3 ms·

It's not a Veblen good.

by homefree 2y ago

motorest 2y ago
> It's not a Veblen good. What do you think it is then?
- frontfor 2y ago
  This is an incredibly lazy comment. I think you and most people would agree on the immense utility of Apple products. There’s also no evidence that demand increases with price in MacBooks.
  - motorest 2y ago
    > This is an incredibly lazy comment. It isn't, and it's amusing how people get riled with a simple request to justify why dismissed someone else's opinion without presenting a single argument. > I think you and most people would agree on the immense utility of Apple products. They are consumer electronics, and laptop manufacturers are a dime a dozen. Why do you believe they are special in that regard? I mean, until recently they even shipped with a below-standard amount of RAM. > There’s also no evidence that demand increases with price in MacBooks. That's the definition of a Veblen good, something that is not known for being useful beyond serving as a status symbol.
    - brulard 2y ago
      > That's the definition of a Veblen good, something that is not known for being useful beyond serving as a status symbol. I don't think you understood the Veblen good definition. And MacBooks do not fit the definition. The parent comment explained it well.
- yard2010 2y ago
  It's mostly overpriced shit wrapped in a nice cellophane. I love it though and I believe there is no better alternative. Everything else is just the shit without the nice package.
  - motorest 2y ago
    > It's mostly overpriced shit wrapped in a nice cellophane. That's orthogonal to the concept of a Veblen good. A Veblen good can very much be shit wrapped in cellophane. The core trait of a Veblen good is that customers buy it as a status symbol. Also, being overpriced contributes to reduce the number of those who can afford to buy one.
    - lopkeny12ko 2y ago
      Apple products have always been status symbols and this Macbook is no different. One could easily put together a significantly more powerful Linux desktop for a lower price. This has always been the case, but Apple's marketing tries to convince you otherwise. Honestly, I've always been surprised by how effectively their marketing has misled the tech-savvy crowd on HN.
      - commandersaki 2y ago
        You can’t simply swap OSX for Linux. I heavily use accessibility tools that are just not comparable on Linux. These tools probably cost more than the laptop, even though Apple include it in the OS.
- petesergeant 2y ago
  I don’t think it’s possible to understand what a Veblen good is and also think that Apple makes them. Apple get a brand premium for sure, but a “Veblen good” is something specific, and Apple don’t make those.

It's not a Veblen good.

motorest 2y ago

> It's not a Veblen good. What do you think it is then?

frontfor 2y ago
This is an incredibly lazy comment. I think you and most people would agree on the immense utility of Apple products. There’s also no evidence that demand increases with price in MacBooks.
- motorest 2y ago
  > This is an incredibly lazy comment. It isn't, and it's amusing how people get riled with a simple request to justify why dismissed someone else's opinion without presenting a single argument. > I think you and most people would agree on the immense utility of Apple products. They are consumer electronics, and laptop manufacturers are a dime a dozen. Why do you believe they are special in that regard? I mean, until recently they even shipped with a below-standard amount of RAM. > There’s also no evidence that demand increases with price in MacBooks. That's the definition of a Veblen good, something that is not known for being useful beyond serving as a status symbol.
  - brulard 2y ago
    > That's the definition of a Veblen good, something that is not known for being useful beyond serving as a status symbol. I don't think you understood the Veblen good definition. And MacBooks do not fit the definition. The parent comment explained it well.
yard2010 2y ago
It's mostly overpriced shit wrapped in a nice cellophane. I love it though and I believe there is no better alternative. Everything else is just the shit without the nice package.
- motorest 2y ago
  > It's mostly overpriced shit wrapped in a nice cellophane. That's orthogonal to the concept of a Veblen good. A Veblen good can very much be shit wrapped in cellophane. The core trait of a Veblen good is that customers buy it as a status symbol. Also, being overpriced contributes to reduce the number of those who can afford to buy one.
  - lopkeny12ko 2y ago
    Apple products have always been status symbols and this Macbook is no different. One could easily put together a significantly more powerful Linux desktop for a lower price. This has always been the case, but Apple's marketing tries to convince you otherwise. Honestly, I've always been surprised by how effectively their marketing has misled the tech-savvy crowd on HN.
    - commandersaki 2y ago
      You can’t simply swap OSX for Linux. I heavily use accessibility tools that are just not comparable on Linux. These tools probably cost more than the laptop, even though Apple include it in the OS.
petesergeant 2y ago
I don’t think it’s possible to understand what a Veblen good is and also think that Apple makes them. Apple get a brand premium for sure, but a “Veblen good” is something specific, and Apple don’t make those.