Obscene iPad Pro pricing

[sracer]

I would NEVER pay more than 700 to 800 euros max for an iPad. Just don't buy it unless you really need it for your work and productivity. Apple must understand that they can't keep the price hike madness without retaliation from the public...

Apple understands.... they understand that the whinging and complaining that is currently taking place over prices is only temporary and won't result in any noticeable change to their revenue.

The number of people who were actually going to buy these products but don't because of the prices are little more than a rounding-error on their financial balance sheet.

 

[JohnnyGo]

Folks complain about the sky high prices, but always jump on the highest end models. Honestly, the regular iPad is a state of the art tablet, with excellent Retina display, fast processor, and reasonably priced for the quality and functionality.

What's happening here is the usual tier marketing strategy of any product. Pull people incrementally into the highest and most expensive category by making them feel they must have it. It's not only Apple to blame here, but the nature of people's egos and often inaccurate idea of what they need.

My guess is that Apple will release a new iPad in 2019 (April ?) with the A11 and 3GB Ram (instead of the current A9 and 2Gb Ram). No face id, same 9.7” screen, maybe smaller bezels, better camera system. Pricing may go to $349 or $399 depending on the size of the update.

It would be great, but I wouldn’t bet on it, if they release a new iPad mini with the same characteristics as above for $299. 32Gb base with option to go to 128Gb for $50 more (like iphone XR)

 

[danny1305]

I would NEVER pay more than 700 to 800 euros max for an iPad. Just don't buy it unless you really need it for your work and productivity. Apple must understand that they can't keep the price hike madness without retaliation from the public...

Apple makes an iPad WELL within your price range. You dont HAVE to get the Pro model, you just want it. I believe Apple is doing just fine...hence them continuously being at the top of most profitable companies.

 

[Richard8655]

My guess is that Apple will release a new iPad in 2019 (April ?) with the A11 and 3GB Ram (instead of the current A9 and 2Gb Ram). No face id, same 9.7” screen, maybe smaller bezels, better camera system. Pricing may go to $349 or $399 depending on the size of the update.

It would be great, but I wouldn’t bet on it, if they release a new iPad mini with the same characteristics as above for $299. 32Gb base with option to go to 128Gb for $50 more (like iphone XR)

You mean current A10 chip. But I hear what you're saying.

 

[bunce66]

I suggest you wait 11 months, then buy the same model second-hand after the new one comes out. Surely it will be at least 25% off the current price.

I love my iPad Air 2, and I was hoping to upgrade to the new iPad Pro.

I am able to afford the tablet and I don't mind paying an Apple 'premium' because I know it will pay itself back in terms of reliability, resale value and what not.

However, for me, the recent iPad Pro price points cross over into the 'obscene'.

Over here in the UK the 128Gb / 8Gb Surface Go was available last weekend with a keyboard for £509. The iPad Pro (256Gb / 4Gb with Smart Keyboard Folio, which I think is a fair comparison) comes to a whopping £1098.

That's over double the price for a 'computer' with a crippled OS. If I knew it would be a good future investment because Apple is planning a major overhaul of iOS I may be persuaded.

Does anyone else find it impossible to justify purchasing Apple products anymore?

 

[tgara]

I think it depends on the state, and the company. Only within the last year or two did my state start charging taxes on amazon purchases, so now Amazon is forced to collect them for the state. But if I purchase from B&H (as of now) there will be no sales taxes collected, and my state would be none the wiser of the transaction, nor a means to collect them. So if you're saying it is something we should be claiming on our tax forms during tax season, then I believe a whole lot of purchases are bypassing the system, and the government doesnt seem to be chasing all of these down. I think your statement is more true for state registered items, such as vehicles and property purchased from within other states.

Here's the law in your state:

If you purchased goods from out-of-state companies for use in Louisiana and were not properly charged Louisiana sales tax, Louisiana Revised Statute 47:302(K) requires you to pay a Consumer Use Tax directly to the Louisiana Department of Revenue.

Individuals in Louisiana are responsible for paying use tax on an out-of-state purchase when the item purchased is subject to the Louisiana sales tax and the retailer making the sale does not collect sales tax on the sale. Items that are subject to sales tax include computers, other electronic equipment, canned software, books, audio, video tapes, compact discs, records, clothing, appliances, furniture, other home furnishings, sporting goods, jewelry, etc. Out-of-state retailers include mail-order catalogs, television shopping networks, firms selling over the internet, retailers located outside Louisiana, etc.

http://www.revenue.louisiana.gov/ConsumerUseTax

You can dismiss paying the tax, but just hope you don't get audited.

 

[B.A.T]

If an iPad Pro costs too much for your budget then buy one of these.

 

[willentrekin]

This is the real enigma of the new IPP. The hardware is truly awesome - the benchmark performance blows away many laptops. Apple SOC engineering is really unmatched. If they could only put it to use with software that can exploit it!

Really curious: what exactly are you trying to do on the new Pro that you currently can't?

It seems to be a running theme that iOS is the limitation, but I've mainly seen that expressed as complaints that users can't use a mouse (?), or run 17 windows at once.

 

[zhenya]

Really curious: what exactly are you trying to do on the new Pro that you currently can't?

It seems to be a running theme that iOS is the limitation, but I've mainly seen that expressed as complaints that users can't use a mouse (?), or run 17 windows at once.

Have two spreadsheets or two word documents open side by side.

Have good access to the file sharing service that our company uses. (Yes, this is partially because their app is not as up to date as other services, but this is also an iOS problem - my access to files depends on multiple independent developers updating their apps).

Easily zip/unzip files. (Again, possible, but I need yet again, another file manager app to do this)

Select text reliably and easily. Even without a mouse I'd be happy if the text selection worked reliably. It does not. Sometimes the cursor disappears entirely. Often you can't select the last couple of characters of a row. When you switch quickly between apps, the app in focus may lose the cursor or lose the cursor position.

Know, without a doubt, that my work is not going to be flushed from a web page because iOS decided it needed that RAM for something else.

Link directly to a deeply nested folder. Every time I switch apps and need to work from that folder I need to navigate through the entire folder hierarchy.

These are just a few things from very simple office-tasks that I've attempted in the last few days alone.

 

[digitalcuriosity]

I suggest you wait 11 months, then buy the same model second-hand after the new one comes out. Surely it will be at least 25% off the current price.

And in the case of the new 2018 iPadPro,even buying the older 2017 iPad Pro at it's original price is a better move IMHO.

For what Apple is giving the buyers of the 2018 iPadPros, for the extra $200US price jump is not enough to merit buying one.

 

[zhenya]

And in the case of the new 2018 iPadPro,even buying the older 2017 iPad Pro at it's original price is a better move IMHO.

For what Apple is giving the buyers of the 2018 iPadPros, for the extra $200US price jump is not enough to merit buying one.

That's an entirely personal decision based on how much $200 means to you.

The larger screen that is more pleasing to look at (and really, an iPad is all about its screen), the more convenient and more comfortable pencil, the better keyboard folio design, the usb-c connection are all things I interact with every day that will make the $200 price difference insignificant over the lifespan of the device.

 

[digitalcuriosity]

That's an entirely personal decision based on how much $200 means to you.

The larger screen that is more pleasing to look at (and really, an iPad is all about its screen), the more convenient and more comfortable pencil, the better keyboard folio design, the usb-c connection are all things I interact with every day that will make the $200 price difference insignificant over the lifespan of the device.

Then Apple really should have given the new pencil and Keyboard folio to the buyers without charging more for what was a already a great price jump.

 

[richpjr]

Have two spreadsheets or two word documents open side by side.

Have good access to the file sharing service that our company uses. (Yes, this is partially because their app is not as up to date as other services, but this is also an iOS problem - my access to files depends on multiple independent developers updating their apps).

Easily zip/unzip files. (Again, possible, but I need yet again, another file manager app to do this)

Select text reliably and easily. Even without a mouse I'd be happy if the text selection worked reliably. It does not. Sometimes the cursor disappears entirely. Often you can't select the last couple of characters of a row. When you switch quickly between apps, the app in focus may lose the cursor or lose the cursor position.

Know, without a doubt, that my work is not going to be flushed from a web page because iOS decided it needed that RAM for something else.

Link directly to a deeply nested folder. Every time I switch apps and need to work from that folder I need to navigate through the entire folder hierarchy.

These are just a few things from very simple office-tasks that I've attempted in the last few days alone.

All of these things, along with read/write access to external drives. I know the counter argument is use a laptop, and I have to. But. It would be nice to be able to use a single device instead of having to bring/use two different devices.

 

[tgara]

Really curious: what exactly are you trying to do on the new Pro that you currently can't?

It seems to be a running theme that iOS is the limitation, but I've mainly seen that expressed as complaints that users can't use a mouse (?), or run 17 windows at once.

This is true, people complain about seeming edge cases. That said, my guess is that there will likely be some significant software updates to iOS, particularly for the iPad, in 2019. Hopefully it won't be just emoji, memoji, and augmented reality things. I'd like to see a better file system, and more capabilities with office-related tasks. That's what I use the iPad for primarily.

 

[digitalcuriosity]

All of these things, along with read/write access to external drives. I know the counter argument is use a laptop, and I have to. But. It would be nice to be able to use a single device instead of having to bring/use two different devices.

I don't ever see a tablet replacing a laptop, if you made the needed changes to a tablet to make it work as a laptop, it would become a Ipadlappod if you get where i am going.
Most people buy the tablets to hold in their hands, and do many things they don't want to do using their laptops.

 

[sonicrobby]

Here's the law in your state:

http://www.revenue.louisiana.gov/ConsumerUseTax

You can dismiss paying the tax, but just hope you don't get audited.

Interesting, I can almost guarantee that no one pays taxes that arent already collected No one that I know of anyway.

 

[tgara]

Interesting, I can almost guarantee that no one pays taxes that arent already collected No one that I know of anyway.

That may change soon. Last term the Supreme Court gave the OK for states to collect sales tax from out-of-state retailers. In the wake of that decision, I got a note from B&H just this week, stating that they will begin to collect sales tax on shipments to my state effective December 4, 2018. I would not be surprised at all to see other states impose similar rules, so be prepared to see sales taxes tacked onto your purchases from B&H.

 

[sonicrobby]

That may change soon. Last term the Supreme Court gave the OK for states to collect sales tax from out-of-state retailers. In the wake of that decision, I got a note from B&H just this week, stating that they will begin to collect sales tax on shipments to my state effective December 4, 2018. I would not be surprised at all to see other states impose similar rules, so be prepared to see sales taxes tacked onto your purchases from B&H.

Yeah I was aware of that ruling. But that's how it should be if the state wants to collect taxes. To rely on everyone to keep a record of all out of state purchases made, calculate the sales tax, claim it on a tax form, and then pay it is just too naive to think as a possible reality. Tax forms are complicated enough as they are now, so if the government wants to collect out of state sales tax, they do need to look to the companies to collect, not us.

 

[digitalcuriosity]

Yeah I was aware of that ruling. But that's how it should be if the state wants to collect taxes. To rely on everyone to keep a record of all out of state purchases made, calculate the sales tax, claim it on a tax form, and then pay it is just too naive to think as a possible reality. Tax forms are complicated enough as they are now, so if the government wants to collect out of state sales tax, they do need to look to the companies to collect, not us.

My state wanted the on line sales taxs paid when you filed your state taxs each year, i had not needed to file a Fed or state tax statement in the past 12+ years, so it was a non issue now the seller collects the tax and sends it to my state.

 

[richpjr]

I don't ever see a tablet replacing a laptop, if you made the needed changes to a tablet to make it work as a laptop, it would become a Ipadlappod if you get where i am going.
Most people buy the tablets to hold in their hands, and do many things they don't want to do using their laptops.

The point was never that tablets and laptops aren't different or used for different things, but rather with some enhancements to iOS, the tablet could be much more useful for a lot of people without ruining the tablet experience.

 

[digitalcuriosity]

The point was never that tablets and laptops aren't different or used for different things, but rather with some enhancements to iOS, the tablet could be much more useful for a lot of people without ruining the tablet experience.

What Apple wants is if the iPads are not what you need then buy a Mac.

 

[DNichter]

What Apple wants is if the iPads are not what you need then buy a Mac.

It actually makes much more long term sense to get their users using iOS devices exclusively, considering it's a locked ecosystem, with a ton of app store revenue. I think they understand that the Mac is still very important to a small segment of users and won't abandon it by any means, but their long term goal is to push the bulk of their users to iOS.

 

[sparksd]

If Apple would have released some sort of roadmap it would give me more confidence to buy it.

For me personally I would like to see support for iOS development in Xcode on iPad, or the promise of premium games that use the alleged power 'equivalent to the XBox One S' and run exclusively on iPad Pro. They could work with games publishers to achieve that, easily.

Or some sort of reassure that they plan to capitalize on the power of that chip beyond photographer / graphic designer workflows.

I worked for a very large corporation and we had a major high-tech vendor (for whom we were the largest customer) come in and show us their road map under an NDA. We bought into it and incorporated their products into the large (multi-billion dollar) system we were developing for NATO. The vendor never followed through on their road map. I see road maps as zero-value "promises" that you had best not count on.

 

[AutomaticApple]

It actually makes much more long term sense to get their users using iOS devices exclusively, considering it's a locked ecosystem, with a ton of app store revenue.

That’s a smart tactic!

 

[willentrekin]

Have two spreadsheets or two word documents open side by side.

Have good access to the file sharing service that our company uses. (Yes, this is partially because their app is not as up to date as other services, but this is also an iOS problem - my access to files depends on multiple independent developers updating their apps).

Easily zip/unzip files. (Again, possible, but I need yet again, another file manager app to do this)

Select text reliably and easily. Even without a mouse I'd be happy if the text selection worked reliably. It does not. Sometimes the cursor disappears entirely. Often you can't select the last couple of characters of a row. When you switch quickly between apps, the app in focus may lose the cursor or lose the cursor position.

Know, without a doubt, that my work is not going to be flushed from a web page because iOS decided it needed that RAM for something else.

Link directly to a deeply nested folder. Every time I switch apps and need to work from that folder I need to navigate through the entire folder hierarchy.

These are just a few things from very simple office-tasks that I've attempted in the last few days alone.

Given this list, and the other mention of external drive access, I'm confused why you want an iPad for all this. It doesn't seem like a tablet would be the best tool for deeply nested folders, or two spreadsheets side by side, e.g.

It sounds like you just want a laptop but without a keyboard, or a detachable keyboard? To run out-of-date software?

You call these office-tasks, but the iPad strikes me as a decidedly non-office device.