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Execs say Apple could lower iPad price if market demands it - report - Page 2

post #41 of 100
2/8/10 at 11:23am
[QUOTE=samurai1999;1568282]
Quote:
Originally Posted by PastorOfMuppets View Post


Yes, I agree!
- iPad - so what? MS has had NotePad & WordPad in Windows for years, and people didn't get excited about it
- and notepad is a real word for something you write notes on
- what about Mouse-pad, for f-sake!
- so, all this fuss about iPad sounding like a sanitary-towel does seem a bit purile to me....

I think iSlate, or iTablet may have been 'cooler', but iPad works just fine, as it's just a vowel change away from iPod...

Ask the next person you talk to what the 'i' stands for in Apple's product names.
There is a 100% chance they won't know, but will offer up a guess.
The 'i' is ambiguous, which is why it doesn't work the same way as notePad or wordPad. (thanks for proving my point).

In fact, the 'i' psychologically makes people think of themselves. The connection made is that the idevice is a personal gadget. Even the visual of the letter i has congruity to the human form.

The pad will sell, but Apple did needlessly put a mountain in front of themselves. Trying to undue a hundred years of psyche over the connotation of 'pad' and adding an 'i' in front of it to denote 'My personal..." is dubious, and I question the drugs that were smoked at the creative brief when they were naming it.
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post #42 of 100
2/8/10 at 11:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by rain View Post

It would just be nice to know that there is going to be a market for it outside of homosexuals totting them around in rainbow man-bags in the Bay area.

Wow, homophobic much…?!?
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post #43 of 100
2/8/10 at 11:25am
there is a $400 dollar spread on these puppies $500 to $900, which I think is a bit much. I think what apple meant was that $500 model will stay, but $900 model will go away and become something like a $700 or $800 model in the future. I doubt they can drop much below $500 though... The carries subsidy would actually make a lot of sense, since T-Mobile is doing that for unlocked Nexus One (buy it for $500, get 10$/mo subsidy from T-Mobile or something like that).

Since I have a macbook I don't have any need for the iPad, but there are a few cases where I could see a need for one
a) You have 17' MBP or iMac, this could be a MacBook air replacement and no need for notebook.
b) You want a full apple experience for the price of an imac. This along with Mac Mini will do the trick.
c) Network engineer / engineer who needs to have detailed plans or diagnostics that can be ran through addons and a 32 pin connector.
d) A journalist who needs to be able to read books/ newspapers, write brief articles and post them on the web. (netbook replacement)

There might be more but these are the best I could come up with. Obviously this is no iPhone or iPod and will not be as successful at any price really.
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post #44 of 100
2/8/10 at 11:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by MacRonin View Post

Wow, homophobic much?!?

?
Ummm... I think you should direct that question at yourself, or look up what homophobia is.
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post #45 of 100
2/8/10 at 11:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by sheff View Post

there is a $400 dollar spread on these puppies $500 to $900...

How did $330 become $400? Way to round up. Sure you can add in the price of accessories, but that would apply to both ends of the price spectrum.
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post #46 of 100
2/8/10 at 11:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by rain View Post

[Well, as a professional on such matters,

Yeh right!

Quote:
I'm not mocking the name, however, every single person i've talked to about it is.

THIS is the internet. I don't believe you.

Quote:
It would just be nice to know that there is going to be a market for it outside of homosexuals totting them around in rainbow man-bags in the Bay area.

Ah, now we can see where you are coming from.

Your Dad is obviously an insanely witty guy. Did he tell you the one about the Saints are all gay 'cos they wear sanitary napkins on their shoulders? And their knees? Smirk!

Grow up!
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post #47 of 100
2/8/10 at 11:31am
32gb & 3G at $499 would be nice...
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post #48 of 100
2/8/10 at 11:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Oldandintheway View Post

And with no flash player support for games and HULU what purpose would it serve.

Hulu actually blocks Windows Mobile devices so even if the iPad/iPhone had Flash there's a pretty good chance they would choose to block it. As for games, there are plenty of the on the app store designed for multi-touch input and not keyboard/mouse input like Flash games.
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post #49 of 100
2/8/10 at 11:32am
The top end at $829 seems high. Perhaps at that price the all-you-can-eat wireless plan could have been thrown in?

I might sit out the 1st gen on this one but am comforted by Apple's history of aggressive price reductions combined with additional features and innovation.

This thing has a lot of potential.

On the name? Yeah, iPad leaves my head spinning.
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post #50 of 100
2/8/10 at 11:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by rain View Post

You have no clue what your talking about.
The topic of psychological marketing and branding extends much much further then a dictionary definition.

Did you say the same thing when the iPod was announced? Maybe you could check how much 'psychological marketing and branding' affected iPod sales, it's only 1 letter difference you know...

Also, remember that while the word 'pad' might bring up associations with sanitary products where you come from, but it sure doesn't where I live. The name iSlate, however, would probably be turned into the dutch equivalent of iSlut, while the name iTablet would be associated with some kind of medicine.

In other words: every product name will have unintended connotations somewhere around the globe. I seriously doubt if the name of the iPad will hurt sales, it might even boost it because so many people are making jokes about it, which really helps establishing 'iPad' as the street term for every other tablet, like 'iPod' did for MP3 players. The 'iPod' name was mocked on as well, see how that worked out for Apple.
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post #51 of 100
2/8/10 at 11:38am
wow, they'll adjust prices according to market demand? Revolutionary!

this is news?
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post #52 of 100
2/8/10 at 11:39am
[QUOTE=rain;1568276][QUOTE=PastorOfMuppets;1568256]

Well, as a professional on such matters, I can assure you that the name will hurt sales.
I'm not mocking the name, however, every single person i've talked to about it is. And that sir, is something that can't be ignored.
And if you don't think every single branding company on the planet didn't choke on their coffee and go WTF??? when the name dropped at the keynote...

Probably the same branding companies that chocked when they heard of the Nintendo "Wii"... How'd that work out for them?
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post #53 of 100
2/8/10 at 11:41am
Look... regarding the name iPad.
We did a small survey of what people thought of the name. Questions like:
What's the first image you have when you hear iPad?
List the first 5 words that come to your mind when you hear iPad.
Does the name iPad make you think of a gender and if so which one?
Do you consider the iPad a mobile device, and if so, how would you carry it around?

Now, asking a bunch of tech-heads on this forum of similar minded people will get you some predictable results. However, ask those questions in the wild to the less tech-savy crowd who already own iPods.... you get some interesting results.
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post #54 of 100
2/8/10 at 11:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by nautilus. View Post

Considering the iPad's (future) capabilities/potential, $499 seems a tad high for only 16GB.

I agree. The memory is no longer a huge part of the margin, and will continue to be less and less of total cost of the BOM.

I, for one, had hoped that they would have had an SD slot. Oh, well.
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post #55 of 100
2/8/10 at 11:45am
The (unsubsidized) pricing should be as follows:

iPad wi-fi, 16 GB- $499
iPad wi-fi/3G, 32 GB- $649
iPad wi-fi/3G with camera, 64 GB- $799

The end.

Ahhh if wishes were horses.

In all seriousness, I do think you will see Apple quickly change the current set-up. It's too complicated, and as many have pointed out, very un-apple like. I definitely think they will change it so that there is only one wi-fi only model (at the introductory price), and then either two or three wi-fi/3g models that follow it incrementally.
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post #56 of 100
2/8/10 at 11:48am
Quote:
Originally Posted by rain View Post

Look... regarding the name iPad.
We did a small survey of what people thought of the name. Questions like:
What's the first image you have when you hear iPad?
List the first 5 words that come to your mind when you hear iPad.
Does the name iPad make you think of a gender and if so which one?
Do you consider the iPad a mobile device, and if so, how would you carry it around?

Now, asking a bunch of tech-heads on this forum of similar minded people will get you some predictable results. However, ask those questions in the wild to the less tech-savy crowd who already own iPods.... you get some interesting results.

Hey, don't get me wrong, I wasn't crazy about the name either. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on who you ask), this is the name Apple gave the thing and what will be will be. The name iPad will have no effect on whether I buy one or not, but then I'm part of that "tech-head" crowd. If I had to say why I was less than enthusiastic about the name, it would be because it seems a little lazy to me. But lazy to me may seem logical to the next person.
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post #57 of 100
2/8/10 at 11:49am
[QUOTE=PastorOfMuppets;1568337][QUOTE=rain;1568276]
Quote:
Originally Posted by PastorOfMuppets View Post


Well, as a professional on such matters, I can assure you that the name will hurt sales.
I'm not mocking the name, however, every single person i've talked to about it is. And that sir, is something that can't be ignored.
And if you don't think every single branding company on the planet didn't choke on their coffee and go WTF??? when the name dropped at the keynote...

Probably the same branding companies that chocked when they heard of the Nintendo "Wii"... How'd that work out for them?

Wii was brilliant. I don't know anyone who balked at it? In fact, Wii and iPod are two of the strongest brands in the entertainment technology camp, 2 of the strongest brands to emerge in the last decade for new products, ...and celebrated as such.

Stop being cynical. It's one thing to support Apple and like their products, it's another to defend every single action the company makes no matter how absurd they may be. I believe there is a word for that... one that I don't want to call anyone on this site, but your treading close...
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post #58 of 100
2/8/10 at 11:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by doyourownthing View Post

i agree...the smallest should be 32 gb

I find this kind of statement to be odd.

Of course, for some people, 16gb won't work. But I am sure there are others who just want another (more mobile) Internet access point in the house or a portable reader. 16gb might be fine for them--if apple is offering it, why not let them get by without paying for storage they don't need?

Also, even if few wanted it, the low storage option gets the lower price point in people's heads, and that works to Apple's advantage. I have been discussing getting one with my wife and we both throw $500 around though it is unlikely we would get the base model. Intellectually, I know we are wrong, but...
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post #59 of 100
2/8/10 at 12:03pm
I understand that Flash is not perfect, but it is utilized on many websites. In fact, the most creative websites are entirely flash. The IPad is not a phone, it is a computer. At the very least, it needs to be able to see every webpage on the internet as it was intended by its creator. Without this feature, I will use my iphone for quick information and directions when I am away from home and ignore the IPad all together.
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post #60 of 100
2/8/10 at 12:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by d-range View Post

Did you say the same thing when the iPod was announced? Maybe you could check how much 'psychological marketing and branding' affected iPod sales, it's only 1 letter difference you know...

Also, remember that while the word 'pad' might bring up associations with sanitary products where you come from, but it sure doesn't where I live. The name iSlate, however, would probably be turned into the dutch equivalent of iSlut, while the name iTablet would be associated with some kind of medicine.

In other words: every product name will have unintended connotations somewhere around the globe. I seriously doubt if the name of the iPad will hurt sales, it might even boost it because so many people are making jokes about it, which really helps establishing 'iPad' as the street term for every other tablet, like 'iPod' did for MP3 players. The 'iPod' name was mocked on as well, see how that worked out for Apple.

I vote this the dumbest post of the year.
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post #61 of 100
2/8/10 at 12:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by piot View Post

Yeh right!



THIS is the internet. I don't believe you.
Grow up!

I'm sorry you believe there are no professionals in the world. I'm also sorry that you believe everything on that darn internet is a lie.
I'm sorry you are obviously an angry & cynical person.

But listen close Piot... it's not your fault.
It's not your fault...
Piot... it's not your fault...
It's not your fault...
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post #62 of 100
2/8/10 at 12:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rain View Post

You have no clue what your talking about.
The topic of psychological marketing and branding extends much much further then a dictionary definition.

For the most part, just put "Apple" with its logo in front of the name and that will take care of 98% of the people. For the rest, who would actually deprive themselves of functionality that would improve their life merely because of a name, well then, they maybe... maybe... could be smart enough to buy one for their wife or girlfriend and be able to say it belongs to her and then use it themselves. ... maybe...
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post #63 of 100
2/8/10 at 12:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rain View Post


Wii was brilliant. I don't know anyone who balked at it? In fact, Wii and iPod are two of the strongest brands in the entertainment technology camp, 2 of the strongest brands to emerge in the last decade for new products, ...and celebrated as such.

you are confusing before and after. I am not a gamer and was only vaguely aware of the plans of the major console makers before the latest models came out (2-3 years ago?). But I do remember the snickering and the head scratching when the name of the Wii was announced. It was universally panned as I recall (again, not as a particularly interested party). No only were the graphics underpowered, but it sounded like pee!!!!1.
As in URINATE!!
I chuckled. I scratched my head. And, yes, I bought one a year later...

If the iPad is a hit, no one will care about this ubiquitos association you see now...
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post #64 of 100
2/8/10 at 12:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rain View Post

I asked my dad if he was interested in one... to which he replied
"No thanks, i'm not menstruating"

Product name is so insanely horrendous, I honestly believe that Apple has gone insane with wealth.
Cutting the price point wouldn't be nearly as effective as cutting the name and calling it something that doesn't make people think of bloody feminine hygiene products.

I've talked to over 20 people about the iYuk and not a single one is considering buying one because of name alone. People don't even care what the tech is or what it can do for them... they can't get past the name.

Seriously... SJ has lost his mind. This product will always be a joke as long as it has a joke name. Zune is looking pretty brilliant right now as a name when you compare.

Bottom line... MILLIONS of people will avoid this product because of the name alone. Don't kid yourself, a pad is something disposable and you throw away. Think hundreds of years of psyche is going to change around the term 'pad' because SJ likes to tote one around? Wrong.

I don't think Apple are too worried, you are obviously outside the demographic.
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post #65 of 100
2/8/10 at 12:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by estolinski View Post

I don't think Apple are too worried, you are obviously outside the demographic.

Actually, I'm exactly the demographic. Thats the problem.
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post #66 of 100
2/8/10 at 12:45pm
[QUOTE=rain;1568311]
Quote:
Originally Posted by samurai1999 View Post

The pad will sell, but Apple did needlessly put a mountain in front of themselves. Trying to undue a hundred years of psyche over the connotation of 'pad' and adding an 'i' in front of it to denote 'My personal..." is dubious, and I question the drugs that were smoked at the creative brief when they were naming it.

Well, I guess you're right. I mean, surely Apple didn't have the foresight to research the name choice. Steve just threw that one up in the air and said "F it guys, I can't think of anything better so iPad it is. Wish me luck!"

I'm not crazy about the name but that has no variance on my decision to buy or not. The name is the last feature on my checklist.
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post #67 of 100
2/8/10 at 12:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bageljoey View Post

you are confusing before and after. I am not a gamer and was only vaguely aware of the plans of the major console makers before the latest models came out (2-3 years ago?). But I do remember the snickering and the head scratching when the name of the Wii was announced. It was universally panned as I recall (again, not as a particularly interested party). No only were the graphics underpowered, but it sounded like pee!!!!1.
As in URINATE!!
I chuckled. I scratched my head. And, yes, I bought one a year later...

If the iPad is a hit, no one will care about this ubiquitos association you see now...

It's not the ubiquitous association that "I" see now. It's what others are seeing.

The name isn't going to stop me from buying one. It won't stop a lot of people from buying one. On the other hand, it will stop a lot of people from buying one, as our initial research has shown.

You are probably right that if it's a hit, no one will care. However, it won't become a genericized trademarked name like iPod, Aspirin, Kleenex, Zipper, E-mail, Band-Aid, Coke etc...
Teenage boys are not going to be saying "hey Mike, can i play with your pad".

So for Apple's most creative and best piece of hardware ever!!!! -according to them - it's a pretty weak brand strategy. People will just call it the Apple Tablet like they do now, because nobody is comfortable saying iPad... not even the people at Apple... lol
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post #68 of 100
2/8/10 at 12:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by GregoriusM View Post

For the most part, just put "Apple" with its logo in front of the name and that will take care of 98% of the people. For the rest, who would actually deprive themselves of functionality that would improve their life merely because of a name, well then, they maybe... maybe... could be smart enough to buy one for their wife or girlfriend and be able to say it belongs to her and then use it themselves. ... maybe...

Thats why the Apple brand is one of the strongest in the world.
I have zero doubt that if Microsoft came out with a product called iPad, people here would be tearing into it with a hysterical frenzy as never seen before... but because it's Apple...

Will be interesting to see if Apple's brand can drag the iPad brand up to it's levels.
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post #69 of 100
2/8/10 at 12:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rain View Post

I vote this the dumbest post of the year.

Why? Just because you disagree?

Edit:
Quote:
Originally Posted by rain

Seriously... SJ has lost his mind. This product will always be a joke as long as it has a joke name. Zune is looking pretty brilliant right now as a name when you compare.

Quote:
Originally Posted by rain

I have zero doubt that if Microsoft came out with a product called iPad, people here would be tearing into it with a hysterical frenzy as never seen before... but because it's Apple...

Well, with the first Zune you could 'squirt' songs to other Zunes, not exactly smart marketing either huh? And if the name 'Zune' is so great, how come it's pretty much an epic fail for MS up to now? Not because of the hardware I guess, because that's actually pretty good...

My point is: I think you're seriously stretching this whole name thing too far, it's ridiculous, no matter how many people you asked that thought iPad was a bad name. People would still buy it if it were called the iPoo, if it became hip, trendy or extremely useful for any other reasons than its name.
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post #70 of 100
2/8/10 at 1:01pm
If Apple can sell the 8GB iPod touch for $199, there is no reason why they can't sell the 16GB iPad at $399 and still make a decent profit.

This is the pricing that we are likely to see by Xmas'10 shopping season:

16GB 32GB 64GB
------ ------- ------
WiFi $399 $499 $599
3G $499 $599 $699

Next-gen flash parts will start shipping in volume some time this summer, so flash price won't be an issue. For the rest of the system, the larger screen & battery cannot account for more than $100 adder over the cost of an iPod touch.
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post #71 of 100
2/8/10 at 1:01pm
nevermind
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post #72 of 100
2/8/10 at 1:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rain View Post

Actually, I'm exactly the demographic. Thats the problem.

Names are largely irrelevant to a company like Apple. A product name is supposed to help you stand out from the competition. Apple products stand out regardless of their name. People won't be very concerned about the name after they've tried the device out or heard about it through the media or friends. Your informal survey means nothing. To counter your point I had two people tell me that they wanted an iPad within a day of it's announcement. Both were not "fanboys", one of which has never tried a mac. The difference was that they were focussed on the features and how the device was used, not on the name, and believe me that will matter a lot more in the long run.
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post #73 of 100
2/8/10 at 1:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by thartist View Post

Also.

I never thought this thing should be 1,000. Meanwhile, the "analysts" did. I had no analyst talk to me however.

Maybe they thought that because they thought we were getting an LED, full OS kicking, multitasking, flash optional, matte screened, mini-MBAir notebook?
and not merely a Maxi-Pad, I mean Pod, I mean iPad.
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post #74 of 100
2/8/10 at 2:16pm
I agree with the general consensus. $499 for the basic model isn't bad. The add-ons are the painful part. No way is the top model worth $829.
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post #75 of 100
2/8/10 at 2:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by d-range View Post

Why? Just because you disagree?

Edit:




Well, with the first Zune you could 'squirt' songs to other Zunes, not exactly smart marketing either huh? And if the name 'Zune' is so great, how come it's pretty much an epic fail for MS up to now? Not because of the hardware I guess, because that's actually pretty good...

My point is: I think you're seriously stretching this whole name thing too far, it's ridiculous, no matter how many people you asked that thought iPad was a bad name. People would still buy it if it were called the iPoo, if it became hip, trendy or extremely useful for any other reasons than its name.

Classic!
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post #76 of 100
2/8/10 at 2:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by RichL View Post

I agree with the general consensus. $499 for the basic model isn't bad. The add-ons are the painful part. No way is the top model worth $829.

What are you talking about? 499 isn't bad? What is good? Where do you people base these pricing principles from? Can someone please do a cost breakdown here.
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post #77 of 100
2/8/10 at 2:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by thartist View Post

What are you talking about? 499 isn't bad? What is good? Where do you people base these pricing principles from? Can someone please do a cost breakdown here.

According to some reports, the actual price was supposed to be 399, until Jobs pulled a fast one at the last minute and bumped it up to 499.

http://gawker.com/5458396/the-nuclea...ight-have-been

1000 dollars - lol who the heck would buy this oversized iPod Touch at that price?

And by the way, that HUGE price add on for 3g? Thats definitely a subsidy they'll be giving to AT&T - just like when you 'purchase' a new cell phone.
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post #78 of 100
2/8/10 at 5:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob55 View Post

How did $330 become $400? Way to round up. Sure you can add in the price of accessories, but that would apply to both ends of the price spectrum.

My mistake. In my head I had 899 for the highest priced model. $330 dollar spread is not as bad actually, but my point remains : lower the highest end model cause mentally going from 499 to 829 is still a big jump for not that much extra value (3g you gotta pay for every month, while ipod touch jumps from 8 gb to 32 for only $100 extra to 64 for 200 extra).
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post #79 of 100
2/8/10 at 5:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rain View Post

Actually, I'm exactly the demographic. Thats the problem.

Yes, a person.
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post #80 of 100
2/8/10 at 5:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rain View Post

Teenage boys are not going to be saying "hey Mike, can i play with your pad"

Maybe not in North America but in the rest of the world, yes. How do you refer to a pad of paper, by the way? Personally I think you have gotten a little too wrapped up in the whole personal hygiene thing.
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