All iPads The great memory rip-off

[840quadra]

I'm not hostile towards redefining the threshold. I'd never buy a 16GB anything. It's too small.

I just don't mouth off saying Apple is insulting me. That's silly. That's what I am "hostile" towards.

If people can make do with 16GB, and Apple wants to offer a cheaper model with that configuration, I call that "choice", not "insult". No one is being forced to buy this thing. We each choose to buy the model we want and can afford.

For whatever reason, you are really taking a simple question quite personally. If you feel that I was singling you out, or intended to be hostile. I apologize.

My only point is, I doubt people would mind Apple replacing the 16gb model, with a 32gb at the same price point.

In turn, It appears that we both agree that 16gb is too small, so I guess that's something.

 

[ZBoater]

For whatever reason, you are really taking a simple question quite personally.

It's not a question, it's a statement. And why does disagreeing with statements accusing Apple of fleecing its customers, ripping them off and insulting them mean I am taking it personally?

My only point is, I doubt people would mind Apple replacing the 16gb model, with a 32gb at the same price point.

Of course they wouldn't. Who minds free stuff?

In turn, It appears that we both agree that 16gb is too small, so I guess that's something.

It is too small. Which is why I didn't buy that model. I bought the other one.

What I disagree with is that Apple fleeced me, ripped me off, or insulted me.

And again, what part of this disagreement makes it personal?

 

[rGiskard]

Yep, it's a racket. What makes it even more sleazy is that Apple refuse to include a micro SD card slot.

This is a primary reason Apple will see their share of the tablet market slip away over the next decade. Android continues to improve and the iPad's technological advantages grow slimmer with each new generation of competitor tablets. Unless Apple do something about iOS, in a few years the only reason to buy an iPad will be easier syncing with OS X.

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It is too small. Which is why I didn't buy that model. I bought the other one.

What I disagree with is that Apple fleeced me, ripped me off, or insulted me.

Buyers like yourself are the reason Apple gets away with it. If everyone refused to pay $100 for memory that costs Apple a few bucks, then they would be forced to stop charging mobster rates for cheap memory.

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My first ipad gen 1 was 64 Gb. My first iPhone a 4 S was 64 Gb. I always thought I needed more space for music storage. My rMBP is 512. I still can't fit my whole music library on it.

I always thought buy the max amount possible. This time I am sticking with 16 GB on my Air. Why. When working out I use a shuffle. For portable music I have a CEntrance dac amp that decodes from apple. For it I am going to use a iPod Classic at 160 GB. At home I will use Remote app into my sound system system. The bottom line is I discovered I was buying the max possible on my iOS devices and then storing music but barely ever using it. I definitely believe apple should start everything at 32 GB and I understand why they don't - so they can make money.

I can get a Air 16 at Target for $440 with my target charge card and a 15 dollar coupon for $440 and Walmart is selling the iPod Classic for under $200. I can get both devices for well under the cost of a 128 GB Air. Next year I can sell my Air for am new one if I choose to with less of a loss. With Black Friday deals on the 16 GB Air it's over $130 less than the 32 GB model.

When I sold two iPhone 4S one at 16 and the other at 64 there was barely a difference in what I was able to get for them. I don't think being prudent with the number of apps I have and relying on other media for mass storage is a bad way to save some money. The quality of the user experience on a 16 Air versus a 128 is minimal except a few types of users.

Thanks to the op of this thread because this thread really got me thinking about need versus want on storage.

That is the solution, and a very fine one!

It's also possible to get external storage drives for an iPad that work over wifi. Keep media on that drive and use any iPad with it, no need for mondo iPad storage.

At the end of the day, there just isn't any reason to give Apple your hard earned money for extra iDevice NAND. Don't reward their unscrupulous business practices, and the market will force them to change!

 

[ZBoater]

Buyers like yourself are the reason Apple gets away with it. If everyone refused to pay $100 for memory that costs Apple a few bucks, then they would be forced to stop charging mobster rates for cheap memory.

And if my Granny had wheels, she'd be a wagon.

This topic has been beaten to death. You think the $100 is for just the memory. The best analogy is the price of popcorn at the movies. You think corn costs that much?

It's called revenue, and they need it to maintain their stores, their data centers, and make profit.

"Mobster rates"? HA! That's a new one. So Apple insults us, rips us off, and charges mobster rates. Got it. And it's all my fault (and the 170 million others who've bought iPads) for not putting our foot down and refusing to pay these prices for iPads.

Ok man, you win. Good luck with that Apple boycott. Let us know how that works out for you.

 

[nStyle]

I've always went 16GB since I know that Apple makes basically all profit on their memory upgrades. Should it matter to me? No, but I think: "why do I need > 16GB just to have the option to buy more **** I don't need and triple Apples revenue from me in the process.

Face it. Everything is cloud based these days. Photos and music more than video but I listen to music with Spotify and watch mostly Netflix and YouTube more than anything else so I just don't see the need in anything more. I delete games when I'm done with them and I just seem to never run out of space on a 16GB iPad.

Granted, if you're a professional musician or photographer or even videographer, you have a semi-legitimate excuse to upgrade memory. I say semi because those sort would still be better off with a laptop with hundreds of gigabytes, not the measly 128GB that cost a whopping $300 more than the base model.

 

[ZBoater]

...Granted, if you're a professional musician or photographer or even videographer, you have a semi-legitimate excuse to upgrade memory. I say semi because those sort would still be better off with a laptop with hundreds of gigabytes, not the measly 128GB that cost a whopping $300 more than the base model.

And that's fine. That's your opinion and you are entitled to it. But some of us are not musicians or photographers yet we prefer to carry more content on our devices and not deplete or cellular plans or be at the mercy of an available wifi hotspot. Our reason to want more space is as legitimate as a musician's or a photographer's.

If we want the extra space and choose to spend $300 for it, that's our CHOICE. Apple is not doing any of the terrible things mentioned in this thread. They make the models, they price them, and we choose to buy them. Or not.

Some of us even recognize that Apple has some expenses and desire for profit that go beyond the cost of the memory alone. You know, business 101 stuff.

Apple has never been cheap. They have never competed on price. This ripoff complaint is just plain silly. As a previous poster suggested, you want cheap? But Android. You'll get what you pay for. Good luck at the Android Genius Bar...

 

[nStyle]

Well, when I know that a company is charging much more for something relative to another company for the same exact thing then I consider it a rip off. I see your point that if you're an iPad user then the price is arbitrary since you have no other option than to pay $100 to double your space.

I respect that. But it's still a rip off in my opinion, whether you need it and can afford it or not, it's still a rip off. I personally don't buy because I feel Apple is gouging the price of memory. You may not see it that way since you know that the only way to get more space in an iPad is to pay an exorbitant amount relative to the actual cost of memory, and that's fine, but it's still shady to me.

And if you still think it's not, just look at how they charge in general. They charge $100 to get 16GB (16GB-32GB) and $100 to get 64GB (64GB-128GB) at the same time. How does that make sense? I'm being charged $6.25 per gig to go from 16 to 32 and then only $1.56 to go from 64 to 128. Give me a break, Apple.

 

[ZBoater]

...And if you still think it's not, just look at how they charge in general. They charge $100 to get 16GB and $100 to get 64GB at the same time. How does that make sense?

And another $100 for 128GB!

I just wouldn't call it shady. Like I said, they are not charging you for the memory. I can't definitively speak to Apple's pricing strategy, but it's obvious it is not 100% tied to the cost of materials. I am sure they've done their market analysis homework, and compared that with their strategy, and come up with a pricing model that works for them. They've offered it to us, and we either buy them, or not.

Given the outstanding success of their iPad sales, I think it's safe to say they've done a great job. They sell them as fast as they can make them, and make amazing profits while doing it. Every tech company is jealous of Apple's $7.5 billion profit last quarter. Thats three months. Their strategy is not to be the cheapest, it's to be the best, and by every business measure they are succeeding.

We can argue about their strategy, their pace of innovation, and their product line up. But calling them shady or rip off or insulting or whatever is just wrong. We will have to agree to disagree.

 

[nStyle]

I went back and clarified what I meant by getting 16GB and 64GB I'm saying their price per gig isn't consistent.

And since when were we arguing about whether it was a successful strategy or not? By all means, Apple obviously has done well but I'd be willing to bet there are for more 16GB'ers than any other demographic given the relative insane prices for their memory. I guess it was a bit unfair to call Apple shady since people can make their own decision on whether to buy or not, but it's still a rip off if you know the true cost of memory (which most do from buying flash drives)

I can buy a 128GB card for $101
http://www.amazon.com/Sandisk-128GB-MicroSD-Memory-Reader/dp/B00CNYV9C4

And Apple wants to charge me $300? Please. Even if I could fill 128GB up, that's money spent MUCH better somewhere else. Who needs 15 movies on their iPad at once when once you watch one you can just remove it and add more?

It would be different if there were some magical reason Apple didn't include a microSD card slot. But there isn't, they are simply ripping people off.

 

[DisplacedMic]

Well, when I know that a company is charging much more for something relative to another company for the same exact thing then I consider it a rip off. I see your point that if you're an iPad user then the price is arbitrary since you have no other option than to pay $100 to double your space.

I respect that. But it's still a rip off in my opinion, whether you need it and can afford it or not, it's still a rip off. I personally don't buy because I feel Apple is gouging the price of memory. You may not see it that way since you know that the only way to get more space in an iPad is to pay an exorbitant amount relative to the actual cost of memory, and that's fine, but it's still shady to me.

And if you still think it's not, just look at how they charge in general. They charge $100 to get 16GB (16GB-32GB) and $100 to get 64GB (64GB-128GB) at the same time. How does that make sense? I'm being charged $6.25 per gig to go from 16 to 32 and then only $1.56 to go from 64 to 128. Give me a break, Apple.

basic economics really should be a requirement in our schools

 

[mcdj]

If everyone refused to pay $100 for memory that costs Apple a few bucks, then they would be forced to stop charging mobster rates for cheap memory.

Arguments like these always crack me up. They look very tidy and clever on paper...

Have you actually thought about the scenario you're predicting? How does it play out? How does it get started? Is there a petition? A collective subconscious boycott? How many people need to participate before Apple gets the message? How does Apple know what the message is? How can Apple tell the difference between low sales figures due to a general lack of interest in a given device, and a mass protest against memory prices? Who is the memory pricing revolt's spokesperson?

The answer to all these questions is that there is no answer. Without a formalized agenda, organized participation, and leadership, activism means nothing and sends no message to anyone about anything. It's just a bunch of dudes with no iPads.

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Well, when I know that a company is charging much more for something relative to another company for the same exact thing then I consider it a rip off. I see your point that if you're an iPad user then the price is arbitrary since you have no other option than to pay $100 to double your space.

I respect that. But it's still a rip off in my opinion, whether you need it and can afford it or not, it's still a rip off. I personally don't buy because I feel Apple is gouging the price of memory. You may not see it that way since you know that the only way to get more space in an iPad is to pay an exorbitant amount relative to the actual cost of memory, and that's fine, but it's still shady to me.

And if you still think it's not, just look at how they charge in general. They charge $100 to get 16GB (16GB-32GB) and $100 to get 64GB (64GB-128GB) at the same time. How does that make sense? I'm being charged $6.25 per gig to go from 16 to 32 and then only $1.56 to go from 64 to 128. Give me a break, Apple.

Michelin star restaurants are a ripoff too. Why spend $150 on a meal when you can just buy a hot dog? Food is food. Tablets are tablets.

 

[rGiskard]

Arguments like these always crack me up. They look very tidy and clever on paper...

Have you actually thought about the scenario you're predicting? How does it play out? How does it get started? Is there a petition? A collective subconscious boycott? How many people need to participate before Apple gets the message? How does Apple know what the message is? How can Apple tell the difference between low sales figures due to a general lack of interest in a given device, and a mass protest against memory prices? Who is the memory pricing revolt's spokesperson?

It doesn't have to be organized, all it would take is a slump in sales of iDevices with upgraded memory. Do I think it is likely to happen? No. Consumers don't make rational decisions when buying luxury products.

More likely, in a few years the android competition will force Apple to lower their prices due to marketshare loss. We'll probably see the Retina Mini drop in price first since it faces the most competition.

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Given the outstanding success of their iPad sales, I think it's safe to say they've done a great job. They sell them as fast as they can make them, and make amazing profits while doing it. Every tech company is jealous of Apple's $7.5 billion profit last quarter. Thats three months. Their strategy is not to be the cheapest, it's to be the best, and by every business measure they are succeeding.

Apple's tablet marketshare is slipping, so their business strategy isn't perfect.

Personally I don't give a rat's arse about how many iPads Apple sells. When I consider a computer/tech product, I evaluate it's value, performance, and usefulness. That's why I didn't switch from Mac to Windows 95 even though Microsoft was outselling Apple at the time, lol.

 

[rkuo]

I went back and clarified what I meant by getting 16GB and 64GB I'm saying their price per gig isn't consistent.

And since when were we arguing about whether it was a successful strategy or not? By all means, Apple obviously has done well but I'd be willing to bet there are for more 16GB'ers than any other demographic given the relative insane prices for their memory. I guess it was a bit unfair to call Apple shady since people can make their own decision on whether to buy or not, but it's still a rip off if you know the true cost of memory (which most do from buying flash drives)

I can buy a 128GB card for $101
http://www.amazon.com/Sandisk-128GB-MicroSD-Memory-Reader/dp/B00CNYV9C4

And Apple wants to charge me $300? Please. Even if I could fill 128GB up, that's money spent MUCH better somewhere else. Who needs 15 movies on their iPad at once when once you watch one you can just remove it and add more?

It would be different if there were some magical reason Apple didn't include a microSD card slot. But there isn't, they are simply ripping people off.

Wholesale lobster is down to around two bucks a pound or so. And restaurants charge something like 50 to 100 for a meal. Same concept.

You are getting memory baked into a whole product. Not memory tacked on after the fact. The pricing model does feel artificial but that's what they've chosen to do ... And if the margins weren't coming from that it would be coming from somewhere else. Car options operate similarly. Bare bones minimal acceptable base price, and lots of what you really want tacked for more than they are worth. Sometimes you can go aftermarket. Often you can't.

 

[Misskitty]

Ive always bought 16gbs ipads cause i refuse to be ripped off. $100 per mem upgrade isnt ripping us off, but its a flat out mugging. I might as well let someone put a gun to my head and rob me.

 

[superduperdom]

Ive always bought 16gbs ipads cause i refuse to be ripped off. $100 per mem upgrade isnt ripping us off, but its a flat out mugging. I might as well let someone put a gun to my head and rob me.

Indeed I was a bit shocked when I read the article about the 1200% mark up, perhaps even more shocked by the "get away with whatever you can and no-one's forcing you to buy it" attitude.
Yaay, Greed is good! Capitalism rocks!
There may be a reasoned counter argument from the tech companies, but they appear to be operating a cartel, that perhaps needs investigating or at least brought to the general public's attention as this widely read newspaper article is doing.
My last 2 iPads have foolishly both been 64gb. The resale value between a 16gb and 64gb ipad is insignificant compared to the initial outlay and the fact is the upgrade cycle is much faster than a computer ever was.
I have always recommended apple to my clients as high-priced but worth it, but in this regard I couldn't, unless they absolutely need the extra storage.
Ripped off...mugged...fed to the crocodiles... this warrants a crime scene investigation!

 

[deeddawg]

Ive always bought 16gbs ipads cause i refuse to be ripped off. $100 per mem upgrade isnt ripping us off, but its a flat out mugging. I might as well let someone put a gun to my head and rob me.

That's fine if you don't need any more than 16GB.

Kind of silly though if that decision limits your enjoyment of the device by putting yourself to a bunch of inconvenience. Kind of like shooting yourself in the foot to avoid getting robbed.

JMHO though. *shrug* whatever lets ya sleep at night.

 

[840quadra]

It's not a question, it's a statement.

My question was in post #128, and apparently what turned this discussion into an argument of sorts.

And why does disagreeing with statements accusing Apple of fleecing its customers, ripping them off and insulting them mean I am taking it personally?

First off, where did I post that Apple was fleecing it's customers? Please re-read my very first post in this thread.

I just don't mouth off saying Apple is insulting me. That's silly. That's what I am "hostile" towards.

That's not taking it personally . I posted my opinion, as you and many others have, if you aren't taking it personally, then why the admitted hostility?

What I disagree with is that Apple fleeced me, ripped me off, or insulted me.

Again, I never said fleecing, nor ripping me off, I personally have zero issues paying $100 per storage tier. My only issue with these companies (Meaning Apple and others) is with starting these tiers at 16gb given the current size of OS, Applications, media, and Application data, that is doing everything but getting smaller.

Yes I feel it is an insult to the customer base. If you don't agree, that's fine, I completely respect your viewpoint.

 

[ZBoater]

... I personally have zero issues paying $100 per storage tier. ..Yes I feel it is an insult to the customer base...

Ok, so you are ok paying but feel insulted. Got it.

 

[unplugme71]

THIS.

Bingo, it pays rent, bonuses, and makes up all of their $7.5 BILLION in profit they made last quarter. How dare they make that much money? They should reduce the price and give back some of that money to consumers. No company should be allowed to make that much money. It should be illegal. And they should stop making us buy their stuff. They should stop making such cool stuff that makes us want to buy it and be ripped off against our will. They should make their stuff a little less cooler so we can resist them. Oh the evil....

I can't make the rolleyes BIG ENOUGH.

Become a shareholder. Earn dividends. That's how you get money back.

 

[ZipZap]

Apple clearly does overcharge for memory.

I agree that some of that cost goes to infrastructure…..but….IMHO...I don't want nor do I need to subsidize their massive store presence whose primary focus is selling more apple.

All of that said, nothing will change Apple's direction except competition. And when there is a solid contender then the costs will dive.

 

[ZBoater]

Apple clearly does overcharge for memory.

I agree that some of that cost goes to infrastructure…..but….IMHO...I don't want nor do I need to subsidize their massive store presence whose primary focus is selling more apple.

All of that said, nothing will change Apple's direction except competition. And when there is a solid contender then the costs will dive.

Apple has competition. But they've maintained their business model over the years. They are not aiming for marketshare. They are aiming for profits. And they are being very successful.

Its not a good idea to ever say NEVER, but Apple won't compete on price. If people want a cheap tablet, they need to go shop elsewhere. I prefer a company that makes profit and spends it on great stores, great customer service, lots of R&D and lots of services. There is a reason why the Android Genius Bars are such a fail....

 

[Yahooligan]

Hmmmm...

Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 edition, 16GB - On sale for $499 ($50 off)
32GB version - On sale for $549 ($50 off)

iPad Air 16GB wifi - $499 (normal price)
32GB wifi - $599 (Normal price)

Everyone is complaining about Apple's profits and expensive tablets...and either avoids or ignores talking about the Samsung tablets that are basically the same price OR MORE.

Nevermind that Samsung doesn't even have a tablet to compete with the cell version of the Airs. Neither does Asus.

 

[andiwm2003]

………………...
And Apple wants to charge me $300? Please. Even if I could fill 128GB up, that's money spent MUCH better somewhere else. Who needs 15 movies on their iPad at once when once you watch one you can just remove it and add more?………………..
.

if you're traveling for three-four weeks with very slow internet connection and no streaming it's good to have a lot of movies with you. Also you're visiting old friend and family who you want to share pics and movies from kids and events with. in addition you use the iPad to back up your camera pictures from the trip. and you want to have your work data with you. That fills up space very quickly.

 

[Charliebird]

When I took Econ 101 I remember the instructor mentioning holiday card manufacturers as having the highest markup amount per product. It cost cents to product a holiday card and they sell for multiple dollars a piece. The markup value is in the thousand + percent range. At least with Apple product you get a something you can use and enjoy for a tangle period of time. Of course you can't explain this to my Grandma who expect a Xmas card ever year.

 

[aluren]

I do think that apple is a little greedy, since flash memory is just a commodity. Its not like they have to spend another $20 million to figure out how to put a 32gb chip as opposed to the 16gb.

But since 16gb is the most popular model, apple will continue to sell it. Those that refuse to let apple rip you off and buy the 16gb is not really helping the cause. I dont see apple making the bump until competitors really get serious with bumping their base model storage. We are slowly getting there though, the nexus 7 bump is only $50. If the next nexus 7 or galaxy tab is priced at around $199 and offers 32gb, I bet apple may make a move.