For what it's worth (and if you have around 15 minutes), watch the fifth & sixth segments (next-to-last and last, about "Invis-a-Rack") of this show ... it explains a lot about the mindset of those investing and why those with with the best of intentions to grow domestic manufacturing are screwed. (Unfortunately, you'll have to sit through a couple of commercials.)

http://abc.go.com/watch/shark-tank/SH559....

It's all about sex. It's always been about sex.

If you see a hottie with an iphone do ya' really think ya stand a chance of picking her up with your second rate "I'm a dickwad loser who can't afford an iphone so don't expect to get spoiled if you're with me" crap phone? Not happening. Besides, I wouldn't want anyone so vapid myself.

Funny thing I overheard on vacation. I'll paraphrase a bit and condense it and hope it stills makes sense. There's a couple behind me in the checkin lineup. I watched them arrive at the airport and proceeded to eavesdrop as I'm nosy. Girl, a little hottie who looks a bit hung up on herself, perfect hair and makeup 'n **** and we're in a line at 3am to check in for a plane, everyone else is chill in casual or pj's...anyhow she turns to guy (he kinda looked like a dick, not in the same league as her, not better or worse but they're from different worlds IMO) and and says 'what'd you say you did again?'

Guy said he made enough green to buy a new iphone every a week if Apple released them that often. That heightened the smile on the little hotties face. Anyhow, the little cash counter replied with "I was suitably impressed with your POF pic with you surrounded by all your Apple stuff. I probably would have blown you off and ignored your email if you didn't show me you were a man of means."

Guys whispers back and says, "and that stuff about you loving an afternoon bed romp after getting all hot and bothered from the beach sun making you smokin' hot is all good and gold cuz I don't wanna think the $1200 I droppped on your ticket is going to disappoint me."

So there you have it. My anecdotal story about a chick who met a guy on a dating site and decided to accept a paid for 5 star holiday with buddy because his crApple collection convinced her he was a man of means, or he could at least spoil her for a bit.

O ya, on the bus to the resort, a long ****ing 2 hour trip, buddy pounded down 8-10 brews. He bought 6 rounds x 2 but since she was a tiny thing I doubt she downed more than 3-4. So stud was left to pound the rest. During lunch at the resort I saw bud again with 4 brews on his side of the table, empty, and beleive it or not I ran into him once again at the pool bar where he had a couple of mixed drinks so figure he pounded down another 3-4 drinks. As an aside I wonder if dude constantly drank so much if he ever got it up enough to enjoy his little frien..

In conclusion, it appears that dude's ownership of a series of highly polished aluminum cased iTurds got him a willing chick for a free 5 star holiday and got his dick suitably entertained. I guess ex the iTurds about $3500 was dropped into the economy. Who says Apple is all bad?

But really, this game has been played forever. If not over iTurds then over some other goods, like Rolexes. I had a friend whose fake $20 Rolex got him blown more than I could believe.

Quote:

It's all about sex. It's always been about sex.

I don't need a stupid iPhone to get laid. I just show 'em my HUGE .... Samsung Galaxy Note.

-Uwe-

Snow - that's my understanding of Foxcon also. Terrible margins. There must be something else going on behind closed doors.

Actually, Foxconn's net margins are about the same as Walmart's.

-Uwe-

People think Apple products are cool despite the way the people who build them are treated.

People think Apple products are cool despite - or possibly because of - the fact that they tend to be closed, inflexible systems. (This is more true of iOS products than of Macs.)

Apple being considered cool is thus a sad commentary on today's society.

For a long time, Apple was a niche player in the technology world. Even five years ago, their market share was quite small. Nowadays, Apple is fashionable. Yet their fundamental way of doing things has not changed in the recent past. Throughout the recent past, Apple has been about closed, inflexible, dumbed-down systems.

So what changed? Most likely, society changed. The average person on the street now wants the closed, dumbed-down products that Apple produces.

@Gantww: I've noticed the same thing about many IT professionals. You'd think if anyone would value functionality over popularity in a computer, it would be IT professionals. But that's not what I'm actually observing.

Also, is Apple in a league of its own in terms of how the people who build its products are treated? Or are other products which are sourced in China comparable?

Bilge

Genesis wrote..

I have already shifted my disk drive and some other peripheral purchases in an attempt to avoid what I can, but at the component level this is literally impossible.

Curious, do you have a source for parts and peripherals which are sourced from relatively responsible suppliers? Or failing that, at least not sourced from China?

In particular, I have near-term plans to buy RAM and a micro-SATA SSD.