Is Apple ripping us off?

hell yes they are ripping us off...it doesnt take more than 150 for all the parts and labor is prolly a few bucks on top of that than they sell it for 400 which is a huge profit margin...

damn straight...u know why because i can hahahahaha...i got sucked in by those crazy commercials and ads and everybody talking about it so i got one than i couldnt stop haha

It's called a free market.

Apple developed something. Someting proprietary, mind you. The accessory makers want to snap something onto that proprietary connector. They should pay Apple. Plain and simple.

If there was no iPod, none of these companies would have popped up. Or at least, their biggest selling items would never have been made.

If Apple wanted to discontinue iPods all together and make iPotatoPeelers, that's completely their right. These accessory makers' profits and companies would flounder and fail, until they made snap-ons for the iPotatoPeelers.

If you want to ride the tailgate of someone else, you ought to chip in some gas money.

is there any concrete evidence to suggest that apple removed the port solely to render all those acceessories obsolete?

it seems entirely possible that given the modified design specs of the new ipod (size, video capabilities, battery life), the port was a casualty of the new design.

just another thought, one a bit less conspiracy-minded. :)

I'm not sure that asking how many ipod accessory manufacturers would be around if they weren't making ipod accessories makes any sense, but I'm sure there would't be as many. I'm also sure that the ipod would not be as popular as it is now if there wern't as many, and apple would sell many millions fewer ipods each year. That is an absolute fact.

I'm also not questioning whether the ipod is a great product or not, becuase I think it is. Apple needs to make a profit. If it isn't profitable the doors close and the ipod goes away.

I guess what i'm wondering about is just how people feel about having to pay more ($10, $20, or more) for each accessory now because apple is directly "taxing" the 3rd-party vendors and indirectly every customer purchasing a dock-connected accessory. There's probably no advantage to the new accessories (there may be exceptions of course), but they cost more than they would otherwise because apple has increased everyone's costs except their own.

The ipod is good, but it's better because other manufacturers have made some great products too. I don't want to pay $40 or $50 (a 25% or more price increase) for a new itrip when the previous models could be purchased for $30. Another example: A JBL On Stage can be purchased for approximately $100 today (or less), but with apple's $ suction, you won't find it (or like product) below $110 or $120 because 10% of the gross goes right out of the manufacturers pocket and into Apple's. That's 10% less the manufacturer gets, and they have to raise their prices to make up for the loss of revenue. In this case, it's ipod accessory inflation, but it's still inflation just the same.

I support capitalism, but this is pure taxation IMO. I will probably buy a new ipod when the 80GB's come out (after everyone buys 60's for Christmas) so it's a fact of life I'll have to replace accessories. I just wish they didn't have to be replaced so Apple can siphon from everyone, that's all.

Originally posted by TheFly
It's called a free market.

If you want to ride the tailgate of someone else, you ought to chip in some gas money.

You do realize that you're the one "chipping in the gas money" don't you? :confused:

this is what i think:

people aren't going to stop buying accessories 'cause they have to pay 10% more. is it right? yes...no...it's billion-dollar-business. does it suck? i guess. but making up that $15 - $20 should be easy enough. at least, that's how i see it. if ________ makes _______ and i think it's worth my money, i won't have a problem paying another 10% to make sure the company doesn't go under. i'd rather not eat Wendy's twice to make up the difference.

i love a good conspiracy too. x-files fan here. :)

licensing is a simple fact of business, as has been pointed out in other posts, which I'm sure is obvious but i'll say it anyway. you go buy a $10 beatles T-shirt at Target, someone has paid the Beatles at some point to get that album art to put on the shirt. now that's a cheap shirt, so at some point, somewhere along the line, someone must have figured out a way to make the probably pricey license work for that price point of t-shirt.

i think it's the same with ipod accessories. i don't think it's necessarily as simple as "higher license, higher price." a smart company will find a way to incorporate the higher licensing fees into their current costs somehow, because raising the cost for a 5G accessory compared to its predecessors may not be smart business sense. you've said it yourself--you don't want to pay more for the same item that used to cost X amount of dollars. companies realize that and probably don't want to sell you that item for more since it will make you less likely to buy it.

i've always felt ipod accessories were overpriced, and I'm not even an ipod owner yet. when I do get one, my goal will be to do everything I want with the ipod in the cheapest way possible. i think the problem of overpriced ipod accessories is not just something that will happen because of this licensing increase, but instead is something that's been happening for a while, probably because manufacturers COULD charge a lot and get away with it. it's a tiny market, and it's aimed at people who have already proven they have lots of disposable income (they bought a dang $300 mp3 player). apple doesn't help when their own accessories are outrageously priced--$29 for a wall socket connector?!

Originally posted by yeahright
Please choose the appropriate forum for this topic. Thank you. I'm curious what others think about Apple releasing the new 5G without the "power" port on top. As many owners of prior-generation ipod models are finding out, many of the best existing accessories (remotes, microphones/recorders, small speakers, etc.) have been "outdated" by apple for what might appear to be no good reason.

Perhaps what people dont know is that apple removed the top power port (the "slot") not for any technical reason, but so they could extort $'s from 3rd party manufacturers making ipod complementary products.

You have proof of that? I didn't think so. It's one possibility, but could just as easily have been for design or technical reasons.

One of the reasons the ipod is so successful is because there are many reasonably priced 3rd-party accessories that improve its capabilities and functions. Apple has benefited from this enormously, but they either dont realize this (in a pigs eye) or they dont care (bingo). So what if people have to buy new accessories? Apple not only doesnt care, they want to force you to spend the money so they can siphon more money out of your wallet (Im putting this politely since Apple is really just a leech in this case).

I think you're confusing cause and effect here (to put it mildly). I suppose the ready availability of accessories might affect some people's decision to get an iPod, but it makes a lot more sense to say that there are so many accessories available because the iPod is so successful. If anyone is a leech in this scenario, it's the accessory manufacturers, leeching off the iPod's success.

The manufacturers helped him get where he and the ipod are today but Steve wants 10% of everyone's revenue for doing nothing. In effect, you are getting a lot less for your money because Apple (the leech) is sucking it off. We'll all be forced to pay the higher prices so Steve can buy another billion $ home somewhere. Gee, thanks Steve....

Anyway, I've heard no one discussing this and I'm surprised. Is no one concerned about what Apple has done. Is this "right" in everyone's eyes?

Just curious what you think. [/B]

Without the iPod, many of these manufacturers wouldn't exist at all, and most wouldn't be as successful as they are. Now I'm not privy to inside information about licensing agreements and so forth, and I suspect that you aren't either. Maybe 10% is fair, maybe it's not, but Apple is entitled to *something*.

I really doubt Apple took away the remote port just to "Screw accessory developers" / make them pay. The main reason would be size.

Look at the Nano, it's way too thin and they probably didn't have space to shove a remote port so close to the screen with the the other stuff underneath.

As for the 5G, I think a combination of :
Screen size, the screen is very close to the edges
Size - damn thin
Audio Quality - perhaps the remote port didn't leave enough space for larger / better sound components?

I'm sure they had some good reasons.

And as for Apple dominating the market etc, there is a reason why they dominate - because people buy their products. If people felt their products really WERE inferior, they would stop buying it. But they must be doing something right because they're still the number 1 player.

Apple's dominance will remain until they royally screw up, enough people believe they are getting screwed and decide to buy other products or, some company brings out some beyond anything you or i can think of. i see Apple screwing up before anything else.

6,450,000 iPods in the 4th quarter...damn

Originally posted by lip

Don't you all feel cheated that every year, Apple releases essentially the same product with one or two small features but still lacking some basic functionality?


What basic functionality is the iPod missing?

Originally posted by icruise
I think you're the exception to the rule. I would say that the great majority of iPod users don't use any third-party accessories at all (let's not include cases, since they don't add functionality).

Walking into the local bestbuy or futureshop with the walls of accessories would lead me to believe you are incorrect. Cases are a big portion however, but not the only accessorie that is big.

Originally posted by DarthAstuart
...you go buy a $10 beatles T-shirt at Target, someone has paid the Beatles at some point to get that album art to put on the shirt...

Target has Beatles shirts? Cool! Why doesn't Jobs pay royalties to the Beatles for using their Apple logo?

Originally posted by lip
-gapless playback
-*.ogg support (among others)
-radio
-on the fly playlists creation (ie. more than one and the ability to name it in the player)
-deletion of tracks in the player
-function to track track history *in* the player to allow you to play tracks based on usage and history. In general, there is not a lot of functionality or originality in the user interface options of the ipod...granted it's easy to use, but that is partly because there is not much there...

LIP

1 - eh...
2 - eh...
3 - no thanks...
4 - mmmm...it'd be alright, not a necessity, though
5 - that would be nice. that is one thing i want.
6 - eh...

i like that there's not much there and it's hard to please everyone. there are other players on the market that have some of those functions...that's why others argue that iPods aren't the end-all, be-all of DAPs. and that's why i stuck with Appl and the iPod (Nano)

Apple stock, 2yr:

http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=AAPL&t=2y

I guarantee the accessories providers are not complaining about it too much either. They get to sell you a new version of what you already bought also.

All companies are doing it. It seems like everytime I get a new cell phone (from the same provider) I have to buy new accessories for it also. Same deal different equipment.

Generally, i think this:
Accessories that go through the dock connecter usually have more features, because of the fact that the dock connector has more connectivity options. but still, the apple remote and the old itrip were more convenient when they were on the top. if you think apple are greedy, microsoft have been doing it for years.

There have been some good agruements here, both for and against...but after all is said and done, if you don't like it, if you feel you are being ripped off DON'T BUY! Did someone force you to buy the ipod?
The funniest was that goof that complained about the product, then retorted that he buys, "because he can..." What? If you could afford it, why are you crying about it now?
It is Apple's prerogative how they want to charge "leecher" companies that wish to make a buck off of their back, or top as it were...

Originally posted by lip
That's my opinion...if Apple continues to be so dominant, doing things like removing options will only be the start...
LIP
You are right.

Of COURSE, if you are the ONLY game in town, increasing your profit margin is just the capitalistic thing to do.

The fault is not Apple's, as any business would do the same. It's the OTHER GUYS, who have failed miserably to come out with a player we want to buy AND keep. Incompetent fools.

i LOVE my ipod and apple's products, but they DO find their way to make more money

for example, they no longer include the USB hub with the ipods. also, after a certain period of time, if you call tech support, they'll charge you a whopping 50 BUCKS per question !!!!!! YIKES!!!!!!

i know

you'd think after we spent hundreds of dollars on their devices, the least they could do would be to answer a question

I see a whole new line of accesories for the G5 that plug into the A/V port and the bottom port.

Larger screens, wireless transmitters, docks and a myriad of other devices are still possible even without the top port. So leave you Itrip on the Ipod it was purchased for and wait for the manufacturers to bring their new toys to market.

As for the royalties for addons, well lets see what happens. If they are too expensive and the sales go down you can bet there will be some creative solutions to avoid the extra expense.