Path: utzoo!yunexus!geac!syntron!jtsv16!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!mailrus!uwmcsd1!lakesys!macak From: macak@lakesys.UUCP (Jim Macak) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac Subject: Apple Gets Greedier (Read it and Weep!) Summary: Apple Increases Prices! Keywords: Apple, Mac, Prices, Rip-off Message-ID: <1018@lakesys.UUCP> Date: 13 Sep 88 02:31:42 GMT Article-I.D.: lakesys.1018 Reply-To: macak@lakesys.UUCP (Jim Macak) Distribution: na Organization: Lake Systems - Milwaukee, WI Lines: 97 In a news release entitled "Prices Increased on Some Products," Apple announced today (Sept. 12, 1988) that it will boost prices, _effective immediately_, on most of its CPUs, monitors, external drives and printers. Here we sit, many of us clamoring for a more reasonable pricing structure for Macintosh products, and good old greedy Apple takes the opposite approach, and _increases_ prices! In the news release, Apple blames the price increases on increasing "component costs and changing global market conditions." Charles M. Boesenberg, who is the Apple USA senior vice president of sales and marketing, is quoted in the news release. He states, "Industry developments have prompted Apple to reprice some of our products so they are more in line with today's market realities." Boesenberg goes on to claim, "To continue fulfilling the increasingly high demand for our products, we are required to pursue more costly channels for dynamic random access memory (DRAM) acquisition, thereby increasing the component costs of our products. Boesenberg continues, "While we resisted these moves as long as possible-- limiting previous price increases to memory expansion kits--current conditions make it necessary for us to reprice selected other products as well." Seems to me Apple is getting yet more greedy in its old age. Take a look at the new prices listed below. Some increases are indeed in products that contain DRAM. Other increases are in products _without any DRAM_. Boesenberg attempts to lay the blame on the DRAM market, even though DRAM prices have already peaked and have indeed fallen lately. Besides, how the heck can one come up with the excuse of increasing DRAM prices when Apple raises the price of the AppleColor RGB Monitor by $100, or the Apple 3.5 Drive by $30? Neither product contains significant DRAM (if any at all)! Give us a break, Charles, and admit that Apple wants to fatten its profits even further. Another blow against "the computer for the rest of us." ---------- APPLE PRODUCTS, SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICES THE PRICE CHANGES SHOWN BELOW ARE IN EFFECT SEPTEMBER 12,1988 September 12,1988 Previous New Suggested Suggested Retail Retail Product Description Price Price M5900 Macintosh SE CPU 2769.00 3169.00 M5084/C Macintosh SE CPU w/Apple Keyboard 2898.00 3298.00 M5085/C Macintosh SE CPU w/Ext. Keyboard 2998.00 3398.00 M5910 Macintosh SE HD 20 CPU 3569.00 3769.00 M5083/C Macintosh SE HD 20 CPU w/Apple Keyboard 3698.00 3898.00 M5086/C Macintosh SE HD 20 CPU w/Ext. Keyboard 3798.00 3998.00 M5333 Macintosh II CPU 3769.00 4869.00 M7002/C Macintosh II CPU w/Apple Keyboard 3898.00 4998.00 M7000/C Macintosh II CPU w/Apple Ext. Keyboard 3998.00 5098.00 M5430 Macintosh II Hard Disk 40 CPU 5369.00 6169.00 M7003/C Macintosh II HD 40 CPU w/Apple Keyboard 5498.00 6298.00 M7001/C Macintosh II HD 40 CPU w/Ext. Keyboard 5598.00 6398.00 M5410 Macintosh II HD 40/4 CPU 7269.00 8069.00 M5328 Macintosh II HD 40/4 CPU w/Apple Keyboard 7398.00 8198.00 M5338 Macintosh II HD 40/4 CPU w/Ext. Keyboard 7498.00 8298.00 A2P6024 Apple IIGS 512K CPU 999.00 1149.00 A2M6021 AppleColor Composite Monitor IIe 379.00 399.00 A2M6017 Apple Monochrome Monitor IIe 129.00 159.00 A2M6016 Apple Monochrome Monitor 129.00 159.00 A2M6020 AppleColor Composite Monitor 379.00 399.00 A2M6014 AppleColor RGB Monitor 499.00 599.00 A9M0106 Apple 3.5 Drive 399.00 429.00 A9M0107 Apple 5.25 Drive 299.00 329.00 A2M2058 Apple II 256K Memory Expansion Kit 69.00 159.00 A2B6002 Apple IIGS Memory Expansion Card 129.00 229.00 M6005 LaserWriter IINTX 1MB Memory Exp. Kit 349.00 499.00 M6006 LaserWriter IINTX 4MB Memory Exp. Kit 1699.00 2399.00 M6210 LaserWriter IINT w/Toner & Letter Cassette 4599.00 4999.00 M6215 LaserWriter IINTX w/Toner & Letter Cassette 6599.00 6999.00 M6009 LaserWriter IINT Controller Card 2099.00 2699.00 M6004 LaserWriter IINTX Controller Card 4299.00 4699.00 ---------- As you can see, the Mac Plus CPU, the Apple //e CPU, and the LaserWriter IISC are not listed. The prices for these products remain the same. Gee, thanks a whole lot for your consideration, Apple. Jim -- >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Jim --> macak@lakesys.UUCP (Jim Macak) {Standard disclaimer, nothin' fancy!} >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<