There were many standout moments during the WWDC 2019 keynote. Not least when Tim Cook unveiled a new Mac Pro. However, it was not just the machine that drew gasps. Apple asking nearly $1000 for the Pro Stand for the computer’s new monitor certainly attracted attention too. At Wired, Sophie Chara argued the Pro Stand’s price is indefensible.
We could try to mount a defence. An Apple Watch Series 4 costs $399 (we’re sticking with dollars, as there’s no UK price for the stand, display or Mac Pro yet)) and the new Pride Watch strap is $49: that’s 12 per cent. The new iPad Air is $499, the 2nd gen Apple Pencil is $129 and the Smart Keyboard is $159: that’s 25 per cent and 31 per cent respectively for the iPad accessories. Suddenly, $999 – or ten/twenty per cent – isn’t so outrageous. Only it very much is. Apple itself is known for commanding high prices, but even compared to its own kit, the Pro Stand seems to have created a class of its own in terms of the Cupertino excellence mark-up.
Check It Out: Mac Pro’s $1000 Monitor Stand is Ridiculous
https://twitter.com/StayPuftZombie/status/1136669619543035906
So this single aluminium extrusion is at least 18″ high, the tooling costs will be astronomic, the engineering and development cost of the lift mechanism with watchmaker precision – it all adds up.
And if you are paying $35k for a state of the art machine, what’s a grand for a stand?
Exactly! Something that hack writers and blog trolls don’t understand.
Just so that I am clear. I am not calling Charlotte a hack writer.
That’s a relief! Charlotte
Like Apple “the services company” needs more bad press, this makes them the latest joke around the tech sites. Either Apple is inept at designing a stand for $50 or as usual they take the Apple drones for the fools they are ( “you gotta serve yourself”) . I won’t even go into the iTunes jokes going around…
Have they announced a price for the VESA mount adapter?
I agree with TitanTiger. They should of just included it in the display price. $6k. Then offer a $800 price reduction for those that decide on a VESA mount. It’s all psychological. It’s not just the $999 price tag, it’s that it’s separate.
They should have just included it with the display and made it $6k instead of $5k. $1000 for a frickin stand really took the air out of the room when they announced it.
The stand should be included with the display, not a separate 1000.00 piece you have to buy.
I don’t think that pundits are the target demographic for the stand. Could it be sold cheaper, probably, but remember there is more to the cost of the product than the materials; Apple has to recoup its design costs and such. Anyway, in a year or two the stand will be probably be cheaper and offered for the iMac.
Read about the Pro Stand:
https://www.apple.com/pro-display-xdr/
What design costs? The 2 hours it took to CAD that thing up?? Makes zero sense to victimize customers over and over for a one time service that is taken off their taxes anyway. Just more Apple greed. Now they are going to assemble in Mexico? Defend that move, how does that help the USA if Apple will just mark up to the nth degree without a valid reason stuff from Mexico? At least Fender guitars made in Mexico are much cheaper than the USA made same model!