I don't assume everyone understands these things. That's why I said in a previous post that a lot of people will buy this out of "ignorance" of what is available. I don't mean ignorance in a derogatory way, just that many people are not interested in tech, as you point out, and don't want to do any research before buying, so they ignore the options.
No worries. That's the problem with internet posts - they often lack context and clues to how something is meant leading to a misunderstanding of the intent.
Some even refuse to go with a cheaper alternative even after someone has explained to them that cheaper alternative work just as well, simply because they feel safer with buying from a big brand (see my drug analogy).
Of course, to each their own.
Having more choice is always good, but I think that the more techy people are doing a service to the community by pointing out that those cheaper alternatives works just as well, so that more people are informed and some of them can save money.
Of course, pointing out cheaper viable alternatives is good. I do it all the time when asked about what to buy.
(I said 5 times more expensive as a round figures since you can find difference prices but tecnically yes it can be more than 6 times more expensive in euro)
Hey, what good is the internet if you can't quibble endlessly over meaningless details? I mean, 20 pages over a Pencil? It's a Pencil, not something important like how Star Trek violates physics with shadows in a vacuum, eh?
I will also say that my personal experience with 3rd party alternatives from online shopping websites have been mixed. For example, I have tried a couple of cheap third party watch bands, but found their build quality lacklustre (the buckle didn't fit as nicely, and the rubber texture just felt inferior). In the end, I just went with a first party nike band and I have been happily using it for close to 4 years.
My experience is similar. The only bands I've found I'd trust on my Ultra is the knock off Alpine Loop. At ~3 Euros each if tehy last a few years I'm way ahead in price savings and they've been sturdy enough not to worry about losing the watch.
My chargers and cables mostly come from Anker. Probably cheaper than what Apple charges, though still not that cheap, but they work great and I guess I am also paying for the peace of mind.
I also stick with name brands for peace of mind. I don't want to risk a fire from some cheap junk. The only time I used it was when I needed a plug in charger in rental cars and knew I'd probably forget it when returning teh car.
My 13 pro max case is the transparent plastic one by Apple. Is it overpriced? Maybe. But it's still going strong after 2 years, is fully magsafe-compatible and it may just last me the full 4 years.
My go to brand is Spigen. For screen protectors for years I used cheap ones from Amazon. Recently I got a Belkin and the feel and fit is so much better I'll probably use them gong forward even if they are 5x as much.
Sometimes, it really is just easier to go with something you know will work by Apple, pay the little extra and not have to worry about it ever again. Not everything translates neatly into dollars and cents, and I believe Apple is keenly aware of this as well.
Of course. It's all about the value for the money.
That does not mean I buy new. Most of the time I buy used, but not on ebay. I only buy local where I can check that the item is either unopened or in very good conditions. Some people don't want to do this, and fine. I like it.
I'm also a big fan of buying used. I've never needed the new shiny in many cases; except for something I'd use for business and the ROI warranted purchasing the latest; or when I damaged my MBP and needed a machine right now while mine was fixed under AC+.
I've found Amazon's used items (Sold and shipped by Amazon) good value. I've bought some labeled Good for a significant discount and couldn't tell them from new other than the box was damaged. I didn't like it Amazon took it back with no issue.
My OSMO Gimbal was over 60% off and looked like it had never been out of the box. DJI even registered it and offered an extended warranty. KEH is great for used camera gear, they grade things very conservatively as well.
Others, like you do, I bought locally because I wanted to assess the quality before purchasing.
