Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by cmn32480 on Wednesday May 20 2015, @05:14AM   Printer-friendly
from the let-the-fanboys-cry-foul dept.

Paul Buchheit reports via Common Dreams

An emotional response to any criticism of the Apple Corporation might be anticipated from the users of the company's powerful, practical, popular, and entertaining devices. Accolades to the company and a healthy profit are certainly well-deserved. But much-despised should be the theft from taxpayers and the exploitation of workers and customers, all cloaked within the image of an organization that seems to work magic on our behalf.

1. Apple Took Years of Public Research, Integrated the Results, and Packaged it as Their Own

2. Even After Taking Our Research, Apple Does Everything in its Power to Avoid Taxes

3. Overcharging Customers
The manufacturing cost of a 16 GB iPhone 6 is about $200, and with marketing it comes to about $288. But without an expensive phone contract with Verizon, AT&T, or one of the other wireless carriers, the cost to the customer is at least $650.

4. Underpaying and Mistreating Employees

5. Apple Has Figured Out How to Spend Most of its Untaxed Money on Itself

Apple's View:
The tax-avoiding, research-appropriating, cost-escalating, wage-minimizing, self-enriching Apple Corporation has, according to CEO Tim Cook,[1] a very strong moral compass.

[1] Link in article redirects.

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by wantkitteh on Wednesday May 20 2015, @12:12PM

    by wantkitteh (3362) on Wednesday May 20 2015, @12:12PM (#185417) Homepage Journal

    3. Overcharging Customers
    Things are worth what people are willing to pay. Price gouging for necessities during a crisis is something that most folks would consider wrong. Charging a premium price for a luxury item that's marketed as such? Not wrong.

    I find it ironic that the article points out the out-of-contract cost of an iPhone when you pay considerably over the odds over the length of the contract, effectively adding a pretty hefty hire-purchase premium. And that monthly fee doesn't drop on it's own when the contract as run it's course, so all that hardware supply premium turns into pure profit for the phone company. I worked out an iPhone 5 from a provider in the UK a few years ago would have cost £900 - £300 more than buying an unlocked phone. Yet somehow, buying an iPhone out of contract is considered too expensive... my brain is leaking out of my ears just thinking about this.

    Maybe listening to Bill Hicks while posting isn't the best plan for maintaining my coherence... cramming too much into lunch time here...

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +1  
       Insightful=1, Total=1
    Extra 'Insightful' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   3