable company, and I am sure 99.99% Apple consumers would love to pay less... especially those who purchased rMBP first gen...

Many people think that price is proportional to quality and that is not true...

I am suggesting, not obliging people to support me, and I hope it'll give some food for thought...

 

[sjinsjca]

Apple is a highly profitable company, and I am sure 99.99% Apple consumers would love to pay less... especially those who purchased rMBP first gen...

Many people think that price is proportional to quality and that is not true...

I am suggesting, not obliging people to support me, and I hope it'll give some food for thought...

BMW is a highly profitable company, and I am sure 99.99% BMW customers would love to pay less.

And they can do so... by buying something else.

Sheesh.

 

[James_C]

What if you change your reasoning to something more positive like: If enough people stop buying, Apple would have no other choice than to innovate, improve manufacturing process and quality, and reduce its profit margins. Customers will be happy and will buy more than before...

While I am not saying Apple's quality control is perfect, your opinion that Apples quality control is poor is not supported by just about every survey that looks at Apples reliability and customer satisfaction. For example

The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ASCI) today released its latest results on U.S. consumer satisfaction in the personal computer industry, with Apple topping the charts for the eighth consecutive year and setting a new company high for ratings.

Apple is a premium product, where Apple sets standards in the Industry that others copy, from the touch screen iPhone through to the super thin Aluminium MacBook Air. While we would all like the products to a little less expensive, I fell that I do get value for money.

 

[sjinsjca]

As stated in the title ^^. I wonder if there is an effective way to push Apple to lower its prices???

The rMBP is the best laptop in the world in terms of both software and hardware. That's not just me saying so, it's the consensus of reviewers and power-user consumers who vote with their money.

There is only one way to persuade a company in Apple's position to reduce prices on its product, and that is for direct competitors to enter with compelling equivalent products that attract customers away.

Apple is unique in that it rarely lets itself get into that position, where competing on price is the game.

 

[Ichabod.]

What about the upcoming cheap plastic iPhone 5?...

A $300-$400 mid-range iPhone 5C with presumably retina display is only cheap relative to the $700-$800 'luxury' phones. It's hardly the 'cheap' that you could characterize a 7-inch 2.1 Android tablet for $70 as.

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If it were not for the shareholders, Apple could easily lower prices. They could set higher standards as well, offer longer warranty, etc.

I doubt that would be true. Private companies seem to seek profits just as well as the public ones (and they should, but that's another thread), except people aren't necessarily notified over a quarterly investor call.

 

[sofianito]

While I am not saying Apple's quality control is perfect, your opinion that Apples quality control is poor is not supported by just about every survey that looks at Apples reliability and customer satisfaction.

Biased... In the field, things are different...

Apple is a premium product, where Apple sets standards in the Industry that others copy, from the touch screen iPhone through to the super thin Aluminium MacBook Air. While we would all like the products to a little less expensive, I fell that I do get value for money.

Apple is like all the fashion branded products, they are designed in 1st world countries, and manufactured in 3rd world countries (much cheaper costs), and the final consumer pays a premium price for the brand name... Yeah, thanks to people like Jon Ive, Apple is becoming a design brand like Dior, Givenchy, Bulgary,...etc.

 

[PDFierro]

This thread just has me lost for words.

 

[Apple Mac Daz]

IMO you also have to take into account the resellable prices you get for rMBP's.
You can buy a high end Windows notebook which will be worth peanuts compared to what a rMBP of similar age and spec would be worth

 

[TRAV9614]

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