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Apple Software Costs
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Jan 2006
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Has anyone in the UK noticed how much the cost of Apple software is compared to the US prices? The new version of Aperture, for example, costs $299 in the US and 219 pounds sterling in the UK, An obcene increase in price of approximately 60 pounds sterling - approx $112. I suppose the same could be said of all Apple prices but this is true theft. Marketing costs are no higher in the UK than elsewhere because it is all done via the same Apple web site, in effect reducing the costs outside the US. Distribution costs cannot account for the vast increase and the strong pound against a weak dollar emphasises the rip-off. I think that it is about time that Apple reviews its sales prices outside the US. What does anyone else think?
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Senior User
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London, UK
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brianmeg - is that a reference to Family Guy?
You have to remember a lot of that difference is VAT.
£219 less VAT (17.5%) is around £186, which is approx US$350. So, about $50 (£27) more than in the US.
So, yes there is a difference, but it's not as significant as your post indicates. And it's not like the same thing doesn't happen with practically everything else in the UK.
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iMac, Intel Core-Duo 2GHz, 2GB, 250GB, OS X 10.4
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Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: FFM
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$299 = £159 + 17,5% VAT = £187 → 17% more expensive in the UK than in the US
$299 = €235 + 16% VAT = €273 → 9.5% more expensive in Germany than in the US
You have more money in the UK, so Apple apparently thinks you can afford it. Nobody is hindering you to order in another EU country. Try one of the Amazons.
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Posting Junkie
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: 888500128
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Costs of running a business are significantly higher in Europe than they are in the United States.
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Nov 2001
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Originally Posted by brianmeg
Has anyone in the UK noticed how much the cost of Apple software is compared to the US prices? The new version of Aperture, for example, costs $299 in the US and 219 pounds sterling in the UK, An obcene increase in price of approximately 60 pounds sterling - approx $112. I suppose the same could be said of all Apple prices but this is true theft. Marketing costs are no higher in the UK than elsewhere because it is all done via the same Apple web site, in effect reducing the costs outside the US. Distribution costs cannot account for the vast increase and the strong pound against a weak dollar emphasises the rip-off. I think that it is about time that Apple reviews its sales prices outside the US. What does anyone else think?
I think it's funny that, even in this day and age, people in the UK and the EU cannot understand that US prices do not have tax (you call it VAT) added to the listed price. So the UK and EU prices list what you pay out the door, while the US prices do not (sales tax is added later, and only in the states that have tax, as not all do). Subtract VAT and you'll see the prices are much closer.
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Allston, MA, USA
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It's because you have to pay the costs of Apple localizing the software. Once we take all of your countries over and impose American on you, Apple won't have to charge you this localization fee and you can have your cheap software.
As a bonus, as Americans you also will get a sense of entitlement, arrogance, and ignorance, a shorter life-span, the worst healthcare in the developed world, and all the iTunes movies and TV you can watch while eating your McDonalds from the comfort on your couch that you will be too big to get off of.
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-- Jason
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Professional Poster
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Northwest Ohio
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Originally Posted by jasong
It's because you have to pay the costs of Apple localizing the software. Once we take all of your countries over and impose American on you, Apple won't have to charge you this localization fee and you can have your cheap software.
You should be aware that, as of Mac OS 8, Apple stopped localizing software into British and Australian English, instead foisting American spellings on the rest of the English-speaking world...
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Dedicated MacNNer
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Brazil
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you guys should see the price in brazil... it costs a lot more...
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