Nickle and Dimed

[Psychmike]

Apple certainly seems schizophrenic. On the one hand, they market their products as lifestyle / boutique objects of wunderlust and yet they seem to nickle and dime people who buy them. Now they're not including display adapters or remote controls with their Macbooks.

Yeah, yeah, I know some marketing student is going to say that it's a brilliant move on Apple's part to save the $1.20 that it would have cost Apple to include these items and to 'encourage' buyers who need these peripherals to buy them at a ridiculous markup. There is a downside. If Apple really wanted to push Front Row into living rooms and get people to try AppleTV or its successor they'd want people to start exploring related features in their successful products.

Look at the Lenovo U110. Now there's a lesson in bundling luxury: A low AND high capacity battery, external drive, and soft case all come with purchase.

When I eat in a restaurant and they skimp on the fries, salad, or pop, I'm sure someone in the kitchen think they're saving 50 cents on the meal. On the flip side, I'm a lot less likely to come back and I'm a lot less likely to recommend the place to friends. For a company that 'gets' so much about presentation, Apple really misses the mark sometimes.

 

[Zyniker]

There's a reason Apple is wildly profitable: they have a superior product (the OS) and we all pay through the nose for it...

(Of course, the iPhone and iPods don't hurt Apple's bottom line, either. )

 

[Mr. Giver '94]

Welcome to Apple

Have some Kool-Aid

 

[Psychmike]

There's a reason Apple is wildly profitable: they have a superior product (the OS) and we all pay through the nose for it...

(Of course, the iPhone and iPods don't hurt Apple's bottom line, either. )

You're absolutely right. When they were using a unique hardware architecture, it was harder to make direct comparisons but now that everyone is using the Intel architecture it's very clear that Apple leverages their great software to sell pretty but over-priced hardware.

 

[stainlessliquid]

I keep coming close to buying a MBP but I cant get over the fact that I would have to buy a $30 adapter because of their pointless mini-displayport crap. Plus I also wanted to use VGA as well which is another $30. That was really the only thing stopping me from buying one, knowing that I would HAVE to get one of those stupid adapters.

Its really insulting, I just cant bring myself to support such blatant greed.

 

[j5045096]

There's a reason Apple is wildly profitable: they have a superior product (the OS) and we all pay through the nose for it...

(Of course, the iPhone and iPods don't hurt Apple's bottom line, either. )

I don't have money to burn but I also don't feel like i pay through the nose with Apple because there is value beyond what PC's offer. Several years ago in college I had a job at Best Buy in the computer sales dept. Every Sunday the newspaper would advertise our $399 eMac (that's $399 after people signed up for 2 years of AOL or whatever junk we were selling) that had a 700 mhz Celeron, 256ram and 40 gig hard drive. That isn't the niche Apple is in. The majority of us keep our Macs for a good long time and if not there is resale value that will help us make up the difference in purchasing a new Mac.

...and if we do upgrade it's because we've suckered ourselves into the lie that says we need the faster processor because there's just no way we could send e-mail and check facebook without it. My 2004 eMac 1.25ghz (which I sold a few months ago) would still be adequate for me today and it ran fine when I sold it. I had Tiger installed and had maxed out the RAM. The thing did fine with DV editing, burning DVD's and running Office and Safari etc. I just wanted to upgrade. Yes it costed more than a comparable PC (if there was such a thing at the time) but it also lasted longer -- I would say I definitely got my moneys worth out of it.

 

[IJ Reilly]

Its really insulting, I just cant bring myself to support such blatant greed.

So you prefer greed of the less blatant kind?

 

[Turmoil]

An Apple remote will set you back all of $20. If you need one, you should buy one. No reason for it to be included and have people that don't need one pay for it.

Just my opinion.

 

[Psychmike]

An Apple remote will set you back all of $20. If you need one, you should buy one. No reason for it to be included and have people that don't need one pay for it.

Just my opinion.

Thanks for the comment but I think I addressed your retort in my original post. No, Apple doesn't owe me a remote. No, they don't owe me a mini display port adapter. But at some point they included both with the sale of a laptop. Ommitting them both might save Apple $10 but somehow I don't think they were concerned with saving buyers who don't use them that cost. Did they lower the price when they took them out? More likely they are trying to sell them separately at a significant markup.

It takes a real fan of the company to see them taking out something that they used to include as a favor to other buyers. Would you say the same thing about Apple ommitting a keyboard or mouse from new iMacs? After all, most people have a couple of those lying around too. I know it's a bit of a sophist argument (the things they've taken out aren't essential while a keyboard and mouse are) but my point is that a company that obviously puts so much pride in the 'Apple Experience' sends a contrary message by taking out things that many people would consider reasonable accessories to include.

 

[IJ Reilly]

I didn't see anyone in this thread suggest that Apple was actually doing anyone a favor, but I have seen some melodramatic shock and horror displayed over the idea that Apple is in this for the money.

 

[Psychmike]

I didn't see anyone in this thread suggest that Apple was actually doing anyone a favor, but I have seen some melodramatic shock and horror displayed over the idea that Apple is in this for the money.

"No reason for it to be included and have people that don't need one pay for it"

 

[IJ Reilly]

"No reason for it to be included and have people that don't need one pay for it"

I didn't read that as Apple doing anyone "a favor," but I see your point. Still I think all of this wailing and moaning over Apple being "greedy" is at least a little comical.

 

[GGJstudios]

OMG!!! Does this mean.... no, it couldn't!.... PLEASE don't tell me!.... Apple is in business to.... oh, this just can't be true!.... make a PROFIT!?!?!? Shame on them!! They should KNOW better!

Such infantile ranting! Take a Business Basics course and get over it! This is the way the world works. Complaining about it won't change anything. You can either gripe about how "gravity sucks" or you can just realize it's a fact and make whatever adjustments you need to live in a world with gravity.... or free enterprise.... or business..... or whatever. It's called "growing up"! It's painful, I know, but most adults survive the process. You can, too!

And it's not just an Apple phenomenon:
Nissan releases GT-R Spec V: no more horsepower, but an additional US$65K on the price tag

 

[iMacmatician]

An Apple remote will set you back all of $20. If you need one, you should buy one. No reason for it to be included and have people that don't need one pay for it.

Just my opinion.

A BTO option to not include the remote that saves you $20 would work.

 

[brand]

I keep coming close to buying a MBP but I cant get over the fact that I would have to buy a $30 adapter because of their pointless mini-displayport crap. Plus I also wanted to use VGA as well which is another $30. That was really the only thing stopping me from buying one, knowing that I would HAVE to get one of those stupid adapters.

So you are willing to purchase a $2000+ laptop but wont because you would need to buy two adapters totaling a whopping $60? You don't have to purchase the adapters, they are optional. Would you rather pay an additional $60 for the laptop and them just be included?

 

[Turmoil]

Would you say the same thing about Apple ommitting a keyboard or mouse from new iMacs?

It's called the mini, I own two of them and will most likely upgrade one of them soon. Apple sells millions of them. One of the things Apple is famous for omitting things that not everyone needs, from floppy disks to modems. If you need it, buy it

 

[stainlessliquid]

So you are willing to purchase a $2000+ laptop but wont because you would need to buy two adapters totaling a whopping $60? You don't have to purchase the adapters, they are optional. Would you rather pay an additional $60 for the laptop and them just be included?

Theyre about as optional to me as the power cable. But thats right, I wont buy a MBP as long as they charge so much extra for something that is essential to every laptop. They could have used mini-dvi but they didnt, they had to use a completely useless proprietary connection just so they can force people into buying adapters at ridiculous markup. Im not going to stand for it, there is not a single other laptop that pulls that crap. Apple would not add $60 to the price of the laptop if they were to include those, dont be stupid.

There are things I wont buy out of principle, the mini display port adapter is one of them.

 

[ChrisA]

There's a reason Apple is wildly profitable: they have a superior product (the OS) and we all pay through the nose for it.../QUOTE]

Yes. That's why I'm an Apple customer. Their OS is good enough that I'm willing to put up with their limited hardware options. Apple really does not make the computer I want. I keep thinking maybe they will and then out comes another iMac with only two cores....

I'm seriously thinking I found a way to build a legal hackintosh. My plan is to "upgrade" an old G4 tower with an Intel brand main logic board (yes it will fit) Then I will have an "apple labled computer" that can legally run Snow Leopard.

 

[mcavjame]

A BTO option to not include the remote that saves you $20 would work.

Yes... I like that idea. You always feel good about knocking $$ off your purchase, but feel a little buyer's remorse when adding small items.

 

[mcavjame]

Theyre about as optional to me as the power cable. But thats right, I wont buy a MBP as long as they charge so much extra for something that is essential to every laptop. They could have used mini-dvi but they didnt, they had to use a completely useless proprietary connection just so they can force people into buying adapters at ridiculous markup. Im not going to stand for it, there is not a single other laptop that pulls that crap. Apple would not add $60 to the price of the laptop if they were to include those, dont be stupid.

Wait... the adapter is not "essential" to every laptop. The laptop will still work without the added hardware.

It is only necessary if you are using dual displays or mirroring for presentations. How many average users are doing that? (That's a rhetorical question btw)

 

[brand]

Theyre about as optional to me as the power cable...

...There are things I wont buy out of principle, the mini display port adapter is one of them.

The mini display port adapter not being included does in fact make it optional. No one is forcing you to purchase it. Just because you need it for your particular situation does not mean that it should be forced on everyone that doesn't need it.

 

[cmcbridejr]

I work in sales and hear the "price" complaint all the time.

"It's too expensive." Ok, compared to what?

It's not how much it costs to buy it, it's how much it will cost to not buy it.

There are many buyers out there that simply omit looking into the return on investment on a product.

If you are focused solely on price and want to save a few bucks, then there are certainly alternatives to Apple. Their corporate strategy is not to be the cheapest, and simply put, Apple computers are not for everyone.

If you can't justify the price, then go buy something else. Personally, I find more "value" in Apple's products for the things I need to do, and therefore, price is not the most important aspect to consider. You need to compare value.

 

[brand]

If you can't justify the price, then go buy something else. Personally, I find more "value" in Apple's products for the things I need to do, and therefore, price is not the most important aspect to consider. You need to compare value.

Very well put.

 

[Psychmike]

OMG!!! Does this mean.... no, it couldn't!.... PLEASE don't tell me!.... Apple is in business to.... oh, this just can't be true!.... make a PROFIT!?!?!? Shame on them!! They should KNOW better!

Such infantile ranting! Take a Business Basics course and get over it! This is the way the world works. Complaining about it won't change anything. You can either gripe about how "gravity sucks" or you can just realize it's a fact and make whatever adjustments you need to live in a world with gravity.... or free enterprise.... or business..... or whatever. It's called "growing up"! It's painful, I know, but most adults survive the process. You can, too!

Wow! Thank you SO much for clearing everything up for me! How utterly silly for me to vent on a discussion forum. Sheesh. Exactly what makes you think that people aren't 'moving on'? No one's slitting their wrists.

You know, sophistry is a sure sign of mental laziness. No one said that Apple shouldn't make a profit. No one even said that that shouldn't be their priority. But the first year marketing text that you hold so close to your heart may not get across the nuanced idea that leaving out some small accessories to save a couple of bucks can cost the good will of some of your customers. Charging a finger (not quite an arm and a leg) to sell proprietary connectors may eventually tick enough of them off.

Finally, frankly, I don't see how you complaining about my venting is any more purposeful / useful than my venting in the first place. If you don't like it, make whatever adjustments you have to make and move on. There are lots of people in the world who have different opinions than the ones you have. Recognizing that is called "growing up." It's painful, I know, but most adults survive the process. I hope you do.

 

[Psychmike]

If you can't justify the price, then go buy something else. Personally, I find more "value" in Apple's products for the things I need to do, and therefore, price is not the most important aspect to consider. You need to compare value.

You know it is possible to hold two contrasting thoughts in one's head. I can BOTH find value in Apple's OS and aesthetic AND find their bundling of accessories and features annoying at times.