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From: davoli@natinst.com (Russell Davoli)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc,comp.sys.mac.hardware,comp.sys.mac.system
Subject: Re: Mac IIsi for sale...
Message-ID: <17358@natinst.natinst.com>
Date: 14 Dec 90 15:38:18 GMT
References: <36714@cup.portal.com> <5350@crystal9.UUCP> <1990Dec13.035030.27241@bagend.uucp>
Followup-To: comp.sys.mac.misc
Distribution: usa
Organization: National Instruments, Austin, TX
Lines: 26

In article <1990Dec13.035030.27241@bagend.uucp>, jan@bagend.uucp (Jan Isley) writes:
> Now, before you go jumping on me for putting apple down, take a deep
> breath for each percent of the cost of macs that is pure profit.  By the
> time you finish, you will have forgotten why you were upset at me.
>
> Jan Isley  jan@bagend  {known universe}!gatech!bagend!jan  (404)434-1335

We keep hearing this kind of stuff on the net every time someone mentions
any other computing platform, usually in relation to something people are
religious about, like the NeXT.  Does anybody know or has heard rumors
(like for MacWeek) about what Apple's profit margin really is?  If I
remember what little economics I've had, you've got to expect a company to
make something like at least 15-20% or else the owners could just as well
put their money into investments earning 10-12%.

Now, I'm not necessarily defending Apple's practices, but there are economic
realities to capitalism.  For that matter, does anyone have any idea what
NeXT's profit margins are?  If they have low margins on the new machines,
I wouldn't expect them to stay around in the long run, despite how great
the machines sound (I haven't seen one, only read about them).

Russell Davoli
National Instruments

Disclaimer: My opinions are my own and don't necessarily reflect those of
  my employers.