4 ms·

Looks really nice, wish could afford it, but Apple products are so expensive... Commodity products for premium price

skadamat 2y ago
I usually like to buy these 1-2 years old off Craigslist / Marketplace and that's been a sweet spot for price and quality. Apple has always been about premium price and quality but I agree that it's not for everyone and their needs.
mezeek 2y ago
It's ok, lotsa people have the money for it.
auc 2y ago
Apple products are not commodity, because there is very little fungibility due to network effects. Maybe their hardware is commodity (arguable), but the product + integrations are not.
meroes 2y ago
Many of these devices aren’t actually fungible commodities though.I tried to buy a phone in the $200 range and Android phones were so much worse than used iPhones. I they would drop calls and freeze on the dial pad during long calls where I was on hold. Tried two different models and had the same issues. I could have tried a used $200 Android but I was not wanting to try for a third Android. All I wanted/needed was to make important calls. So I guess I don’t see them as commodities which implies fungibility.
- II2II 2y ago
  I realize that there are bad Androids out there and the abundance of choice makes it difficult to sift through the good and the bad, but there are good Android phones out there in the $200-$300 USD range. My current phone is a bit over three years old and it is still very usable.
  - dsissitka 2y ago
    Especially with companies like Motorola. The 2022 Edge cost $400 on release. A bit over a year later it was on sale for $140.
- lucb1e 2y ago
  > All I wanted/needed was to make important calls. Can I recommend you a 40€ phone? They've been making models that can do calls for a while now and they needn't cost as much as an Apple-branded device to do just that > they would drop calls and freeze on the dial pad during long calls Never heard that happen to anyone with any phone model. If you've ruled out some software-specific issue like a call recorder you've installed or so, that sounds borderline implausible. Then again, given the number of issues I experience with software (of any kind)...
  - macintux 2y ago
    Smartphones failing to make phone calls is not exactly an unknown concept. https://www.tomsguide.com/news/some-pixel-users-cant-dial-911-what-you-need-to-know https://www.tomsguide.com/news/some-pixel-users-cant-dial-91... https://www.slashgear.com/842545/why-antennagate-was-a-complete-disaster-for-apple/ https://www.slashgear.com/842545/why-antennagate-was-a-compl... https://www.online-tech-tips.com/android-phone-wont-make-calls-10-ways-to-fix/ https://www.online-tech-tips.com/android-phone-wont-make-cal...
JumpCrisscross 2y ago
What’s with the sour grapes? I can’t afford a Pagani. Doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the engineering.
- tommica 2y ago
  Not sure why you're calling me "sour grapes"? I only lamented the fact that I could not afford the thing
  - macintux 2y ago
    "Commodity products for premium price" definitely sounds like sour grapes. If the products are actually commodity, just buy something else.
  - accrual 2y ago
    I was curious what was meant by that too too, turns out it's a legitimate phrase in the dictionary: sour grapes, plural noun, disparagement of something that has proven unattainable > his criticisms are just sour grapes https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sour%20grapes https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sour%20grapes
geodel 2y ago
Its commodity you can buy from dozens of other vendors for much cheaper price.
- skywhopper 2y ago
  Uh, where can I buy a cheaper iPad?
  - lucb1e 2y ago
    And while we're at it, can someone finally tell me where people find cheap ferraris? I really want a car but they're just too expensive!
- dmitrygr 2y ago
  Then buy it there instead of complaining?
skywhopper 2y ago
They are hardly commodities. The build quality and lifetime of iPads is incredible compared to any other tablet I’ve ever used (typing this on a six year old iPad Pro that’s still going strong).
- macintux 2y ago
  I recently traded in my 5-year-old iPad Pro because it was badly banged up, and they still offered me ~$400 in trade-in value. Great iPads.
insane_dreamer 2y ago
True, but they last long enough that you can get them second hand, whereas used products from other vendors tend to be junk not worth spending money on even at a cheaper price point.
- lucb1e 2y ago
  Also when buying second hand, you pay for that premium brand
Findecanor 2y ago
There is a definite lack of worthy competitors to the iPad Mini in the market. Most other tablets are 10" or larger. The only other contemporary tablets I've found in that size have had very low-end specs in comparison.
- tommica 2y ago
  True - long time ago I had the "new ipad", and it was really, really nice - lasted me for years, until I could no longer update it.
hbn 2y ago
The iPad lineup starts at $350, and that's brand new, look used or refurbished and it becomes even cheaper. If that's too much for you, you'll be pressed to afford any computer.

I usually like to buy these 1-2 years old off Craigslist / Marketplace and that's been a sweet spot for price and quality. Apple has always been about premium price and quality but I agree that it's not for everyone and their needs.

mezeek 2y ago

It's ok, lotsa people have the money for it.

auc 2y ago

Apple products are not commodity, because there is very little fungibility due to network effects. Maybe their hardware is commodity (arguable), but the product + integrations are not.

meroes 2y ago

Many of these devices aren’t actually fungible commodities though.I tried to buy a phone in the $200 range and Android phones were so much worse than used iPhones. I they would drop calls and freeze on the dial pad during long calls where I was on hold. Tried two different models and had the same issues. I could have tried a used $200 Android but I was not wanting to try for a third Android. All I wanted/needed was to make important calls. So I guess I don’t see them as commodities which implies fungibility.

II2II 2y ago
I realize that there are bad Androids out there and the abundance of choice makes it difficult to sift through the good and the bad, but there are good Android phones out there in the $200-$300 USD range. My current phone is a bit over three years old and it is still very usable.
- dsissitka 2y ago
  Especially with companies like Motorola. The 2022 Edge cost $400 on release. A bit over a year later it was on sale for $140.
lucb1e 2y ago
> All I wanted/needed was to make important calls. Can I recommend you a 40€ phone? They've been making models that can do calls for a while now and they needn't cost as much as an Apple-branded device to do just that > they would drop calls and freeze on the dial pad during long calls Never heard that happen to anyone with any phone model. If you've ruled out some software-specific issue like a call recorder you've installed or so, that sounds borderline implausible. Then again, given the number of issues I experience with software (of any kind)...
- macintux 2y ago
  Smartphones failing to make phone calls is not exactly an unknown concept. https://www.tomsguide.com/news/some-pixel-users-cant-dial-911-what-you-need-to-know https://www.tomsguide.com/news/some-pixel-users-cant-dial-91... https://www.slashgear.com/842545/why-antennagate-was-a-complete-disaster-for-apple/ https://www.slashgear.com/842545/why-antennagate-was-a-compl... https://www.online-tech-tips.com/android-phone-wont-make-calls-10-ways-to-fix/ https://www.online-tech-tips.com/android-phone-wont-make-cal...

JumpCrisscross 2y ago

What’s with the sour grapes? I can’t afford a Pagani. Doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the engineering.

tommica 2y ago
Not sure why you're calling me "sour grapes"? I only lamented the fact that I could not afford the thing
- macintux 2y ago
  "Commodity products for premium price" definitely sounds like sour grapes. If the products are actually commodity, just buy something else.
- accrual 2y ago
  I was curious what was meant by that too too, turns out it's a legitimate phrase in the dictionary: sour grapes, plural noun, disparagement of something that has proven unattainable > his criticisms are just sour grapes https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sour%20grapes https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sour%20grapes

geodel 2y ago

Its commodity you can buy from dozens of other vendors for much cheaper price.

skywhopper 2y ago
Uh, where can I buy a cheaper iPad?
- lucb1e 2y ago
  And while we're at it, can someone finally tell me where people find cheap ferraris? I really want a car but they're just too expensive!
dmitrygr 2y ago
Then buy it there instead of complaining?

skywhopper 2y ago

They are hardly commodities. The build quality and lifetime of iPads is incredible compared to any other tablet I’ve ever used (typing this on a six year old iPad Pro that’s still going strong).

macintux 2y ago
I recently traded in my 5-year-old iPad Pro because it was badly banged up, and they still offered me ~$400 in trade-in value. Great iPads.

insane_dreamer 2y ago

True, but they last long enough that you can get them second hand, whereas used products from other vendors tend to be junk not worth spending money on even at a cheaper price point.

lucb1e 2y ago
Also when buying second hand, you pay for that premium brand

Findecanor 2y ago

There is a definite lack of worthy competitors to the iPad Mini in the market. Most other tablets are 10" or larger. The only other contemporary tablets I've found in that size have had very low-end specs in comparison.

tommica 2y ago
True - long time ago I had the "new ipad", and it was really, really nice - lasted me for years, until I could no longer update it.

hbn 2y ago

The iPad lineup starts at $350, and that's brand new, look used or refurbished and it becomes even cheaper. If that's too much for you, you'll be pressed to afford any computer.