I need to replace my iMac but Apple's options aren't suitable

TidBITS Talk
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Apple likes charging a premium for its products. This doesn’t mean they’re overpriced, but if Apple can’t find that delta, they’re not going to make a product. Otherwise, they’re just competing on price and when you do that, you’re just a commodity marketer.

I can buy a pretty decent display for under $300. For 1/2 of that, I can buy a decent display that will accurately display my desktop and display family photos. What can Apple do to compete against that?

The Airport router came out when there were few WiFi routers. It’s ability to link up with other Airport routers made it unique. I’ve got three in my house creating a single WiFi network. Mesh routers are around and sell for about $300 for a set of three. Installation is simple. What can an Airport router offer that would make someone pay $500 for three?

It’s actually surprising that AppleTVs are still around. At $180, it’s twice the price of a Roku and more than three times more than a Firestick. Now that Apple TV+ and AirPlay are included in many smart TVs, it’s really hard to justify that $180. Actually, I am genuinely shocked that they never combined the Apple TV with a HomePod. Smart Speaker/Premium quality sound bar/and streaming device rolled into one. That’s a delta!

NOTE: Delta is a marketing term created by Proctor and Gamble. It’s the small advantage your product has over its rival. It’s Creat with fluoride, Tide the first true laundry detergent, and Ivory soap’s 99 40/100% purity. It’s why you bought an iPod when there were plenty of other cheaper music players. It’s why two years after the introduction of the iPhone, Blackberry, Microsoft, and Palm all disappeared.

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Apple does like profits, but this depends upon what products you are comparing Apple’s products to. Measured against high end Swiss watches, Apple’s Watch is cheap. But it was, and is, more expensive than Fitbit. In Apple’s case, they are depending on repeat purchases as new software and hardware are released, as well as app and in app purchases. And Watch needs to be paired with an iPhone. So it turns out not to be so cheap in comparison to Swiss Watches or Fitbit and knockoffs.

And in just a few years, Apple Watch sales have inflicted serious damage to the sales of Swiss and smart watches across the globe. But the 14k gold Watch model, priced lower than the high end of Swiss watches, proved to be a disaster, and along with the Mac butterfly keyboard, probably contributed to Jony Ives’ exit from Apple.