Asus EEEPC

[Garbz]

I have a suspicion that somebody in Lenevo is milking the market and that somebody in Apple is also milking the market.

Really?

What you have said so far is all basic economics. The other half of the economics is what the market is prepared to pay. As long as consumers fork out for the expensive crap companies produce the cost will remain high. When the consumers dissapear companys can actually make more money by reducing the retail price to increase their sales volume.

Lenovos aren't necessarily cheap because they are designed in china, they have to pay back the costs of buying the entire business from IBM, everyone outsources to china the cost is the same. Don't confuse the underpaid chinese workforce on the production line with the rich product design team.

 

[adolan20]

I'm not too fond of Macs. Not because they're OS, I actually like their OS much better, it's just the fact that I have to pay for a laptop that is $2000 which is basically the same hardware wise as a $800 Windows laptop. So basically, I am paying $1200 for just the OS, and a few pounds lighter.

 

[Rhys]

I'm not too fond of Macs. Not because they're OS, I actually like their OS much better, it's just the fact that I have to pay for a laptop that is $2000 which is basically the same hardware wise as a $800 Windows laptop. So basically, I am paying $1200 for just the OS, and a few pounds lighter.

This is the problem Apple has...

Do they go fully PC compatible and sell solely OSs or do they sell computers at a premium, keeping the price high to maintain exclusivity and image? If they did the former, how many O/Ss would they sell? OSX is better than Vista because Vista is so new. Is OSX better than XP? It's a close call to the end user although as a former programmer I know OSX has advantages over XP.

You can buy a Mac and run Windows or OSX or you can buy a PC and run solely Windows.

 

[usayit]

Like it or not.... its the nature of business in the America. You are free to sell something for as much as you can... the market will decide if you are asking too much.

It is working for Apple as they have a following of happy users (me included) and a thriving business to prove it. I like to say that Macs are not expensive, its just that everyone else is so cheap (you get what you pay for).

One could say that the same thing for all those who commute in expensive Mercedes... to me they are hardly worth it... in other places they are used as taxis. It is essentially the same as any other car (body, doors, chairs, engine etc..) at several times the cost and still provides the same service too (getting from A to B).

You say that you like the OS but don't want to pay for the hardware? Well.. I'd like that nice smooth Porsche boxster engine in a Miata at the Miata's price point. The price for admission IS the entire Porsche not a portion. As is the price of admission for Mac IS the entire package not a portion.

 

[usayit]

Seriously... Look at it like this...

A shirt made of American cotton grown by American farmers in America, harvested by American workers (not illegal immigrants), baled, spun and woven by American workers then sold in American shops will be much more expensive than a shirt made of indian cotton, grown by Indian workers in India then shipped to America and sold in American shops.

All the labour intensive stuff is done overseas and the parts sourced overseas. The Chinese make the electronic components, put the electronic components together with Chinese labour. We all know that the average Chinaman lives and works for a week on less than the price of a cup of coffee from Starbucks. So where are the savings? Why are Lenevos (designed, built from Chinese made parts in China using Chinese cheap labour) so horribly expensive?

I am not sold by all this outsourcing to China on the basis that the price of goods has not reduced accordingly. I pay the more now (counting inflation) for items that are made in China that I was paying before for items not made in China. There is no knock-on saving for the consumer although the goods are now of more dubious quality.

The economics are that stuff made in China and shipped is cheaper. I have a suspicion that somebody in Lenevo is milking the market and that somebody in Apple is also milking the market.

Its also cheaper to import razors than it is to make it here in the US.... keep in mind we were one of the top steel producers in the world not too long ago.

In regards to China...
People must understand that China's economics do not necessarily abide and play by the same rules as it is here in the US. China's economy and business is heavily controlled by the Chinese government. Please note, it is not regulated but CONTROLLED. Free market economy just doesn't play by the same rules. Wages/earnings/profits are not set by the market. They are simply decided and set. A huge chunk of what we buy in the US is made in China but I assure you the typical household income of China doesn't follow suit. It is to the best interest of the Chinese government to keep labor cheap... very cheap... they do so by their authority.. they do so artificially regardless of supply, demand, or market. Even their currency was kept competitive with the US dollar by being tied to the dollar. It is an extremely powerful political move.... and it is working.. American business are playing into it.


If you took the most brilliant American business minds and placed totally control of the US economy and business infrastructure under a single company/control, the US would be an unbeatable force in the world market. The problem is the civil liberty and freedoms that would have to be sacrificed in order to accomplish that feat.

 

[usayit]

btw.. I was at the Microcenter the other day to take a look at the eepc. I could not imagine trying to do photo editing on that thing. It makes for a wonderful "access point" for the web and such.. but thats about it.

for extra storage on the road.. use an image tank.

For editing.. you are still better off on a decent machine with a calibrated display.


By the way... aren't solid state laptop drives now available. Wouldn't it make sense to just install one in a laptop or buy a new laptop with one installed?

 

[Rhys]

I have a feeling you're right about it being handy for on the road uses. I looked at that basically because I'm thinking of taking a couple of 8 hour flights and wanted something to play with on the way. Having said that, at $400 as they seemingly can't be used for photo editing, this is a non-starter - too expensive for maybe 5 hours total use. I'd be better playing the same boring old games on my PDA and using my normal computers. I wasn't planning to take my laptop with me, flying. It's just too big a chunk out of the carry-on allowance.