Korean Job Discussion Forums

John Henry · Joined: 24 Sep 2004

seriously, 300,000 for a 30 gig ipod?

What is that thing...a harddrive, some mp3 playing software, and some headphones?

Should be half the price. So, why are they so expensive?

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

All imported electronics have a huge import duty added. Same goes with cars. I think imported cars enjoy a 25%-50% duty. You'll also notice Korean electronics are no deal either. One can buy, say, an iRiver MP3 players cheaper in the USA than you can actually buy it in Korea. Since the price of Japanese (mostly) imports are so high, Korean competitors can soak local Koreans for extra cash. They don't have to pass on the full savings. They just have to be a little cheaper than the matching Japanese product.

I'm not even sure why the government has to work so hard to protect the domestic market when the Korean consumer will favor Korean made over imported regardless of price or quality. Once I witnessed my girlfriend buying a cooling pad for her laptop. She insisted on buying the more expensive, scratched Korean made cooling pad over the cheaper, pristine Chinese made unit.

I dunno.

John Henry · Joined: 24 Sep 2004

Yeah, but even the list prices for these things is retarted

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wo/1.RSLID?mco=CC4D3CBB&nclm=iPod

Pangit · Joined: 02 Sep 2004 Location: Puet mo.

Captain obvious here, stating: brand.

khyber · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Compunction Junction

how much is an iriver of comparabler size and function?

SuperHero · Joined: 10 Dec 2003 Location: Superhero Hideout

ipods are expensive because of the cult of mac and the average person being a sucker for advertising and brand power.

jazblanc77 · Joined: 22 Feb 2004

Demophobe · Joined: 17 May 2004

Harpeau · Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Location: Coquitlam, BC

I picked up an imitation iPod in Shenzen, China for like $38 US. It works pretty good.

AbbeFaria · Joined: 17 May 2005 Location: Gangnam

cheem · Joined: 18 Apr 2003

laogaiguk · Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Location: somewhere in Korea

SuperHero · Joined: 10 Dec 2003 Location: Superhero Hideout

I have only met 2 people who owned MACs/IPODs but did not belong to the cult, at least not overtly. THe rest are worse than the most aggressive bible thumping evangelist you've ever even imagined.

OiGirl · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: Hoke-y-gun

cheem · Joined: 18 Apr 2003

Okay, say all mac-users belong to this cult -- though I haven't seen anything that suggests they frequent this board -- what does this cult have to do iPods? Again, mac-users comprise of less than 5% of all PC users. In light of this fact, how does mac-zealotry relate to iPod sales?

Thought so. Apparently, in your inherent distast for macs or mac users you've raised a completely meaningless point in favor of something relevant, for example, an example of a product that can compete with the iPod that sells for much less. That is what you would call "irony". When the tables are turned and the non-mac user becomes the minority, he begins to show the annoying traits of his counterparts.

I don't own an iPod, mind you, but I've used them before. Apple isn't perfect, but there are two areas where they completely own, and that's industrial design and user interfaces. As Mr. 5-Years-Computer-Science will concede, aethetics and interface trump any other considerations. This may not apply so much to computer hardware but the iPod obviously struck a chord (unintended) with the public. Apple came out with the right product at the right time, that's it.