DenisVolin

foggyhill said:

Blah blah blah blah, Apple mostly locks down prices everywhere; this is basically just some extortion game.

Everything related to Russia just requires a bigger envelope to be resolved...
And it seems Apple has not reached that level yet...
I'm sure this will convince them to go deeper in their pockets.

Most of my friends are Russians, from Kaliningrad, St Petersburg and Moscow and I won't tell you what they think of current Russia.
Because they still got family there and because their high profile positions, they're afraid to talk openly. That tells you everything.

Well, I don't know about your friends, but personally I don't have such problems. Moreover according to the US main stream media I should have even more since I'm gay, and, yet, nope, I don't. 
I live in Moscow region and I don't have any problems to talk or discuss anything openly. Personally I'm just happy to live here. I've got everything I need for it: a job, a hobby, fast Internet and mbp mid 15 and friends.
As for the bribery accusations, I'd say that Apple as any other company should either follow the legislation or join MS' LinkedIn fate. As well as any other entity should. The bribery is now not really a solution as it used to be 10-15 years ago.

lmac said:

Self fulfilling prophecy. Macs are not upgraded because demand is low. Demand is low because Macs are not upgraded. Apple doesn't care about its 20 billion dollar Mac business, because it has a 150 billion dollar phone business. But I think this is short sighted. Apple could gain a lot of respect and r&d experience by continuing to advance the most powerful and easiest to use computers in the world. That's worth more than just money.

And in addition to that upgrades happen look like cheap tricks. C'mon, Apple, I still have MBP'15 and I won't switch to your new piece of junk with the same name, because I'm not a dongle fan at all. I don't want to by a $500+ extension for my new $2000+ MacBook Pro in order for the latter to at least look as an actual Pro. I'm a touchtyper and I have no idea what the hack do I need a touch bar for. I'd rather prefer a touch screen, but you say that Apple users don't need those. Well, I'd rather prefer a stable macOS with a couple updates a year than an overdesigned, overpacked with apps I don't use one, yet, you say that Apple users love your way of screwing with your own creation...

Whatever happens next it might only be two ways for me:
— Apple realizes that mac book pro users need more tech and less jingles, dongles and other implied shmungles;
— Me switching out as I did with their overpriced stone for some reason called a phone...

Yeah, I don't want new wallpapers for my desktop I need a stable alternative for a Linux system, otherwise I just don't see the need to choose the Apple's product over a much better technological multiverse of the Linux core based laptops.