Another boring money post

[Partial]

Samsung passed on the Galaxy 5 because they already have a new Samsung that they feel is about the same thing. I read a quote on that when I was investigating the Incredible. And if I can get a Nexus, what do I want an iPhone for? Again, it's a bigger, better screen than the iPhone. No need to switch and buy all new equipment.

I'm assuming it does, but does the iPhone come with a free Kindle app? Does it have free books on it? Can you get apps for free? Can you get sample music free? Like I said, I'm assuming yes, but everything else with the iphone is more expensive so I thought I'd check.

What is the Galaxy 5? They have a relatively new Samsung phone, the Charge, but it is fat and slow, unlike the Galaxy S II which is slim and sexy.

You want an iPhone for the user experience over the Nexus. For the entire Apple experience. From the app store, to the book store, to the music store, etc. Their infrastructure is amazing.

Bigger != better. In the case of the Nexus Prime, if the rumors are true, it will have a higher res screen than the iPhone (unless Apple throws a curve ball at us). Whenever an iPhone comes out, it basically always has the best quality display. Is there any reason to believe this trend won't continue? They'll have to be on their game because the AMOLED plus displays are really nice.

4.5" for the Nexus prime is hugh. I see that HTC is coming out with a new 4.9" screen. Where does it end? These devices are supposed to fit in your pocket. Apple only went up to 4" because they are going edge to edge with an extremely small bezel. Most typical 4.3" phones are getting too big for pockets.

Of course it has a kindle app. It's an iPhone. It has the most apps of any platform and it's the only platform where people actually download, use and buy applications. There are tons of free apps because of brilliant ad platform known as iAd, developers can still make money while giving free content away.

Nothing with the iPhone is more expensive. Recall that your Thunderbolt was released at a higher price point then the iPhone. iPhone is priced aggressively to be cheaper or as cheap as high quality handsets. They're not competing in the low end tech specs. They continue to sell the previous generation for those who want a low end solution. They're priced very aggressively there as well. Basically, they are the best deal in contract-based smart phones. Now that they intend to get into pre-paid, they will take that market by storm as well.

[MJZiggy]

I don't recall this but I'm sure you're correct. It's a common expression. I didn't intend to rip your line.



I think it's a very rationale thing to do, I would do the same, but when applied to Apple, you contradict yourself.

You bought a luxury car. Most people buy luxury goods because they're a sign of quality, the design is better, the car is more comfortable, powerful, or has some features that differeniate itself from the pack. Whatever the reason is, it's because the luxury product ultimately provides some value to the user that the entry level would not have.

The luxury good is often purchased because of the quality and the intention to keep something a long time. Because you intend to keep it a long time, you need something that is made of quality components and materials, maybe using metals where other, cheaper cars use plastic, or providing all-wheel drive where as cheaper cars only have front wheel drive. Maybe the sound system is better. Maybe the engine is more powerful and better designed. Maybe it can sit more people. Who knows. You get where I'm going with this.

What's different about the car from the computer? The computer is expected to last a long time, at least 5 years for most people. Like a luxury car, it's important to have durable, long lasting components such as metal enclosures, glass trackpads and the best in class batteries. Luxury features on a computer are equivalent to luxury features in a car. After all, it's something you constantly for work, yes, so why would you not want something that's a little bit nicer and a cut above the rest? As someone who appreciates the finer things of a Mercedes, I cannot wrap my head around how one can not appreciate the design, build quality, etc put into Apple products.

You get what you pay for with just about everything. Whether it's a Cadillac, a Carolla, or a Cavalier this is true. It's also true whether it's an Inspiron notebook, a MacBook Pro, or an HP business class notebook.

The whole parts thing doesn't make a lot of sense. There are a plethora (in fact, basically the exact same) for any Mac as there are for a typical PC. In a notebook, the upgradeable things are batteries, ram, hard disks, and extensions through usb. The MacBook Air has soldiered on ram and disk due to size constraints, but this situation will exist in Ultrabooks as well. The iMac and the towers are upgradeable as well. The iMac can't upgrade graphics, I will give you that, but I don't think it's a huge deal because they do include latest gen discrete graphics, so it'll be very fast for years to come.

I'm not criticizing, I just think it's interesting. Personally, I think you're afraid to try it for fear you might like it. I would bet my bottom dollar that if you went in with an open mind you'd really enjoy the experience after a week (once you settled in) and would see the value. I'm unbelievably cheap and even *I* see the value.

Didn't you JUST say that phones (which is the litmus test you're using to convince the rest of us of Apple's invincibility) are meant to be traded in every two years? You also don't buy six-year-old computers and keep them for 15 years. They are not designed to last that long. But a couple other questions have occurred to me that you may be able to answer. If I decide in two years that you're right and I need to buy a new phone and then sell it on ebay, who is going to buy the thing at full price when they can go and get it for the same price I did? Also, when my droid met its tragic end in the earthquake, and I was looking to find someone to see if it could be repaired, droid repair shops don't seem to exist. Why are there so many Apple repair shops?

[SkinBasket]

Why does every post that Partial's involved with turn into a clusterfuck of cell-phone argumentation?

[MJZiggy]

Why does every post that Partial's involved with turn into a clusterfuck of cell-phone argumentation?

Would you rather he were spending all his time if FYI?

[retailguy]

Would you rather he were spending all his time if FYI?

I'd rather that he spend all his time at the weightlifting forums.

[Partial]

Didn't you JUST say that phones (which is the litmus test you're using to convince the rest of us of Apple's invincibility) are meant to be traded in every two years? You also don't buy six-year-old computers and keep them for 15 years. They are not designed to last that long. But a couple other questions have occurred to me that you may be able to answer. If I decide in two years that you're right and I need to buy a new phone and then sell it on ebay, who is going to buy the thing at full price when they can go and get it for the same price I did? Also, when my droid met its tragic end in the earthquake, and I was looking to find someone to see if it could be repaired, droid repair shops don't seem to exist. Why are there so many Apple repair shops?

The're not going to buy it at full price.

They're someone who lost a phone, or have a prepaid plan, or some unique situation where they aren't interested/can't get a subsidized device.

The only Apple authorized shops are Apple stores themselves. While it isn't documented, every single person (9) that I know that has dropped an iPhone 4 and cracked the screen was given a freeby even if they didn't have AppleCare. Talk about service! This is why Apple is #1 ranked in customer service and customer satisfaction.

[retailguy]

I don't recall this but I'm sure you're correct. It's a common expression. I didn't intend to rip your line.

Uhuh. Sure. whatever. I could care less. I found it funny.

I think it's a very rationale thing to do, I would do the same, but when applied to Apple, you contradict yourself.

No, I really don't. There are six pages of posting in this thread where I have been very clear as to why I buy what I buy. I'm not buying "quality", I'm shopping for "value, combined with reliability". That's the part you don't get. Apple offers better than average reliability, but I think they offer shitty value. They always have, and I believe they always will. Please note, I probably define VALUE differently than you do.

You bought a luxury car. Most people buy luxury goods because they're a sign of quality, the design is better, the car is more comfortable, powerful, or has some features that differeniate itself from the pack. Whatever the reason is, it's because the luxury product ultimately provides some value to the user that the entry level would not have.

I'm sure some folks buy like this, I bought it because I was seeking reliability, and price was important. It was priced more competitively than a comparable Toyota or Honda, or I'd own one of them. You do not understand me. You haven't spent 5 minutes "LISTENING" to what I'm telling you, and you have NO IDEA why I buy what I buy.

The luxury good is often purchased because of the quality and the intention to keep something a long time. Because you intend to keep it a long time, you need something that is made of quality components and materials, maybe using metals where other, cheaper cars use plastic, or providing all-wheel drive where as cheaper cars only have front wheel drive. Maybe the sound system is better. Maybe the engine is more powerful and better designed. Maybe it can sit more people. Who knows. You get where I'm going with this.

I'm sure that your broke finance professor understands this, but I don't. None of these things were really important to me. I searched for six months for the cheapest Eclass I could find. I didn't care what color it was, how many miles were on it, what options it had or if it even had a radio. I wanted the V8 engine, under 80k miles, and a price to value rating that was best in its class. I walked away from 10 vehicles before I purchased this one. I KNEW it would be reliable, because I knew the odds were in my favor. I knew exactly what I wanted it to do, and I knew exactly what I needed to do that.

My only splurge was the V8 engine. Seriously. The six cylinder had slightly better reliability, but I'd had one in my last eclass and I didn't really like it.

What's different about the car from the computer? The computer is expected to last a long time, at least 5 years for most people. Like a luxury car, it's important to have durable, long lasting components such as metal enclosures, glass trackpads and the best in class batteries. Luxury features on a computer are equivalent to luxury features in a car. After all, it's something you constantly for work, yes, so why would you not want something that's a little bit nicer and a cut above the rest? As someone who appreciates the finer things of a Mercedes, I cannot wrap my head around how one can not appreciate the design, build quality, etc put into Apple products.

Plenty is different. A computer/phone/tablet are CONSUMABLE GOODS. They have a finite life and little remaining value once purchased. Technology changes overnight and sometimes makes the good obsolete. This is NOT TRUE with regard to vehicles. A 1969 Rambler still can serve a useful function. Not so true of a TRS-80. Yes, it still works, but unless you need to do some basic programming, it isn't very useful today. A rambler will still get me to the grocery store and to work.

My gripe with apple has nothing to do with the "quality", it has everything to do with the BUSINESS MODEL. The proprietary software (Itunes), lack of flash support, proprietary cables, and lack of upgradeability ruin it for me. They make the product LESS VALUABLE to me. I want to buy a $4 HDMI cable from the vendor of my choice instead of a $35 proprietary cable that I have to buy from Apple. I want to use Windows explorer to load my MP3 player, and I never, ever want to see another copy of ITUNES.

Talking with the apple nazi's is also a turnoff. Listening to you guys rant on and on about some feature that I'll never use, or worse, exists on everything else is a fucking riot. I'm so tired of it, if I owned a gun..... I am not kidding. None of you have a damn brain.

You get what you pay for with just about everything. Whether it's a Cadillac, a Carolla, or a Cavalier this is true. It's also true whether it's an Inspiron notebook, a MacBook Pro, or an HP business class notebook.

This is the crap idiots parrot on about over and over and over. It isn't TRUE. Plenty of products have different VALUE and USE associated with them. You babble on and on about 90k apps for the IPAD. Is it true? YES. Who the fuck needs 90k apps? I bet 90% of IPAD users don't have 50 apps loaded. What value is really associated with 90k apps? Is it reality or "perception". Marketing says, "what am I missing if I don't have 90k apps"? retailguy says "probably not much". So, I'm not willing to pay for that. It has NO value to me.

I have a blackberry. I have access to thousands of apps. I use 15. Maybe. Last time I checked for a weather app, I had the choice of at least 50, I need ONE. I loaded an app to use my blackberry as a flashlight. It was free. There were DOZENS of others. I did not need them once I picked ONE.

If you'd stop being swayed by marketing and analyze what you want the product to do, you'd find that plenty of differences exist in the marketplace. Sometimes the absolute cheapest product in the market will meet your needs, despite it's flaws. But you believe the marketing and as you've said "the cool factor" is important to you. It simply is NOT to me in most cases.

The whole parts thing doesn't make a lot of sense. There are a plethora (in fact, basically the exact same) for any Mac as there are for a typical PC. In a notebook, the upgradeable things are batteries, ram, hard disks, and extensions through usb. The MacBook Air has soldiered on ram and disk due to size constraints, but this situation will exist in Ultrabooks as well. The iMac and the towers are upgradeable as well. The iMac can't upgrade graphics, I will give you that, but I don't think it's a huge deal because they do include latest gen discrete graphics, so it'll be very fast for years to come.

If I own an IPAD and I want to stream movies to my TV, I must buy a proprietary cable from Apple to do it, or from a licensed 3rd party. My android tablet uses a market standard HDMI cable that I can buy from monoprice for $4. Or probably less from some guy in Hong Kong. When I load music on it, I am not required to use ITUNES. When I want to upgrade memory, I can use crucial.com. My "requirement" to use the vendor I purchased the product from largely ceases when I buy any piece of computer equipment EXCEPT apple. Are there exceptions? Sure. But not many of them.

I don't upgrade computers any more. I throw them away. So do most of the rest of us. That's a shame, but it's the way it works. THEY have designed it that way. In the last 3 years I have upgraded exactly ONE computer, other than memory sticks, and MAYBE one hard drive.

I'm not criticizing, I just think it's interesting.

Are you fucking insane? criticism is all you do. How many times have you inferred in just this thread that we're "wrong" because we don't agree with you? Good grief, you cannot be that stupid as to believe this. This is another of your stupid games where you get all elitist and "above it all", because you are so naive that you think you're "right" as if there is such a thing.

Personally, I think you're afraid to try it for fear you might like it. I would bet my bottom dollar that if you went in with an open mind you'd really enjoy the experience after a week (once you settled in) and would see the value. I'm unbelievably cheap and even *I* see the value.

I have two IPAD 1's in the house. I absolutely despise the fucking things. I know how to use them, I had to teach my girls how to operate them. I told them, that any accessories that they want are on them. They've priced them and have bought exactly ZERO. They love my wife's new Acer. They are beginning to understand "trendy". And they are beginning to like the IPAD's less.... That's because they are still teachable. That's about the only difference between them and you. They listen. You've forgotten that God gave you two ears and one mouth. So you have no idea why I don't buy Apple and you never will understand it.

[Partial]

I can buy an iPhone cable for about a dollar on eBay. Not an issues. Same with monoprice. The HDMI is good, I agree. Apple is pushing for their Airplay technology to stream from a tablet to the TV. Different strokes for different folks. Personally, I'd rather not use a cable then use one.

The flash support thing is retarded. Microsoft isn't supporting flash either in Windows 8. Sorry, but flash is dead. It's slow, shitty, doesn't support multitouch well. I develop flash code as a primary function of my job and I even think the tech is garbage. It runs like shit on absolutely everything that is not Windows.

I re-iterate that anything you can update on a PC you can update on a Mac using a third party store. I purchase all of my ram, etc on slickdeals. Not mac ram, just regular ram. Not mac hard disks, just regular hard disks. Not mac usb components, just regular usb components.

Apple users have bigger brains that Windows users. Which is why we on average have more sex, make more money, etc. Really, it's beginning to sound like you don't have a brain. You are so factually incorrect about so much stuff. You've had propaganda drilled into your head for years.

Consumer electronics, especially Apple computers, do hold their value. The bottom dollar Dell machine won't. I buy a new Mac laptop every year. I pretty much break even with the student discounts.

Your kids are mentally challenged if they cannot operate an iPad. I know a 90 something year old that can't use a computer, but they sure as heck can point their finger at a 32x32 icon and tap it. Perhaps you should stop "teaching" them and let them learn on their own.

Clearly we have different opinions of value. To me, if I'm spending hours on something every day, I want those hours to be as pleasant as possible. Maybe you are just too cheap to appreciate good user experience. It's quite clear to me that you're far too narrow minded to be innovative or do anything unique anyway, so..

Beyond that, an Apple computer has more value than a Windows computer inherently because it can run both Mac OS and Windows.

http://www.consumersearch.com/apple-laptops/mac-vs-pc

[Zool]

Where's David Byrne when you need him?

Oh here his is now.

[SkinBasket]

Partial should be banned for ruining my thread.

Madtwan, how about getting off your big brown buns and letting us rename the titles of threads so this can assume it's true role as "SkinBasket's Home For Homosexuals - Part 2"

[retailguy]

Where's David Byrne when you need him?

Oh here his is now.

Same as it ever was.

S-S-S-Same as it ev-er was.

Same as it ever was.

[Zool]

Partial should be banned for ruining my thread.

Madtwan, how about getting off your big brown buns and letting us rename the titles of threads so this can assume it's true role as "SkinBasket's Home For Homosexuals - Part 2"

Partial puts the STD in stud, now all he needs in U.

[Partial]

Partial puts the STD in stud, now all he needs in U.

That's fantastic!

[Partial]

http://www.thestreet.com/r/ratings/reports/detail/AAPL.html

[3irty1]

Apple users have bigger brains that Windows users. Which is why we on average have more sex, make more money, etc. Really, it's beginning to sound like you don't have a brain. You are so factually incorrect about so much stuff. You've had propaganda drilled into your head for years.

I wasn't going to add to the threadjacking in here but I just have to respond to this gem. I love how you think Apple is the cause of all this and not the effect. Nobody should be shocked that things that cost more are purchased by people with more money. I had to Google to find out what you were talking about with the "more sex" statement and this is what I found that I'm assuming you're talking about:

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/08/gadget-sex/

Its study shows that iphone users have nearly twice as many sexual partners by age 30 than android users. Not twice as much sex, twice as many partners. Hilarious that this could be construed as a sign of better judgement.

I get the appeal of Apple products, I really do. They make designer gizmos. When you see a laptop in a movie its never a Dell. They are devices that double as fashion accessories. Choosing the brand gives one a feeling that they are elite, same as the people who choose Target over Wal-Mart, or a Prius over a Ford. There is nothing wrong with the products, its everything that comes with it that make me sick. I want a phone, not a lifestyle. They come with a sticker for your car! When I see a guy who looks like me that is using a mac or an iphone do I assume good things? No. I think to myself "That guy is either gay, or is a smug asshole. He probably goes to starbucks, drives a prius, likes soccer, and voted for Obama."

Ever been to the Whiskey Bar in cathedral square? Its got a lot going for it including a manly name, and a great setup. Only problem is that somewhere along the way, intolerable spray-tanned douchbags with faux-hawks decided to make it their place to drink vodka and date rape women. I feel so bad for the owner who probably thought their higher prices and badass selection of American booze would lead to a clientele of gentlemen with beards sipping cowboy juice. The Whiskey Bar tragedy is exactly what happened with Apple. The costumers wrecked it for me.

That said, I fully understand that I'm not in Apple's targeted demographic as a linux-wielding lumberjack. Over half of the population is women+gay guys and those people buy hip and trendy things so Apple as a business won't run out of customers.