Posts by BenWilson
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I'm still struggling to see the connection between large profit margins and exploiting labor. They're separate issues entirely. One is about how fairly you pay your workers, the other is about how much you think you can make from your customers. I fully support the idea of minimum wages, and fair labor laws, but the idea of fixing margins is ridiculous. For starters, as I already said, the real margins are incalculable. What is the margin on the iPad when you consider 40 other Apple flops in the price? Then it's not so simple any more, is it? Unless you want to legislate against losses too?
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What would be so bad about that?
</dirty pinko commie>
It would make being innovative less attractive.
I also don't think margins are so easily calculated as people think. When you invest enormous amounts of capital and time into designing a new device, it's pretty hard to work out the true opportunity cost that they might have suffered by not just going for low margin mediocrity. I'm happy Apple have big margins because otherwise the things they make would probably never have been made at all, and we'd all be the poorer for it.
I also don't buy Apple products, probably partially because of those margins. But I still think the world would be a poorer place if they weren't around because of ideological bitterness about their very successful business model.
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I use my iPhone for: voice, text, email, contacts, music, Twitter, the (crappy) camera, maps/GPS and CycleMeter. Also, the Light Sabre app.
I might appreciate the GPS. Although I'm more tempted to just get a GPS, then my wife can use it too, it's not stuck in my pocket as my phone. Everything else I've got in one form or another, usually tailored for that use so consequently high quality and easy to use, and around when someone else wants to use it.
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Wouldn't you rather have a phone age gracefully rather than have it try and squeeze into the new operating system and end up like something from those "when cosmetic surgery goes wrong" shows?
Yup, my old Sony Ericsson still works despite being, shock, horror, over 7 years old. It does everything I've ever wanted in a phone - it takes and makes calls, txts, keeps phone numbers, and fits in my pocket. A bunch of stupid extras I thought I wanted are in there too, like internet access, bluetooth, camera, voice dialling etc. I'm sure I'll insist on having them for the next phone too, whatever that is, and I'm equally sure they will be as worthless as they ever were. If I could still get batteries for this phone, I'm inclined to think I'd never see the point in buying another phone. I don't upgrade my land line handset every 3 years either.
None of which is to say that iPhones aren't awesome. They're just awesome in ways I seem to not need or want.
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What's the going price for innovation, design and engineering?
Indeed. I probably won't get an iPad for a long time and don't own any other Apple products but I don't consider that them choosing their own margins to be especially exploitative. It's what businesses do, they choose a margin to make a profit to run their business. If that's a nice fat one, all power to them. I personally won't pay it, but I can see why people do.
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I always found ice cold water straightened me up.
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CRTs will never fit into that category, because there's nothing better than lead at being a radiation shield.
Gold? Imagine the wank value too.
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as Ben would no doubt point out.
It's enough that the idea was transmitted to you, clearly without loss.
But basic vocal commands are a different matter. I quite like the idea of saying "iPad: Shut up!" if the occasion demands.
Heh, I remember way, waaay back when such things were new and cool, it was a popular office joke to sneak up on the guy who used voice commands and yell out "Application, QUIT", and then see what words were captured by the software as he cursed at you.
I'm sure this device will be a little bit of the future. If the price is less, why not? As it stands, it's priced as a major appliance and needs either a large budget or a good excuse, but that will change, and probably reasonably soon.
Currently I can think of about 40 things that are cheaper that I'd rather have (my TradeMe watchlist is always a few pages). But bring it down to say $300 and we're talking the short list. 2 years?
No keyboard is a limitation, but the whole point of the device is not for composing, but reading. Looks good for that.
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Have second child arriving approx 6 weeks from now and I have to say Ben you are not selling it to me.
Bit late to take it all back, for both of us! But I could mention the upsides - two are twice as beautiful and wonderful as one, that much is definitely true, as you'll know in 6 weeks. It's just beauty and wonder that comes with a couple of years hard labor.
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I think this is what is meant by natural selection. If not for a naturally occurring selective memory, the species would be doomed.
LOL <gag>. You made me take my breakfast the wrong way, and now it's on the floor. Fortunately, these days, we have a 11 month old vacuum cleaner.
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