Velo Vol 

What have we learned in this thread?

Homebrew01

I think there's a net loss of knowledge.

guadzilla

Actually, most audiophiles listen to test tones and "reference CDs" in a continuous effort to try to improve the sound from their systems. Music falls by the wayside. I know, cos I went through that phase for a short while. As proof, I point to the existence of Reference Recordings, the CD label.

V.

kleinboogie

Metrigear is finding out that releasing a physical product is hard. I do commend them for trying something new and sharing their progress. I still have my PT and am buying a CinQo so when they get their act together, I believe next year, I'll take a look at Rev. 2.

Tulex

Actually, the more I read about them, the more it seems they understand that it is better to be late than put out a bad product that sinks them. They are outright saying "If you need a power unit now, you should go get one, our unit will be out when it is ready"

patentcad

Study Apple's pricing beyond the iPhone, and you will find that I am exactly correct. Moreover, since the iPhone's 'retail price' is so heavily subsidized by its U.S. carrier (AT&T), you have no idea how much Apple gets for each iPhone, do you? It's about $500-$600, and has been since its introduction, even as Apple's cost for building it has dropped.

Apple's revenues didn't build to $45 billion + annually (revenues last quarter were $13 billion) on "$99" iPhones.

In fact the iPad is a good illustration of Apple's cost structure, since it is similar in many ways to the iPhone (slightly costlier). The retail price on iPads ranges from $500-$829. Probably costs Apple something like $300-$400 to manufacture (depending on the model) from reports I've seen.

patentcad

Thank God nobody here knows what they're talking about. Besides me I mean.

Bobsled

How's this for Vaporware?

waterrockets 

BOM on an iPad is $260.

bikeride

Absolutely iNothing and that people here are iDiots?

patentcad

Material costs only for the base model. Add in manufacturing, shipping, marketing, R&D, etc, and my $300+ number sounds about right:

iSuppli estimated that the 32GB iPad, which sells for $599, includes $289.10 in materials, while the $699, top-of-the-line 64GB Wi-Fi iPad has $348.10 worth.

patentcad

My work here is done.



Posted from my iPad.

foresthill

Right, because materials are the only costs that go into producing something.

Nobody's ever said the iPad was the first tablet. But it seems to be the first one that people are actually buying...

https://www.macrumors.com/2010/05/07/...-fi-3g-models/

waterrockets 

Oh yeah, but 3g chipsets and memory aren't that expensive though.

patentcad

I can tell you that after a couple of weeks with this thing, it totally rocks. My daughter has one, she agrees. So does my Mom. Hey, everybody likes their iPhone. Apple sold 50 million of those so far (and that's accelerating).

Lots of people here say things like 'oh yawn, it's just a big iPhone'. The people who strike me as more insightful about the industry are convinced this is a game changer. Just like the iPhone. Just like the iPod. And yes there were cellphones and MP3 players and tablets before any of these products. But not game-changing ones. Apple is good at engineering products that shift the paradigm.

God what a great $25 friggin word that is. Paradigm. If you want to sound academic, just say 'at the end of the day that shifts the paradigm'.

foresthill

I've still yet to get to play with one. Been meaning to make a run by the local Apple store, but it just hasn't happened yet.

Still, I think the sales so far speak for themselves (full disclosure: I'm an apple engineer, but I don't work on anything related to the iPad.)

Tulex

Apple could put out the iTurd, and the Apple junkies would line up the night before to buy it. It's what it is. We are so poluting our lives with all this useless crap, it's sick. The younger people that don't understand that we didn't have this not that long ago will never understand that we don't need it. Those that are old enough to know better make me wonder. When I was a kid, if someone asked if you wanted to go catch frogs, you put your shoes on and headed for a pond. Today, they ask what app that is.

PlatyPius

Fixed for accuracy.

AMFJ

You did it wrong.


I am and have been an audiophile for years. I mean YEARS. I even competed in car audio SQ contest for YEARS. 3 world championships. It's ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC.

if you are listening to test tones and "reference CD's" and that's it---you are doing it wrong.

waterrockets 

Did I not say what the BOM is? Did I infer that's all there was in the costs? pcad said "it costs $300-$400 to make" and that just sounds high to me. $300 I'll believe.

I'm sorry I don't think the iPad is all that. I think they're winning on presentation and rallying the existing iPhone app developer network. The iPad is cool, for sure, but it's not like the light bulb or something.

AMFJ

^there's a light bulb app

patentcad

You mean the 50 million Apple junkies that are walking around with iPhones?

Psimet2001 

How the in the heck did this turn into an Apple discussion? FWIW - I hate apple. Always have since I put my finger on a Mac in 83 went home and told me dad about it and he told me macs were "cute" and for "bleeding heart, hippie, artists."....and that they were going to have a hard time making it because they "just can't do serious work.".....


.....that opinion has always held with me. Just like how Apple lovers line up for the latest offering Apple haters just don't "get" what the fuss was about.

I have an MP3 player. I used it a lot. I put my hands on an iPod and liked it more even though it did less.

I broke down and got an iPhone last year. Was looking for nice web surfing and everyone pointed to it. There were smart phones before the iPhone, but for me this little piece of technology COMPLETELY changed my life. Can I survive without it? Hell yes. Can I run a business and hold a full time job as well as run a team, maintain a social net presence, and communicate with my family without it? Hell no.

I've used tablets before. We integrated them into a web based shop floor tracking system we designed and wrote a few years back. It was a windows based tablet. I thought they were awesome, but they never really made it. The interface was too awkward. I can easily see thought that Apple just dominates when it comes to interface design and usability. If they have done that with a tablet then yes....it's the next step.

FWIW - a co-worker said years ago that the final step would be phones. We'd all walk around with our phones and they would replace our laptops and desktops, etc. We could walk in and place the phone on the desk and it would connect to the monitor, keyboard, mouse etc.....pick up the phone and walk away, etc. I thought he was smoking crack. I now think he was probably right.

patentcad

I still have a unicorn ranch the way.

Now I'm selling time shares.

Tulex

Yep, those 50 million iJunkies.