Hi All! I just want to add to this discussion as someone who lived in the US for 17 years...
Darren makes an excellent point. The advertised prices in the USA EXCLUDE state GST which (in the state of Florida) is 6.5% but in other states can get as high as 13%. In the US, when a product is on the shelf, the price marked doesn't include GST; it gets added on at the point of sale. Online purchases have mostly been tax free (if the item is shipped to a different state than the vendor) but that is slowly changing as more and more US states are requiring tax be paid to them for items shipped into their state. Some states have 0% GST, so you won't necessarily pay more, but you will most likely unless you choose to travel to a GST free state. As for the cost disparity between the US and Australia, that exists with every kind of computer equipment, regardless of manufacturer, as well as books, CDs, food, cars, petrol, and a variety of other items. (Example: Mass Market Paperbacks in the USA $5.99; in Australia $17.99. If you take into account currency exchange, the cost should be about $14...not $18.) That being said we pay about 10% of what folks in the USA pay for education, health, medicines, and training. I did the math once; what I was overpaying for my luxuries I was saving on my essentials. :-). Regards, Nathalie On 8/1/02 9:47 AM, "Darren Kam" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Apparently the higher prices of Apple equipment here in Australia has hit a > nerve. :) > > Surely the US price includes all their taxes etc... thus I don't really > think that Apple Australia should slug a further 10% on top of that. Sure, > factor in the GST, but factor it in based on the cost price of the iMac, not > the US retail price. > > I agree that the freight costs are more, but 6% per person? That's a pretty > hefty additional cost (I don't know how many macs were sold in Aust last > year, but if you charged an additional 6% on each one, you're bound to cover > costs of advertising + profit + free donuts for Apple staff) Makes you want > to study or work for Apple so you can get a discount. :) > > Oh, and the bigger screened iBook and having Mac OS X as the default OS has > somehow all been pushed aside in favour of the new iMac. :) I am very > surprised there was no mention of speed bumped PowerMacs though - the top > end iMac gets pretty close to having the same power as a QuickSilver > PowerMac. Congrats to Apple for putting a G4 in the iMacs though! > > -----Original Message----- > > PS: Having just watched the webcast the really big news for me is that Apple > have thrown the switch and Mac OS X is now *THE* Apple operating system! How > come no one made much mention of that? >
