[El_Diablo]

http://www.latimes.com/business/technology...0,3774448.story

QUOTE

WASHINGTON -- Former Apple Inc. Chief Executive Steve Jobs and top executives at five major book publishers illegally conspired to raise the prices of e-books, costing consumers tens of millions of dollars, federal and state officials alleged in antitrust suits filed Wednesday. The collusion began in 2009 and price fixing took effect with the launch of the iPad in early 2010, boosting the average cost of e-books by $2 to $3 each "virtually overnight," said Sharis Pozen, the acting head of the Justice Department's antitrust division. "We allege that these executives knew full well what they were doing. That is, taking steps to make sure the prices consumers paid for e-books were higher," she said in announcing the federal suit. "'The customer pays a little more, but that's what you want anyway,'" Pozen quoted Jobs as saying at one point in the negotiations with publishers. The suit said Apple proudly described the price-fixing plan -- which gave the iPad maker a guaranteed 30% commission on each e-book it sold through its online marketplace -- as an "aikido move," referring to the Japanese martial art. The suit, and another by 16 state attorneys general, was filed against Apple, Simon & Schuster Inc., Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan and Penguin Group. Hachette, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster reached a settlement with the Justice Department that would require them to allow retailers such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble to reduce the prices of e-books they sell from the publishers, the Justice Department said. The settlement, if approved by a federal judge, would restore competition to the e-book market, Pozen said.

is anyone really surprised by this?



and you know all those sheep will be lined up to buy the next iPad in 6 months...

[codyr783]

Well, that sounds like Steve Jobs for ya'. Thankfully, he's in his proper place now.

[Mockage]

Yeah not surprised. Apples a big company though, so dirty work seems inevitable.
The same concept applies to Microsoft as well.

[leik oh em jeez!]

Karma's a bitch. With all the money he had, why was he still trying to steal from the lower and middle classes? This is typical Apple, and typical Steve Jobs. Not at all surprised.

[kmlwin.1996]

I don't like the apple products. They are usually expensive and have to pay monthly upgrades for their products. I can't abuse the inspiration of Ipad. But it comes out after 6 months and get more better. So, we have to buy that sh*ts every year.

Like,

Ipad-1 released...

After 6 months,

Ipad-2 comes out, become more better than ordinary ones. So, Ipad-1 goes to hell.

After 6 months,

Ipad-3 comes out, have many features than Ipad-2. With HD screens and many more. Ipad-1 is now junk and Ipad-2 goes to hell.

[leik oh em jeez!]

QUOTE (kmlwin.1996 @ Wednesday, Apr 11 2012, 21:05)

I can't abuse the inspiration of Ipad.

You really can. The original iPad really wasn't all that original. The concept of convertible Tablet PCs had been around for ages, and our modern tablets had been on the market for some time. The iPad was really just an average tablet, with an iPhone operating system. Then they want you to pay the price of a full fledged PC operating system and performance for it.

[kmlwin.1996]

^^ That.

Blah the Apple.

[Irviding]

Yeah, the guy is an asshole. He is a pure genius with business though. There's nothing smarter than that. It's clear that they have the iPhone set with new technological updates for probably at least the next five years. I'm sure, for example, that Siri, multitasking, etc was all thought of 3+ years ago. Every 6 months they just release a new update and charge you for the whole new phone.

I still have an iPhone 3GS, and I hate to 'conform' but I plan to replace it with the 5 or whatever else is next simply because the thing is so slow now. I actually had an iPhone 3G since around my 10th/11th grade year of High School (whenever 2008 was) but about a year and a half ago I dropped it in the sink and got a replacement, then I dropped a 60 lb dumbbell on its screen about a week after. I used the apple store in DC near my university to replace that one, the other I replaced at home, so they didn't seem to catch on to me replacing a phone twice in a span of about a week. I guess it'll be cool to have the new versions and all, but I'll be happy to simply be able to not have my phone crash all the time and actually be able to text, use facebook, and write emails without it freezing up all the time. The S for speed now seems to stand for sh*t. And on top of that it drops calls like a bitch too.

Regardless, he's no Bill Gates. He's no Warren Buffet, donating their entire fortunes to charity. This guy could give two sh*ts. He's happy to exploit and earn as much money as possible. I'm glad the justice department is going after apple for price fixing, they deserve it, and whoever else collaborated. Was Amazon involved at all or are their ebooks through someone else?

[Xcommunicated]

QUOTE (El_Diablo @ Wednesday, Apr 11 2012, 20:50)

is anyone really surprised by this?

Considering how many apple zealots showed such a ridiculous outpour over Jobs' death, I think most will happily turn a blind eye and say something faggy like, "well that's just how bizness werks so Jobs cud make the werld a betta place." Like I've said for years though, Jobs was nothing more than a cut-throat businessman in a dog-eat-dog industry, nothing new, but he was obviously better at it than most.

As for the lawsuit, it'll probably amount to nothing more than the typical slap on the wrist that any big business gets these days.

[zoo3891]

QUOTE (kmlwin.1996 @ Wednesday, Apr 11 2012, 22:05)

I don't like the apple products. They are usually expensive and have to pay monthly upgrades for their products. I can't abuse the inspiration of Ipad. But it comes out after 6 months and get more better. So, we have to buy that sh*ts every year. Like, Ipad-1 released... After 6 months, Ipad-2 comes out, become more better than ordinary ones. So, Ipad-1 goes to hell. After 6 months, Ipad-3 comes out, have many features than Ipad-2. With HD screens and many more. Ipad-1 is now junk and Ipad-2 goes to hell.

That's Moore's law for you. When buying expensive technology you need to plan really well, or have lot's of money.

This wouldn't have affected me anyway. If I ever want an eBook I'll just go find the book in text format and convert it to ePub. For me eBooks are overpriced anyway. I won't be surprised if those book publishers let the price crawl up slowly, and have a $3 price achieved within a few years.

[Mark]

QUOTE (kmlwin.1996 @ Thursday, Apr 12 2012, 02:05)

I don't like the apple products. They are usually expensive and have to pay monthly upgrades for their products. I can't abuse the inspiration of Ipad. But it comes out after 6 months and get more better. So, we have to buy that sh*ts every year. Like, Ipad-1 released... After 6 months, Ipad-2 comes out, become more better than ordinary ones. So, Ipad-1 goes to hell. After 6 months, Ipad-3 comes out, have many features than Ipad-2. With HD screens and many more. Ipad-1 is now junk and Ipad-2 goes to hell.

Try yearly over 6 months. You know, the same refresh cycle of pretty much every manufacturer out there.

Moved to Tech + PC Chat.

[Wolf68k]

QUOTE (kmlwin.1996 @ Wednesday, Apr 11 2012, 20:05)

I don't like the apple products. They are usually expensive and have to pay monthly upgrades for their products. I can't abuse the inspiration of Ipad. But it comes out after 6 months and get more better. So, we have to buy that sh*ts every year. Like, Ipad-1 released... After 6 months, Ipad-2 comes out, become more better than ordinary ones. So, Ipad-1 goes to hell. After 6 months, Ipad-3 comes out, have many features than Ipad-2. With HD screens and many more. Ipad-1 is now junk and Ipad-2 goes to hell.

Did you make this crap up yourself or did someone else force feed it to you?
Let's look at this BS one a time....
Apple products expensive:
iPad 16 Wifi only: $499 any Apple Store
Samsung Galaxy Tab 16GB Wifi only: $450 Bestbuy and most other retailers.
Not too much of a difference. And before you say that the Tab has an SD card slot (of whatever size) just remember that you have to include that in the price. But really it comes down to user preference.

"...have to pay for monthly upgrade for their products..."
WTF are you talking about? Where did you get that load of BS? Exactly what upgrades do you think talking about?

Release time ever 6-months?!?
iPad 1 release date: April 2010
iPad 2: March 2011
iPad 3: March 2012
Get your facts straight
Many people still use the iPad1 and see no reason to change. A lot more people still use the iPad2 and seriously see little reason to change. No nothing has gone to hell.



Do I like and own Apple products? Yes. Am I lying about anything I just said? No.
I'm not replying to this to defend Apple. I'm defending the facts.


Also the LATimes doesn't even seem to have all of the facts straight, which from what I've seen of them in the past is not much of a surprise. They make it out as if it was all Apple's idea where as other sources are saying other wise. LATimes and the media in general are doing the same BS here they did with the Foxxconn crap. Apple is involved in any way so target them as the being the bad guy since they have the biggest name so we can sell newspapers/magazines/whatever. Now yes in the case Foxconn case it turned out to be a hoax, meant to be comedy according to the "journalist." But here again if Apple wasn't involved at all this would be a non-news. Instead of being a headline story it would be buried in the back with the ads from Sears which no one gives a s**t about either.

[El_Diablo]

QUOTE (Xcommunicated @ Wednesday, Apr 11 2012, 23:22)

As for the lawsuit, it'll probably amount to nothing more than the typical slap on the wrist that any big business gets these days.

to be fair, everything is a "slap on the wrist" when it comes to Apple.

they're sitting on BILLIONS in capital.

[leik oh em jeez!]

QUOTE

Did you make this crap up yourself or did someone else force feed it to you?

Oh no, here comes the Apple fanboy, everyone better run and hide, he'll lock the topic if you prove him wrong or talk bad about Apple. And if he can't lock it, he'll edit your post to remove any negative comments about Apple. (No joke, he's done it before.)

I mean really Wolf, he had already been corrected, why did you feel the need to post that?

Besides, the 16Gb Galaxy Tab 10.1 can be had for $385.

QUOTE

Also the LATimes doesn't even seem to have all of the facts straight, which from what I've seen of them in the past is not much of a surprise.

If you're going to say they don't have their facts straight, please post some proof. All you do is bring up another (apparently false) article that has absolutely nothing to do with this one. Just because Apple's name was used once to get views doesn't mean that any future article involving them should be dismissed as the same thing. You know what they say about assumptions.

[Wolf68k]

Grow up. Even if I hated Apple I would still be defending the facts. And yes I corrected him even after he was corrected by someone else who if you'd pay attention was only corrected on 1 part of his post.

As for me citing the other news outlets that have the facts right, do I really need to post every other site that anyone with brain can find using Google?
Ok then, here you go....
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_162-574...-against-apple/
http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/le...006726752.story
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/j...e-fixing-310976
There were more and easier to find the other day before the new update to this story came out yesterday. But all I did was go to Google and typed: doj apple

And yes I do know what they say about assumptions, and just like the LATimes you and all of the other Apple haters that replied in here and in the Foxconn topic were assuming that Apple is the bad guy and in both cases you were wrong.


LOL ebay, really? And for only $385. An untrusted source to give a lot of money to. And don't give me any BS about this guy having a 100% seller rating on eBay, anyone can game the rating system on there.
You do understand that the only reason I even used the SGT10.1 was because it is the latest Android tablet and the best selling one but it only compares to the iPad 2 in specs.

[leik oh em jeez!]

QUOTE

And yes I corrected him even after he was corrected by someone else who if you'd pay attention was only corrected on 1 part of his post.

The release schedule? Yes that was corrected. I suppose him saying that Apple products are expensive is what you were trying correct then? So do you honestly think Apple products aren't expensive? You'd have to be pretty f*cking retarded to argue that. If that's not what you were correcting, what exactly were you correcting?

QUOTE

As for me citing the other news outlets that have the facts right, do I really need to post every other site that anyone with brain can find using Google?

And none of those directly contradict anything in the first article, so I fail to see what point you're trying to make. Please lay off the insults, learn some professionalism.

QUOTE

And yes I do know what they say about assumptions, and just like the LATimes you and all of the other Apple haters that replied in here and in the Foxconn topic were assuming that Apple is the bad guy and in both cases you were wrong.

There you go again comparing two unrelated articles and assuming that it's the same thing. Did you ever stop to think that maybe, just once, Apple might actually be the bad guy? Would you really put it past them?

QUOTE

LOL ebay, really? And for only $385. An untrusted source to give a lot of money to. And don't give me any BS about this guy having a 100% seller rating on eBay, anyone can game the rating system on there.

1. Yes, Ebay.
2. Yes, $385, compared to $500. Much bigger than the $50 price difference you claimed.
3. An untrusted source? Not quite. Have you ever used ebay? The feedback system is in place for a reason, and while easy to con as a buyer it's damn near impossible to con as a seller.
4. 100% positive feedback with 1000+ transactions, so he's a trusted dealer.
5. Anyone can game the rating system? Have you ever used the rating system? The only thing sellers have a chance at gaming is the detailed seller rating, which is independent of feedback and is rated by stars. Sellers CAN NOT game the feedback system, ebay makes sure of that. Even if a seller refuses to refund money and Paypal can't forcefully take it back, you're still covered with ebay Buyer Protection.

maybe you should get YOUR facts straight. Because as wrong as you are, you still haven't proved any facts from the original article as false.

[matthew1g]

16GB ipad 2nd gen wifi for $395.99 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-iPad-2-16GB-...0#ht_512wt_1156 + free shipping

You can't compare the pricing of a generation old galaxy tab with a newly released iPad 3rd Gen anyway.

Moving on.

This post has been edited by matthew1g on Saturday, Apr 14 2012, 19:10

[Wolf68k]

I was going to reply to this but really what is the point? All you see is Apple so you have to bash it without any proof of anything.
You're not worth the time.

[leik oh em jeez!]

QUOTE (matthew1g @ Saturday, Apr 14 2012, 14:07)

16GB ipad 2nd gen wifi for $395.99 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-iPad-2-16GB-...0#ht_512wt_1156 + free shipping You can't compare the pricing of a generation old galaxy tab with a newly released iPad 3rd Gen anyway. Moving on.

The generation old Galaxy Tab is just as on par with the iPad 3 as it is with the 2.

Galaxy Tab 10.1:
Dual core CPU
1Gb
1280x800 10.1" screen

iPad 2:
Single core CPU
512Mb
1024x760 9.7" screen

iPad 3:
Dual core CPU
1Gb
2048x1536 9.7" screen

Even being better than the iPad 2 in every way, it's still cheaper and much closer to the performance of the iPad 3.



This post has been edited by Wolf68k on Sunday, Apr 15 2012, 14:36

[Irviding]

Maybe could be more price fixing involved since all of them are ridiculously close to each other in price