And for the record, if I could press a button on my computer and magically create a Ferrari copy at no cost without taking one from the showroom floor, you bet your sweet ass I would!
That is exactly why I left AT&T and got a prepaid plan with Straight Talk. I bought an unlocked iPhone and now I'm not stuck in a two year contract. My old contract expired 18 months ago and I was tired of paying "extra" and didn't want to sell my soul for another two years.
I will NEVER go back to contracts again. It's a sucker situation. You either lock yourself to a carrier or you overpay for your service. Often it's both.
I think that his reluctance to reduce the supply chain might be because his profitability depends so much on it. If you charge by the hour, there is no incentive to rush. His complaint that people are too lazy to buy directly from his website when they can use one click shopping at Amazon struck me as particularly whiny. Most of his complaints about the "new boss" sounded a lot like envy. Their businesses are growing and margins are good while his is declining. He overestimates his particular importance in the market. The proof is in his very own numbers. Supply/Demand Just because he knows people that can't afford to record and sell new music doesn't mean that nobody can.
Sorry. We all face that kind of competition all the time. How many TV repair shops in your town? How many Fotomat kiosks can you find? When did the Fuller Brush man last visit your home? It's a disruptive market shift. My industry segment is facing it right now and I'm looking at a career shift to cope. That's life.
The article is a mixture of insightful accounting analysis; Ad hominem attacks and name calling for the tech industry; Rants about the injustice of Apple's excessive (in his judgment) margins for their minimal (again in his judgment) risk. Apparently he is unaware of the first mover phenomena; Whining about his declining recording studio business; Complaining about smaller audiences for live performances; Justification of excessive cost structures of music recording and reminiscing of the "good old days."
I was on board up to the point he tried to justify the huge labor costs of "recording" by telling how time consuming it is to position instruments and microphones in the recording room just to get the "right" sound. Yeah, right...
Sorry, dude. I don't like the shifting realities and competing against "unfair" things either. Shit moves fast in this modern world. You still want to hang on to that 70s & 80s style music business, but the customer doesn't. The "value" of music is lower which you know by your own research. Don't think you can keep the same cost structure and long for the past. Ain't gonna happen...
[...] what do they gain from Skype that they haven't already developed themselves?
You fail to recognize Ballmer's intense obsession with Google. I have suspected for some time that this was a direct result of Google Voice and Google Talk. The wolves are nipping at Microsoft's heels from all angles. Microsoft's search cannot gain traction. Google Android and Apple IOS own the market on mobility and tablets. Desktops are stagnant or declining. Linux continually eats into the server market. Entertainment has been a habitual money loser until (maybe) recently. Microsoft's future doesn't look bright. Failure may not be imminent, but their glory days are behind them.
You will be happy to know that JP Morgan Chase, the bank that you fail to identify, made $26 Billion in profit last year. I wouldn't get my panties in a twist worrying about bailouts if I were you. And if it were to fail, you might instead start worrying about that next big recession/depression that's sure to come on its heels.
Suppliers cannot sell below costs and remain in business. When production decreases, amortized fixed costs increase. The suppliers that remain will raise prices.
And suppliers aren't going to raise their prices when their market has shrunk
The ones who haven't exited the smaller market might reduce prices. Prices are also a function of costs and when demand shrinks and there is enough oversupply, sellers exit. As economies of scale shift, who knows what the prices will do. That's the problem. You don't know any more than anyone else what would have happened in a liquidation or unmanaged bankruptcy. Seeing how we were/are in the midst of a recession/depression I think the best choice was picked.
As a Business PhD I know said to a book rep that last visited him, "You are on the wrong side of history." Since the value is "in the words" as you say, they need to reduce the costs of those words.
The current pricing model is not sustainable. Globalization doesn't just work in favor of the big corporations. Technology will never allow such high pricing discrepancies to exist. As long as there are such large profits to be made on the arbitrage of textbooks, there will be a market. It's been a year since I bought a brand new US edition for my Masters program. I've probably saved nearly a thousand dollars. And I hate to break it to you, but even the professors are looking for ways to reduce student costs which many times includes allowing multiple editions for class.
If you are shilling for the textbook industry, I would recommend you start looking for another line of work. Between, international edition arbitrage, eBook sharing, and open source companies like Flatworld, the future isn't looking too bright.
These are copies of a book *LEGALLY* published and sold by the Asian subsidiaries of US publishing houses. How the f*ck are they illegal? The question is whether or not copyright law can restrict if they can be imported and resold.
And by your own admission that assessment was impaired.
An idiot, or a man that is not thinking rationally [...] indoctrinated by the "gangsta culture"
Therefore not reasonable by ordinary standards. It is not reasonable to attack an armed man while unarmed when cooperation or flight is an option. A healthy dose of machismo does not make it more reasonable. If Zimmerman lost him, which is the case per the 911 recording, why did Martin, who feared death or bodily harm, not rush home? Not reasonable. QED
By the way, I agree with your assertion that Martin was likely indoctrinated in gangsta culture. Besides the *recent* photos, there is evidence from the published purported Twitter postings. I read them. They were disturbing for an innocent, good, mind-your-own-business child.
You lost me at #2. Only an idiot charges someone holding a gun because they think they are being mugged. Your money or your cell phone is not worth your life. The *ONLY* condition in which one could reasonably act in this fashion is when you are *CERTAIN* to die if you do not act. i.e. Armed individual's motivation is murder, not robbery.
The only point that you seem to have made pertinent to this discussion is that eBooks, according to your insight, should be $2.25 less than the physical book. Why then do they frequently cost more than the paperback on Amazon? I'll give you a little hint: you might look at that little notation on the page that says that the price is set by the publisher.
Uh. Yes it is. Prices charged between subsidiaries must be an arm's length transaction or else it is tax fraud. This is particularly true if it crosses borders. And besides that, it is securities fraud if it hides the truth from investors in a publicly traded company. Since SarbOx, CFOs are require to personally sign off on SEC 10-K documents and can be criminally liable. And they must be audited by a public auditor.
That kind of crap usually gets discovered before this long. See Enron, The Pharm, Tyco, et al.
Market segmentation at various price points should still be possible with eBooks. Since there is no need for "clearance" price reductions, inventory costing can safely be factored out of the product life cost equation. While the eBook price of a popular title may never have any incentive to drop to the clearance price point, it ideally should never be higher that the fully costed physical edition in a free market. This is particularly true for simple typeset novel eBooks.
The whole point is that the pricing model in its current form is not supported by normal supply and demand without collusion. The "indefinite" shelf life of an eBook is a red herring as demand will drop as the market becomes saturated with copies. The price point should drop as demand wanes assuming an infinite supply.
Opponents of the Confederacy ultimately do not accept the proposition that the United States was founded as a federation of states, but rather treat the states like provinces that are ultimately under higher accountability to one another than what is laid out in the U.S. Constitution.
Shelby Foote put it best in Ken Burns' Civil War Mini-Series: Before the war we said The United States are. After the Civil was we say the United States is. It made us an "is." People don't realize how significant a change that was.
We are all still paying for the great expansion of Federal power rooted in the Civil War.
[...]lead the South to have a hissy fit and decide to quit the union over, something they didn't actually have any constitutional right to unilaterally do.
So sayeth the judicial branch of the same government that the South wished to depart. History (and the rules) are written by the victors.
I'm guessing that you have never lived in a neighborhood where you had to watch everything you own because thieves would steal you blind. When people start wandering around your home (inside the gates) and you don't recognize them, you consider them suspicious regardless of their complexion. My son lives in such an area and was robbed of some lawn equipment last week. It sucks that people can be such shits and constantly take things that do not belong to them, but don't be pissed when people try to keep it from happening just because it raises your "He's a racist" alarm.
And besides, since you can't be bothered with facts, the gated community was reported as mixed race anyway. Don't get all indignant thinking it was one Hispanic living in lily white rich man's fortress.
You state unequivocally that Zimmerman is a murderer, then go on to predict expectations for a murder trial. As far as I can tell, the only provable fact is that he is a killer. Whether or not he is *actually* a murderer depends on the outcome of the trial should there be one. Hysterics have already tried him in the media and it looks like you are ready to pass sentence.
The difference is collateral damage. A court order directed at the cloud provider for another's misdeeds can impact you too. If you host your own, the court order must name you.
Never does sales tax enter into my calculation of what is the best choice. Usually, the cost differential is so great that sales tax makes no impact on the decision anyway. In the case of Best Buy, I now avoid them at *ANY* cost after the last time I had to return something and spent 45 minutes standing in line and then had to fight for my refund. Many times, I'm just plain lazy and I like being able to have it shipped to my door in two days without the bother of driving, parking, searching, and fighting the crowds. I don't even compare the price in those cases. I find customer feedback on the web more valuable than holding it in my hand. And in the most recent case, while looking for a couple of lighting fixtures I couldn't even find what I wanted locally anyway.
The sales tax advantage is a big lie propagated by businesses that can't compete on service, selection, or satisfaction. Price is secondary.
Slashdot Mirror
Your argument is non-sequitur.
And for the record, if I could press a button on my computer and magically create a Ferrari copy at no cost without taking one from the showroom floor, you bet your sweet ass I would!
That is exactly why I left AT&T and got a prepaid plan with Straight Talk. I bought an unlocked iPhone and now I'm not stuck in a two year contract. My old contract expired 18 months ago and I was tired of paying "extra" and didn't want to sell my soul for another two years.
I will NEVER go back to contracts again. It's a sucker situation. You either lock yourself to a carrier or you overpay for your service. Often it's both.
You are once again correct.
I think that his reluctance to reduce the supply chain might be because his profitability depends so much on it. If you charge by the hour, there is no incentive to rush. His complaint that people are too lazy to buy directly from his website when they can use one click shopping at Amazon struck me as particularly whiny. Most of his complaints about the "new boss" sounded a lot like envy. Their businesses are growing and margins are good while his is declining. He overestimates his particular importance in the market. The proof is in his very own numbers. Supply/Demand Just because he knows people that can't afford to record and sell new music doesn't mean that nobody can.
Sorry. We all face that kind of competition all the time. How many TV repair shops in your town? How many Fotomat kiosks can you find? When did the Fuller Brush man last visit your home? It's a disruptive market shift. My industry segment is facing it right now and I'm looking at a career shift to cope. That's life.
You are correct. It is an interesting read.
The article is a mixture of insightful accounting analysis; Ad hominem attacks and name calling for the tech industry; Rants about the injustice of Apple's excessive (in his judgment) margins for their minimal (again in his judgment) risk. Apparently he is unaware of the first mover phenomena; Whining about his declining recording studio business; Complaining about smaller audiences for live performances; Justification of excessive cost structures of music recording and reminiscing of the "good old days."
I was on board up to the point he tried to justify the huge labor costs of "recording" by telling how time consuming it is to position instruments and microphones in the recording room just to get the "right" sound. Yeah, right... Sorry, dude. I don't like the shifting realities and competing against "unfair" things either. Shit moves fast in this modern world. You still want to hang on to that 70s & 80s style music business, but the customer doesn't. The "value" of music is lower which you know by your own research. Don't think you can keep the same cost structure and long for the past. Ain't gonna happen...
You fail to recognize Ballmer's intense obsession with Google. I have suspected for some time that this was a direct result of Google Voice and Google Talk. The wolves are nipping at Microsoft's heels from all angles. Microsoft's search cannot gain traction. Google Android and Apple IOS own the market on mobility and tablets. Desktops are stagnant or declining. Linux continually eats into the server market. Entertainment has been a habitual money loser until (maybe) recently. Microsoft's future doesn't look bright. Failure may not be imminent, but their glory days are behind them.
You will be happy to know that JP Morgan Chase, the bank that you fail to identify, made $26 Billion in profit last year. I wouldn't get my panties in a twist worrying about bailouts if I were you. And if it were to fail, you might instead start worrying about that next big recession/depression that's sure to come on its heels.
Suppliers cannot sell below costs and remain in business. When production decreases, amortized fixed costs increase. The suppliers that remain will raise prices.
The ones who haven't exited the smaller market might reduce prices. Prices are also a function of costs and when demand shrinks and there is enough oversupply, sellers exit. As economies of scale shift, who knows what the prices will do. That's the problem. You don't know any more than anyone else what would have happened in a liquidation or unmanaged bankruptcy. Seeing how we were/are in the midst of a recession/depression I think the best choice was picked.
No it's not. It's the only way to be sure.
As a Business PhD I know said to a book rep that last visited him, "You are on the wrong side of history." Since the value is "in the words" as you say, they need to reduce the costs of those words.
The current pricing model is not sustainable. Globalization doesn't just work in favor of the big corporations. Technology will never allow such high pricing discrepancies to exist. As long as there are such large profits to be made on the arbitrage of textbooks, there will be a market. It's been a year since I bought a brand new US edition for my Masters program. I've probably saved nearly a thousand dollars. And I hate to break it to you, but even the professors are looking for ways to reduce student costs which many times includes allowing multiple editions for class.
If you are shilling for the textbook industry, I would recommend you start looking for another line of work. Between, international edition arbitrage, eBook sharing, and open source companies like Flatworld, the future isn't looking too bright.
These are copies of a book *LEGALLY* published and sold by the Asian subsidiaries of US publishing houses. How the f*ck are they illegal? The question is whether or not copyright law can restrict if they can be imported and resold.
Oops, sorry. I fed the troll, didn't I?
Therefore not reasonable by ordinary standards. It is not reasonable to attack an armed man while unarmed when cooperation or flight is an option. A healthy dose of machismo does not make it more reasonable. If Zimmerman lost him, which is the case per the 911 recording, why did Martin, who feared death or bodily harm, not rush home? Not reasonable. QED
By the way, I agree with your assertion that Martin was likely indoctrinated in gangsta culture. Besides the *recent* photos, there is evidence from the published purported Twitter postings. I read them. They were disturbing for an innocent, good, mind-your-own-business child.
And that is precisely why you lost me at #2 in your "likely" sequence of events in which Martin "acted in reasonable self-defense" manner.
You lost me at #2. Only an idiot charges someone holding a gun because they think they are being mugged. Your money or your cell phone is not worth your life. The *ONLY* condition in which one could reasonably act in this fashion is when you are *CERTAIN* to die if you do not act. i.e. Armed individual's motivation is murder, not robbery.
The only point that you seem to have made pertinent to this discussion is that eBooks, according to your insight, should be $2.25 less than the physical book. Why then do they frequently cost more than the paperback on Amazon? I'll give you a little hint: you might look at that little notation on the page that says that the price is set by the publisher.
And you control price by controlling who you sell to. If you don't like their offer, you move on to the next guy. That's how a free market works.
Uh. Yes it is. Prices charged between subsidiaries must be an arm's length transaction or else it is tax fraud. This is particularly true if it crosses borders. And besides that, it is securities fraud if it hides the truth from investors in a publicly traded company. Since SarbOx, CFOs are require to personally sign off on SEC 10-K documents and can be criminally liable. And they must be audited by a public auditor.
That kind of crap usually gets discovered before this long. See Enron, The Pharm, Tyco, et al.
Market segmentation at various price points should still be possible with eBooks. Since there is no need for "clearance" price reductions, inventory costing can safely be factored out of the product life cost equation. While the eBook price of a popular title may never have any incentive to drop to the clearance price point, it ideally should never be higher that the fully costed physical edition in a free market. This is particularly true for simple typeset novel eBooks.
The whole point is that the pricing model in its current form is not supported by normal supply and demand without collusion. The "indefinite" shelf life of an eBook is a red herring as demand will drop as the market becomes saturated with copies. The price point should drop as demand wanes assuming an infinite supply.
Shelby Foote put it best in Ken Burns' Civil War Mini-Series: Before the war we said The United States are. After the Civil was we say the United States is. It made us an "is." People don't realize how significant a change that was.
We are all still paying for the great expansion of Federal power rooted in the Civil War.
So sayeth the judicial branch of the same government that the South wished to depart. History (and the rules) are written by the victors.
I'm guessing that you have never lived in a neighborhood where you had to watch everything you own because thieves would steal you blind. When people start wandering around your home (inside the gates) and you don't recognize them, you consider them suspicious regardless of their complexion. My son lives in such an area and was robbed of some lawn equipment last week. It sucks that people can be such shits and constantly take things that do not belong to them, but don't be pissed when people try to keep it from happening just because it raises your "He's a racist" alarm.
And besides, since you can't be bothered with facts, the gated community was reported as mixed race anyway. Don't get all indignant thinking it was one Hispanic living in lily white rich man's fortress.
You make the assumption that governments will use a minimal targeted approach. Unfortunately, I don't share your optimism.
You state unequivocally that Zimmerman is a murderer, then go on to predict expectations for a murder trial. As far as I can tell, the only provable fact is that he is a killer. Whether or not he is *actually* a murderer depends on the outcome of the trial should there be one. Hysterics have already tried him in the media and it looks like you are ready to pass sentence.
The difference is collateral damage. A court order directed at the cloud provider for another's misdeeds can impact you too. If you host your own, the court order must name you.
Never does sales tax enter into my calculation of what is the best choice. Usually, the cost differential is so great that sales tax makes no impact on the decision anyway. In the case of Best Buy, I now avoid them at *ANY* cost after the last time I had to return something and spent 45 minutes standing in line and then had to fight for my refund. Many times, I'm just plain lazy and I like being able to have it shipped to my door in two days without the bother of driving, parking, searching, and fighting the crowds. I don't even compare the price in those cases. I find customer feedback on the web more valuable than holding it in my hand. And in the most recent case, while looking for a couple of lighting fixtures I couldn't even find what I wanted locally anyway.
The sales tax advantage is a big lie propagated by businesses that can't compete on service, selection, or satisfaction. Price is secondary.