No Headphones?
- Thread starter DaGreat01
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iphone1105
macrumors 68020
cut costs....plus some people would/will never use the headphones. I know my sister and mom never plug their headphones into their iPads....just my .02
poloponies
Suspended
Shaved 19 cents off their costs.
Someone laughed at Steve when they saw him wearing the white iBuds with a prototype iPad. He had to admit he looked silly, so he fired that guy and mandated than no Apple employee should ever be caught wearing white iBuds connected to an iPad. And to help that along, he banished ibuds from the iPad packaging.
It coulda happened that way!
It coulda happened that way!
Looon
macrumors 6502a
x1 billion ipads is a lot of money
Someone laughed at Steve when they saw him wearing the white iBuds with a prototype iPad. He had to admit he looked silly, so he fired that guy and mandated than no Apple employee should ever be caught wearing white iBuds connected to an iPad. And to help that along, he banished ibuds from the iPad packaging.
It coulda happened that way!
I like it !
Small White Car
macrumors G4
Macs don't come with headphones either.
iPods are portable and thus have tiny little portable headphones. I think the assumption is that if you're using a laptop or a tablet for music you're probably not walking around and you probably have bigger, better headphones at home you'd use.
That's true for me, anyway.
iPods are portable and thus have tiny little portable headphones. I think the assumption is that if you're using a laptop or a tablet for music you're probably not walking around and you probably have bigger, better headphones at home you'd use.
That's true for me, anyway.
DaGreat01
macrumors 6502a
True for me too. I already have plenty of iPod headphones around the house from the two iPhones ive bought plus some the just appear out of nowhere. It was just a thought that came to me. I dont really mind that they weren't included, just thought that it was a little odd that it is still a portable device with an "iPod" app and that it didn't include headphones with it.
poloponies
Suspended
eawmp1
macrumors 601
No it was a business decision to "save pennies per unit sold". And given Apple's performance, I'd say they know more about business than you.
As most prople complain about the earbuds anyway, you can either recycle from your iPod, buy better earbuds/earphones, or listen to the larger, better speakers.
spiderman0616
Suspended
I guess I'm weird, but I love the bundled Apple headphones. I wouldn't have minded an extra pair with my iPad, but I already have some from my phone.
poloponies
Suspended
From my perspective as a stockholder: "well done!"
From my perspective as a consumer: "stupid move!"
Not an issue of knowing more about business than me, it was a chintzy move - not really worth defending (and I've been an Apple consumer since the mid-80's).
darngooddesign
macrumors Core
I carry my iPad around in a messenger bag and listen to music on it with the earbuds. Its no different than with an iPhone.
What percentage of iPad buyers do you think don't already own at least one pair of heaphones/earbuds, etc.?
If that number isn't exactly zero, then its the closest thing to it. Lets also remember that the iPad already comes with a serviceable speaker included. And there are probably many, many people who are happy to listen to their Netflix shows and YouTube clips using the built-in speaker alone.
From a consumer-utility/business economics standpoint, the decision to leave out the earbuds makes perfect sense. Look at it like this: What would it cost Apple to include earbuds? Not just the unit cost of buying them, but also the cost of transporting them, replacing them under warranty, answering questions about them at the Genius Bar, etc. etc. Let's call it a dollar.
What percentage of iPad buyers don't own earbuds already? Lets call it 0.25%. And lets say you can buy aftermarket earbuds for $15 each (average.)
For each million iPads sold, that costs the 2500 "non earbud owners" a total of $37,500. But it SAVES the 997,250 "earbud owners" almost a million bucks by leaving them out.
Apple became the most valuable tech company in the world by a) understanding its customers extremely well and b) running a superefficient operation. Sometimes it really is true that "Less IS More"
If that number isn't exactly zero, then its the closest thing to it. Lets also remember that the iPad already comes with a serviceable speaker included. And there are probably many, many people who are happy to listen to their Netflix shows and YouTube clips using the built-in speaker alone.
From a consumer-utility/business economics standpoint, the decision to leave out the earbuds makes perfect sense. Look at it like this: What would it cost Apple to include earbuds? Not just the unit cost of buying them, but also the cost of transporting them, replacing them under warranty, answering questions about them at the Genius Bar, etc. etc. Let's call it a dollar.
What percentage of iPad buyers don't own earbuds already? Lets call it 0.25%. And lets say you can buy aftermarket earbuds for $15 each (average.)
For each million iPads sold, that costs the 2500 "non earbud owners" a total of $37,500. But it SAVES the 997,250 "earbud owners" almost a million bucks by leaving them out.
Apple became the most valuable tech company in the world by a) understanding its customers extremely well and b) running a superefficient operation. Sometimes it really is true that "Less IS More"
Small White Car
macrumors G4
Yeah, and some people use headphones with their Macbooks. And I use headphones with my Mac Pro sometimes. Should it come with earbuds?
People do use earbuds with iPads, of coruse. The question is whether it's enough of them to justify including them. I say there's not enough of a reason to include earbuds with it. It doesn't come with the camera connection kit either...just because some people need it doesn't mean they should just ship them to everybody.
poloponies
Suspended
These arguments are really reaching for an angle. When a $10 MP3 player at Walgreen's can come bundled with earphones it's not asking too much to get them with a $499 "premium" device. I have multiple sets of portable headphones but they tend to stay with the devices because I don't want to be on a constant search for headphones. It was a bad judgment call on their part.
darngooddesign
macrumors Core
And I think there are enough people who would use included headphone to justify including them.
Small White Car
macrumors G4
If you say so. If it were up to me I wouldn't even include them with iPhones.
Julien
macrumors G4
Anyone who has even the slightest care or concern for music quality would NOT allow these things within a foot of their ears. Transducers (speakers/microphones) are by FAR the most important and influential link(s) in the audio chain. You should allocate a minimum of $100 for baseline IEM's or earbuds.
malnar
macrumors 6502a
I've never once, not once, plugged headphones, or any kind of 3mm jack, into my iPad. That is a virgin hole!
spiderman0616
Suspended
off topic--does the little remote on the earbuds work on your MBP like it does on an iPod or iPhone?