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Apple turns monitor height adjustment into a $400 upsell

engadget.com

111–120 of 153 posts

Re: Apple turns monitor height adjustment into a $400 upsell

#111
post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This product is absolutely for the same kind of people who shop at Restoration Hardware, Gucci, Cartier, etc. If it was for creative pros, it would have HDR. A $1600 monitor with no HDR, can you believe it? You can buy an entire laptop with an HDR mini-LED monitor from Apple for very nearly the same price. The base model iPhone mini can shoot in HDR but you can't play it back on the brand new Apple StUdIo MoNiToR fro…

> A $1600 monitor with no HDR, can you believe it? Is there a good alternative for reasonably calibrated 27" monitor, with 5K resolution, integrated (96W) USB-C hub that have camera, good speakers and HDR? How much that monitor costs?

Here's a list:

https://www.displayninja.com/mini-led-monitor-list/

ASUS ProArt is a good start:

https://www.asus.com/Displays-Desktops/Monitors/ProArt/ProAr...

- 4K HDR, 576 zones of local dimming

- 90W power

- Dolby Vision, HDR-10

- Works with Mac or PC so you aren't screwed if you have a multi-platform environment, includes DisplayPort, HDMI, USB-A (4x), USB-C, headphone jack

For the same price as the Studio Display with stand upgrade ($1999) it seems like a better monitor. I guess it depends on whether you'd rather have 5K over 4K compared to HDR and mini-LED. For video production something like the ProArt seems like a no-brainer.

Speakers and a good camera are not selling points for displays. A solid webcam costs $50. Professionals aren't going to rely on monitor speakers, they're gonna spend The Apple Studio Display is 100% made for your VP of Sales to put in his home office and look at.

Re: Apple turns monitor height adjustment into a $400 upsell

#112
post #53
post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It isn't so much about aesthetics, but the look screams 'apple'. Apple is an aspirational lifestyle brand

Apple also have a warranty and service which is worth more than toilet paper unlike the other brands.

Repairs outside of the standard warranty on my Apple stuff is usually shackled to expensive paid warranty upgrades and restocking fees.

For example, AppleCare+ for this $2k monitor costs $149, and there's a $99 service fee for screen damage or enclosure damage, and a $299 fee for other accidental damage.

Re: Apple turns monitor height adjustment into a $400 upsell

#113

I think this works like the opposite of a loss-leader, a product sold at a loss to draw people into a store, and/or like minor upsells at restaurants, like guacamole on the side. I got this theory from the Apple Explained youtube channel when he talked about the $600 wheels for Mac Pros Apple needs some high end items to keep its luxury appeal, but they really want the middle market without losing some perceived luxu…

Consumer

Analogy: A digital scale https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/metallic-digital-scale-gold-gol...

Does the design look familiar? If I want to keep motivated on my health goals (checking at least once a day), it better look good or at least welcoming, because my mind subconsciously equates this device to my image and identity. Study: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S187704281...

There is a psychological and behavioral aspect playing here. Extrapolate this to a monitor that will be used for ~8 hrs a day, will design and its effect on productivity matter more? Brand or luxury appeal matters for consumer products, but these might not be Studio's target demographic.

Enterprise

If users are office workers then IT professionals in charge of office equipment ($ decision makers) are the target demographic. If this is WFH/remote work, then it is working professionals investing in a home office. Both demographics can spend thousands on chairs, desks & gear, why not monitors?

As upsells, will these monitor arms make the worker more productive? Will buying them from the same manufacturer/brand ease installation minutiae that will possibly impact ergonomics and productivity long term?

These are just all hypotheses worth pondering when it comes to Apple's design and business decisions.

Re: Apple turns monitor height adjustment into a $400 upsell

#114
post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

M O N E Y

When they offer the adapter as a free alternative to the stand?

Tell me, what are your options if you want height adjustable standalone monitor with ability to Vesa mount it if you want?

You know, features that every premium monitor on the market has.

Oh right, you have to buy height adjustable stand and Vesa adapter as well?

$600 extra

Re: Apple turns monitor height adjustment into a $400 upsell

#115

Yeah, Apple's stuff is expensive. This is still alarming to someone? If you're looking for inexpensive, you don't go to Apple. That's not what they do, or have ever done.

> Yeah, Apple's stuff is expensive I don't think that's the issue. If Apple just priced this monitor at $2.4k and it included the stand no one would have cared.

It comes with a regular stand, it's just not the height adjustable one.

Why does everyone think this thing doesn't have a stand? Does no one read the article?

Re: Apple turns monitor height adjustment into a $400 upsell

#116
post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe this is sarcasm taken to heights. We have $50K+ designs where people are not allowed to touch and use because the aesthetics will be broken :)

>I believe this is sarcasm taken to heights. No, Apple fanatics really believe only Apple can make aesthetically pleasing things. They are enablers for the company at this point.

Please link to an alternative thin bezel, brushed metal or even just non-plastic, 4k or higher monitor with built in 12mp camera.

If it is decently reviewed and a significant savings compared to Apple I know a firm that will buy 200 of them.

Re: Apple turns monitor height adjustment into a $400 upsell

#117
post #18

Apple can do this because nobody else makes a high quality monitor that doesn’t look terrible. In nice offices, each chair is a couple thousand each. Full designs easily $50k+. Theyre not going to mess up a such a thoughtfully designed aesthetic with some slab of black plastic and an Amazon Basics stand (which is what I use) to save $1-2k.

The chairs are probably more like $1000 after bulk discount for buying hundreds of them,and they'll last 20 years. Having worked in many corporate environments, including FAANGs that seemingly spare no expense, none of them have used these monitors. It's always a $300ish monitor for developers and I've seen some senior executives with $1000 wide screen curved monitors. Maybe a few designers somewhere get a fancy Apple one (although I've never seen it), but these are not intended for the masses.

Re: Apple turns monitor height adjustment into a $400 upsell

#118

I think this works like the opposite of a loss-leader, a product sold at a loss to draw people into a store, and/or like minor upsells at restaurants, like guacamole on the side. I got this theory from the Apple Explained youtube channel when he talked about the $600 wheels for Mac Pros Apple needs some high end items to keep its luxury appeal, but they really want the middle market without losing some perceived luxu…

the studio display is the LG Ultrafine 5k displayport MST display in an aluminum shell.

studio display does not use the more advanced displayport 1.4 compression in the 32" 6k xdr. Apple is effectively selling a panel that first came out in 2014 when imac 5k was introduced.

You can even argue the base Studio Display is overpriced because 10th gen imac 27" 5k with the same panel plus a whole computer is 1799

Re: Apple turns monitor height adjustment into a $400 upsell

#119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I still can't figure out who would buy this given that name brand, active, 2m Thunderbolt 4 cables go for under $60. And generic brand 2m cables that are tested and well reviewed for under $40.

This is a five-foot-long PCIe x4 cable - GPU extensions are four inches. It can feed two 4K displays at 60Hz. It can transfer data faster than an NVMe drive can store it. The fact that this is even physically possible is astounding.

I guarantee it's not the wire that's making it possible.

Re: Apple turns monitor height adjustment into a $400 upsell

#120

When something is ridiculously expensive, it’s usually because you’re not the target customer. I’m a programmer and my I’ve had hard times explaining to my wife why did I need a $300 keyboard. I guess no one here would complain about $300 mechanical keyboard.

I think a lot of programmers prefer not to use a mechanical keyboard.
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