My knee-jerk reaction to this chair price was going to be incredulity, but then I remembered how many awful cheapass chairs I've sat on (and been virtually tortured by) in my life and acknowledged that correct ergonomics can indeed be spendy.
Soli said: While there's a case to be made that upholstery will likely wear out faster and look worse than the Aeron chairs, they may also be a point for making the office quieter if cushioning absorb sound.
Aeron chairs are not noisy at all, although the cushioning of these Pacific chairs may help to absorb fart noises but there are lots of things in a typical office environment that are noisy. Just typing on a keyboard is noisier than a chair. People talking on the phone, having an impromptu meeting near your desk, people eating a snack, slurping a hot cup of tea, incoming notifications on computers, etc. I know I'm easily annoyed but with an open floor plan, other people are going to be making a lot more noise than any reasonably high quality chair.
As long as people are not on the phone talking loudly you are set. In an open floor plan, any phone use should be considered a crime.
Might have been nice if employees got to select from a number of approved choices what they would spend their time sitting on rather than a one-size-fits-all, take it or leave it situation. Hope Jony isn’t becoming the big talking head on the screen in the famous “1984” commercial, overseeing his minions sitting in uniform rows on uniform chairs.
There are not many offices were you've got your choice of office char design. As long as its a good quality ergonomic chair, most people will be ok with it.
With all of the tax loopholes Apple is taking advantage of, they are getting a brand new $5 billion fully furnished corporate headquarters for free.
And what’s wrong with taking advantage of tax loopholes, loopholes put there intentionally by politicians for corporations and individuals to take advantage of? Do you take any deductions on your tax return? If you do then YOU are taking advantage of tax loopholes too. If you are serious then you are a troll.
My father was a CEO for an International corporation and one of his first moves was to move HQ from Cleveland (Ugh!) to a thriving Atlanta (Hot-lanta) of the late 1970's. He bought some very modern suede-covered desk chairs for the staff. Very expensive.
I was seventeen and he introduced me to a very attractive female executive who was sitting in one of the chairs in a bit of a short skirt. He asked her politely how she liked the chair and she responded, professionally, they were very comfortable.
As we were walking out, I was the last one to leave and she said to me, out of earshot of everyone else, something, somewhat, innocent enough... "It 'tickles' my bum." And smiled. it took me 20 years to get that little exchange out of my head!
xraynano said: I wouldn't be surprised if this wasn't chosen as an assist to launch of new design by a local company.
Vitra has been in business 1950. They are known for quality and for building the designs of famous designers like George Nelson, Antonio Citterio, Jasper Morrison etc. They also have a design museum with a collection focussed on furniture and interior design. The museum also produces miniature versions of famous furniture designs. This company is totally in Ive's and Apple's design bubble.
Soli said: While there's a case to be made that upholstery will likely wear out faster and look worse than the Aeron chairs, they may also be a point for making the office quieter if cushioning absorb sound.
Aeron chairs are not noisy at all, although the cushioning of these Pacific chairs may help to absorb fart noises but there are lots of things in a typical office environment that are noisy. Just typing on a keyboard is noisier than a chair. People talking on the phone, having an impromptu meeting near your desk, people eating a snack, slurping a hot cup of tea, incoming notifications on computers, etc. I know I'm easily annoyed but with an open floor plan, other people are going to be making a lot more noise than any reasonably high quality chair.
Pretty sure when the article said "quiet" they meant from an industrial design language standpoint, not actual noisiness. And BTW Aeron's are not that quiet either literally or in their design language. The Aeron mechanism makes a fair amount of noise when people get up and sit down in one. Also, the Aeron ergonomic design became outdated and was been surpassed by many other chairs. It has been redesigned with new mechanisms and features to improve it's comfort for long term use. It is $1287 list in the polished aluminum, $987 in black.
I was a video editor for 15 years and sat in one every day. I do appreciate the mesh which was a truly original idea at the time and is exceptionally durable.
Soli said: While there's a case to be made that upholstery will likely wear out faster and look worse than the Aeron chairs, they may also be a point for making the office quieter if cushioning absorb sound.
Aeron chairs are not noisy at all, although the cushioning of these Pacific chairs may help to absorb fart noises but there are lots of things in a typical office environment that are noisy. Just typing on a keyboard is noisier than a chair. People talking on the phone, having an impromptu meeting near your desk, people eating a snack, slurping a hot cup of tea, incoming notifications on computers, etc. I know I'm easily annoyed but with an open floor plan, other people are going to be making a lot more noise than any reasonably high quality chair.
Pretty sure when the article said "quiet" they meant from an industrial design language standpoint, not actual noisiness.
Probably, but HM does literally charge you $40 ($8 per caster) for "Quiet Roll Technology."
I wonder if Apple employees are also getting fancy motorized programmable standing desks? Maybe Apple has done Siri/HomeKit integration with the motorized desks.
I guess the iPhone X isn't that expensive if a Computer Desk chair costs more money!!! They have Billions, might as ell spread some of that money around to other company's like this. Helps keep other people employed also. It's better then Government just taking peoples money to spread the wealth.
Oohh, leaving me SOO anxious that these still blend sufficiently with the pastel colors of Joni's Bentley (and both his jeans, for that matter)
couldn't you instead ask the Apple Board to pay us Brits a great deal more tax?
You’re free to give your entire income in taxes if it bothers you so much. You’ve no right to say what someone else pays in tax. You lost your colonies over that; I would think you’d learn a lesson by now.
I hope someday Apple or someone set up a third party shop that sells everything Apple use for Furniture, or at least as close as possible ( or Exact replicate ) in quality, materials and design.
Or someone can start a design studio that design my home into an Apple Store's like home.
I guess I'm one of the few not finding the price eye popping at all? In my office we have 850 dollar ergonomic chairs of some sort per person (some kept their price tags). Moving from that to 1200 from a "normal" company moving up to Apples scale doesn't even lift an eyebrow from me.
If your office is lawn chairs, ask for better chairs, they're 8 hours a day (and often more) of your life, they matter. A bad chair can screw you up just as good as a bad bed or bad shoes, do not skimp on anything you spend a lot of time on.
Oh, puh-lease. Apple most certainly did not pay $1,185 per chair if they ordered 12,000 of them. Try half that figure for a ballpark number.
I work for a large outfit that is distinguished by its ownership of thermonuclear devices, among other things. Aeron chairs have never cost us much more than 60% of list. And for what it's worth, Aeron chairs have been my place of calm (and slouching) for the last twenty years. The Pacific may be much better in many ways, but I will never go back to an upholstered chair. The upholstery wears out much faster than the chair (or the Aeron webbing) does, and is far less comfortable on warm days.
Yeah, everyone raves about the Aeron, but that plastic lip at the front digs into my thighs after 2 mins, after 10 mins I'm in agony.
Nice ish chair if they could design out that damn painful plastic front lip.
Comments
I was seventeen and he introduced me to a very attractive female executive who was sitting in one of the chairs in a bit of a short skirt. He asked her politely how she liked the chair and she responded, professionally, they were very comfortable.
As we were walking out, I was the last one to leave and she said to me, out of earshot of everyone else, something, somewhat, innocent enough... "It 'tickles' my bum." And smiled. it took me 20 years to get that little exchange out of my head!
So, yes, chairs are important.
Hope I haven't offended anyone with that story!
I was a video editor for 15 years and sat in one every day. I do appreciate the mesh which was a truly original idea at the time and is exceptionally durable.
That was bloody hilarious!!
Or someone can start a design studio that design my home into an Apple Store's like home.