European Mac fans call Mac Mini pricing unfair

[DR]

Apple Computer's "most affordable" Mac--the Mac Mini--has drawn a storm of protest from European shoppers, who are petitioning the Mac maker to bring EU pricing better in line with that of the United States.

The online petition states: "We'd like to make an appeal to Apple on the pricing of the new Mac Mini in the European Union. Basing on the last long-term rate of exchange of U.S. dollars to euros (and vice versa)--which is 1.3293 on the spot market, so let's say 1.32--both announced prices of the Mac mini in Europe, 489 euros and 589 euros, respectively, are much too high."

The petition also states that German users come off particularly badly in the pricing scrap, with an extra 50 euros for the lower spec Mac Mini and 60 euros for the higher spec machine.

The petition's writers also claim the higher EU pricing is counterproductive for Apple's business strategy and would serve to discourage potential PC to Mac switchers.

So far, the petition has attracted more than 2,000 signatures from across the European Union.

One petitioner, 'Ronald', wrote "Europe is as big a market as the United States, so the prices should be similar!" Another, Walter Vermeir, added: "I like the Mac but not the price."

U.K. customers will also be forced to pay more than their counterparts across the Atlantic. The cheaper Mac Mini sells for $499 in the United States around 268 pounds. However, to buy the same Mac in the United Kingdom would cost 339 pounds.

One U.K. resident, Steve Netting, who signed the petition, said: "We always get ripped off in the UK. Would be great to finally see a company treating us as equals."

It's not the first time Apple has faced the ire of customers over differences in European pricing.

In December, the Office of Fair Trading referred a complaint over the iTunes music store to the European Commission, claiming the almost 10 pence difference between the prices U.K. and EU customers pay is discriminatory.

Apple did not immediately respond to request for comment.

http://news.com.com/European+Mac+fan...l?tag=nefd.top

[LouG]

About time too, we always tend to get ripped off in the UK compared to the US.

[këö¬t]

U.K. customers will also be forced to pay more than their counterparts across the Atlantic. The cheaper Mac Mini sells for $499 in the United States around 268 pounds. However, to buy the same Mac in the United Kingdom would cost 339 pounds.

$1.81 = £1 last time i looked.
$499 / 1.81 = £275.69
the mac mini is £288.51 excluding VAT. So we're £13 out of pocket, which isn't that much, only 5%, and this is supposed to be rip-off britian...

[Gordy]

They normally have prices that are far worse tbh, the mini is the best priced when you compare it to the usa yet. It used to be the case that you could fly to the usa pick up a powerbook there and fly back and still save money on the uk price!

[jsterling]

also if you compare the irish euro price for the macmini is €519, compared to €500 for mainland europe

[Stoo]

$1.81 = £1 last time i looked.
$499 / 1.81 = £275.69
the mac mini is £288.51 excluding VAT. So we're £13 out of pocket, which isn't that much, only 5%, and this is supposed to be rip-off britian...

499.00 USD = 266.938 GBP
1 GBP = 1.86935 USD

bearing in mind the us prices already include sales tax..

[joshwa]

you can sign it here:
http://www.petitiononline.com/MacmiEU/petition.html

[Tarffie]

signed it

"I like cheaper things tbh"

[BUFF]

bearing in mind the us prices already include sales tax..

you sure about that considering that sales tax varies from State to State?
In the US it is normal to quote prices without tax ( pet hate - get up to the checkout & they never ask you for what you expect)

[Stoo]

if you walk into the apple store the price should already be included?

[directhex]

if you walk into the apple store the price should already be included?

sales tax is usually added at the till on top of the ticket price.

certainly has been everywhere i've seen

[Stoo]

ah, it's just that none of the advertising makes any mention of sales tax at all..

So..

Apple can't be responsible for sales taxes in the various countries, is it not the case that the prices aren't all that different once you take everything down to base price? (and then you've got the bulk shipping costs on top..)

[StormPC]

Look man, Apple is a rip-off period. They charge way too much money for their products in my opinion. They are however very good in terms of quality. And the technology (architecturally speaking) kicks the 20+ year old PC architecture's arse! I hate the high price but I love the OS.

Just ordered the mini with 512MB and the faster CPU, as well as the keyboard and mouse. It's a little misleading. $599 US my arse! I paid over $800.00 buy the time I had configured a usefull system. Sssssssssssshhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzzzzz!

[Stoo]

over $800.. that's just over £400.. seems like a pretty decent deal to me..

[Doug]

indeed, Apple can hardly be expected to have to take a countries sales tax into consideration... if they did, we'd get cries of outrage over their products being cheaper in countries with higher sales tax

[StormPC]

over $800.. that's just over £400.. seems like a pretty decent deal to me..

We'll see. The exact price was $810.74 including tax and overnight shipping. I guess that's a decent deal for a complete system (less monitor) with 512MB DDR, 80GB HDD and CD-RW with OS.

Does anybody know if there is any software that will allow the mac mini to be used as a multi-track audio recorder? Something that could be used to record multiple instruments and then mix it down into stereo to be recorded to a CD? A simple all-in-one package would be best. Can "Garage Band" do this?