well, its true. I just payed 1135? for a 13 inch Macbook Air.this would have cost me 1599? in the EU. 400+ euro more.
I never said prices weren't more expensive in Europe (they are!), just that it's ridiculous to compare prices without tax in one country against prices with tax in another country.
Quote:
Apple's pricing results in a premium for European customers, who pay as much as $702 for the entry-level iPad 2, which costs $499 in the U.S.
Hmm... They spent too much on fancy swords and building Spartan Theme Parks ("Experience the Battle of 300 for yourselves!"), became too-big-to-fail, got into a debt crisis, and then had to be bailed out then taken over by Athens?
So the "additional cost of doing business" has increased from an 8% price premium for the mac mini to almost 19% in 6 years? (And I have removed the taxes...)
Really?
No, because what you're implying is a steady increase in EU prices versus dollar prices over that period and that's not what happened at all. Instead the price differential depends heavily on exchange rates, and so right now EU prices seem high because the dollar is particularly weak thanks to government deadlock, the S&P downgrade etc. etc.
Do you really expect Apple to change their EU prices from week to week based on dollar exchange rates? Really?
Yep - I am saying that there has been a steady increase in prices (in the UK at least) over that time. No, I don't expect Apple to change prices on a week-to-week basis (I'm sure that we both know that they take steps to smooth out exchange fluctuations). And no, the US dollar isn't particularly weak against the £ at the moment (see http://uk.reuters.com/business/curre...istoricalDate= ...and plot it over 5 years).
5 years isn't the correct timeframe to consider. Apple will refix prices to keep their products competitive in the UK but it will happen every year or perhaps every 6 months, depending on their hedging strategy. So if the currency shifts notably within that period then there will be an outsized discrepancy.
The dollar was notably stronger back in january and stronger still back in 2010. We've gone from 1.45 to 1.65 over the course of the last 12 months, and done so steadily. Is the dollar weak in terms of the last 5 years? No but it is weak compared to the last year - and that's what matters in this situation.
Comments
well, its true. I just payed 1135? for a 13 inch Macbook Air.this would have cost me 1599? in the EU. 400+ euro more.
I never said prices weren't more expensive in Europe (they are!), just that it's ridiculous to compare prices without tax in one country against prices with tax in another country.
Apple's pricing results in a premium for European customers, who pay as much as $702 for the entry-level iPad 2, which costs $499 in the U.S.
- this is a misleading comparison.
It's obvious that Apple is doomed!
This sarcasm isn't relevant.
Your argument is weak.
What argument? I stated a fact. It's either right or wrong. Was it wrong?
Do you recall what became of Sparta?
They got extict - to much paiderastia...
They even allowed women to do sports (you do know how the old greeks did sports?) - did't help
Do you recall what became of Sparta?
Hmm... They spent too much on fancy swords and building Spartan Theme Parks ("Experience the Battle of 300 for yourselves!"), became too-big-to-fail, got into a debt crisis, and then had to be bailed out then taken over by Athens?
Actually it is more like the shitty value of the dollar and import levies that are mucking with pricing.
You do not take into account the fact that all Apple products are NOT manufactured in the US.
The "import levies" that matters are the ones from China to Europe and from China to US.
Apple products prices are much higher in Europe without a real reason and without any added value.
Titan10
See this article:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/01...ing_confusion/
So the "additional cost of doing business" has increased from an 8% price premium for the mac mini to almost 19% in 6 years? (And I have removed the taxes...)
Really?
No, because what you're implying is a steady increase in EU prices versus dollar prices over that period and that's not what happened at all. Instead the price differential depends heavily on exchange rates, and so right now EU prices seem high because the dollar is particularly weak thanks to government deadlock, the S&P downgrade etc. etc.
Do you really expect Apple to change their EU prices from week to week based on dollar exchange rates? Really?
Yep - I am saying that there has been a steady increase in prices (in the UK at least) over that time. No, I don't expect Apple to change prices on a week-to-week basis (I'm sure that we both know that they take steps to smooth out exchange fluctuations). And no, the US dollar isn't particularly weak against the £ at the moment (see http://uk.reuters.com/business/curre...istoricalDate= ...and plot it over 5 years).
5 years isn't the correct timeframe to consider. Apple will refix prices to keep their products competitive in the UK but it will happen every year or perhaps every 6 months, depending on their hedging strategy. So if the currency shifts notably within that period then there will be an outsized discrepancy.
The dollar was notably stronger back in january and stronger still back in 2010. We've gone from 1.45 to 1.65 over the course of the last 12 months, and done so steadily. Is the dollar weak in terms of the last 5 years? No but it is weak compared to the last year - and that's what matters in this situation.