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Re:Google’s $179 Moto G puts every single cheap Android phon... by mpg33 on Saturday December 07, 2013 @04:46PM (#6867824)
macs are also a premium price compared to PC's....not sure how comparably this is
Re:Google’s $179 Moto G puts every single cheap Android phon... by JohnTHaller on Saturday December 07, 2013 @06:22PM (#6868163)
True, which is why Apple commands a relatively small share of the PC market and why the entire Mac desktop/laptop and OS X business is only about 12% Apple's total revenue (last I checked last year anyways).

The Moto G is $179 and is, honestly, quite a bit of phone. Compare that to the iPhone 5c which is $549, over 3 times the price. Macs are about as much of a premium over PCs (comparing entry level hardware costs, not equivalent builds, as that would be a lower multiple).

Realistically, Apple is setting themselves up for the same type of market share in the phone business they have in the PC business. Android is at 52.2% of the market and climbing in the US (where consumers are currently insulated from the actual cost of a phone though this is starting to change) and at over 80% and climbing internationally. It's looking like it will be Android in a position analogous to Windows in the smartphone market.

Re:Google’s $179 Moto G puts every single cheap Android phon... by rayiner on Saturday December 07, 2013 @11:41PM (#6868979)
Macs are a small part of Apple's revenues, but Apple is and has for awhile been pretty much the only company making substantial profits on laptops and PCs. Similarly, pretty much only Samsung makes big profits on Android, and Galaxy S4 is just as expensive as iPhone. They also have the advantage of vertical integration in manufacture.

Finally, Google doesn't make any money on Android. Key difference from Microsoft and Windows.

Re:Google’s $179 Moto G puts every single cheap Android phon... by kayoone on Monday December 09, 2013 @03:18AM (#6873334)
When i look onto Amazon, the S4 is still substantially cheaper than even the iPhone 5. 460 EUR vs 620 EUR in german amazon currently. iPhone 5S starts at 700 EUR
Re:Google’s $179 Moto G puts every single cheap Android phon... by mpg33 on Saturday December 07, 2013 @10:49PM (#6868881)
Yes, Apple did get an large share of the market simply by being first to the "fully-touch-screen phone market" with the first iPhone. It depends on how Apple views this. Will they start introducing sub $200 (no contract) products?

Personally I wouldn't buy a 5C over a 5S....

Re:Google’s $179 Moto G puts every single cheap Android phon... by _delirium on Saturday December 07, 2013 @06:12PM (#6868129)
Apple seems to be aiming to fill the cheaper price points with tablets. Their idea seems to be, $1k+ laptops, $300-$900 iPads.

Within those price points they're nowadays pretty reasonably priced. There used be a significant "mac tax" versus similarly specced PCs, but a MacBook Air or Pro these days compares pretty reasonably to the stuff Dell is putting out. If you want a dual i5 with 128 GB SSD and 8 hours of battery life, the Macbook Air's $999 price point is within the norm.

The main market they aren't competing in is sub-$1000 laptop form factors, like the Chromebooks. That seems to be less an unwillingness to compete on the low end, and more a disagreement over what it will look like: Google is betting on a netbook-esque form factor at ~$400, while Apple is betting on a tablet form factor in that price range.

Re:Google’s $179 Moto G puts every single cheap Android phon... by Macha on Saturday December 07, 2013 @05:05PM (#6867899)
And the Mac market share compared to PC market share shows which is far more dominant.
Re:Google’s $179 Moto G puts every single cheap Android phon... by lotsofpulp on Saturday December 07, 2013 @05:20PM (#6867954)
A sustainable business with larger profit margins is usually better to have than one with smaller profit margins. Also, a business with clients who have deeper pockets is better than a business dealing with those who have less disposable income.
Re:Google’s $179 Moto G puts every single cheap Android phon... by Touche on Saturday December 07, 2013 @11:21PM (#6868942)
Apple didn't become the most valuable company in the world on a strategy of niches though. And they won't stay there if they go that way.
Re:Google’s $179 Moto G puts every single cheap Android phon... by ido on Saturday December 07, 2013 @05:46PM (#6868043)
Apple vs Amazon models, both have their pros and cons.
Re:Google’s $179 Moto G puts every single cheap Android phon... by prodigal_erik on Saturday December 07, 2013 @08:46PM (#6868624)
Apple's strategy had them circling the drain for many years, with too little volume to build a decent supply chain and hit sane price points. They all but gave up on making open tools and moved down to crippled appliances, and even then I was honestly surprised they survived.
Re:Google’s $179 Moto G puts every single cheap Android phon... by eropple on Sunday December 08, 2013 @12:47AM (#6869089)
What you call "crippled appliances", other people call "things people want."
Re:Google’s $179 Moto G puts every single cheap Android phon... by glogla on Sunday December 08, 2013 @05:09AM (#6869399)
I don't really think so.

For iMac, this is pretty much true, you can get computer equivalent to 27" iMac (except for Mac OS and all-in-one construction), for a lot less money than 21" iMac.

But with laptops, you would be hard pressed to find something as good or better and at the same time less expensive than rMBP 13. With 15", the prices are about comparable, but looking at our local eshops, for the price of 13", you get thinkpad or elitebook with 1600*900 TN panel and rotary storage. That sucks.

Re:Google’s $179 Moto G puts every single cheap Android phon... by kayoone on Monday December 09, 2013 @03:48AM (#6873416)
i am actually not so sure about this. If you compare the recently released Haswell Dell XPS 15 to an 15" rMBP you will find a price difference of EUR 500 (in Germany) in favor of the Dell with very comparable specs. The Dell doesn't have PCIE SSD Storage (it has a mSATA SSD of the same size) but has a higher resolution QHD screen.

13 inch models aren't as easily comparable as the Dells don't offer a QHD display but feature a touchscreen. Also the SSDs seems to max out at 128GB, but still the Dells remain quite a bit cheaper.

Thinkpad/Elitebooks are usually lacking in cutting edge hardware in favor of stability and i think the MBP should be compared to premium consumer laptops like the XPS and HP Envy instead of thinkpads/elitebooks.

Dont get me wrong, id still favour Macbooks for various reasons, but you still seem to get more for less elsewhere.