Personally, I'd chance a modest wager that anyone buying wine "by the case at 20 quid a pop" is running Windows. Only a Windows user would buy wine for 20 quid a pop, when Linux users can download it for free.
I don't think I would call that gouging. Most companies that do business in mutliple countries, using multiple currencies, only do conversions every year or less.
You think? They're either gouging or they're incompetent. According to monthly data from the Reserve Bank of Australia, there have only been seven(!) months since 1969 when the USD/AUD exchange rate is equivalent to Lego's purported exchange rate (and they were all in 2001.) Maybe they think we're all backward yokels that don't understand such complex things as foreign exchange rates....
Ultimately, though, they are probably most concerned about getting their margins right for the US price, since it may well be their largest market. Even when the US economy is rocky, it is still a country with hundreds of millions of consumers, and a pretty significant per capita wealth.
I've no problem with their decision to charge a USD$499 price point. What is annoying is that the exchange rates they are using for their international currencies are not even close to reality.
And you need to read up on something called "Pits of Despair." That was the name for an isolation cage used by Dr. Harry Harlow in an attempt to model human depression. In my opinion, it was a better model in some respects, than he realized. I think its an excellent model for what a lot of people go through in High School. Humans will be destroyed the situation just like any other primate, that's my take on it anyway. Dr. Harlow found that none of the monkeys he subjected to the isolation cages ever recovered. It's all very well to say "It'll be over quickly." The truth is that its such a traumatic period that many either commit suicide or never recover fully. And its the system that is at fault.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pit_of_Despair
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You think? They're either gouging or they're incompetent. According to monthly data from the Reserve Bank of Australia, there have only been seven(!) months since 1969 when the USD/AUD exchange rate is equivalent to Lego's purported exchange rate (and they were all in 2001.) Maybe they think we're all backward yokels that don't understand such complex things as foreign exchange rates....
Ultimately, though, they are probably most concerned about getting their margins right for the US price, since it may well be their largest market. Even when the US economy is rocky, it is still a country with hundreds of millions of consumers, and a pretty significant per capita wealth.I've no problem with their decision to charge a USD$499 price point. What is annoying is that the exchange rates they are using for their international currencies are not even close to reality.
They must been using Excel 2007 to calculate their exchange rates... here are some of their international costs:
Based on actual exchange rates, converting from USD$499.99 those prices should be:
Nice way to gouge your international customers...
Who'da thunk De Morgan would be useful when following the music industry?
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Edwardaux
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edwardaux
I think your url is incorrect. Try this one:
Pit of Despair
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edwardaux
Naw... they just need better marketing (like those responsible for the "unlimited" ISP plans). How about:
For a limited time only, get your $100 laptop *
(*) For sufficiently small values of $175
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edwardaux
Meh, that's not compression.
2@Bcompression = #4low High @s#and #@fast :-)
--41 vs 50 chars. Clearly an 18% improvement
edwardaux