iMac upgrade brings gouging sidegrade

While the iMacs got a speed bump, Apple Canada customers felt that bump in the rear as Apple Canada continues to price gouge around 100 loonies. I guess Ted Rogers must be driving a hard bargain to let His Steveness sell the iPhone in Canada. Apple Canada has to make up the profit from somewhere.

Yes, it will be interesting to see if we can compare Canadian and U.S. iPhone sales given the myriad ways of pricing cell phones. But whatever, you and I both know that both Apple Canada and Rogers Wireless will stick it so far up Canadian customers' butts that we'll be able to view the iPhone screen from the inside of our heads.

Siooma Apple Canada.

Latest Gouging Data

Apple Canada Price Gouging
Updated	2008-04-30				Max	55%
Exchange Rate (USD/CAD)	1.00736				Avg	7%
Product	U.S.A.	Canada	Should be	Gouged	With 13% tax	%
.Mac Family Pack	179.95	199.00	181.27	17.73	20.03	11%
.Mac Single User	99.95	109.00	100.69	8.31	9.40	9%
AirPort Extreme 802.11n Enabler for Mac	1.99	2.49	2.00	0.49	0.55	27%
AirPort Extreme Base Station	179.00	199.00	180.32	18.68	21.11	12%
Aperture 2	99.00	99.00	99.73	(0.73)	(0.82)	-1%
Apple Cinema Display 20"	599.00	699.00	603.41	95.59	108.02	18%
Apple Cinema HD Display 23"	899.00	1,049.00	905.62	143.38	162.02	18%
Apple Cinema HD Display 30"	1,799.00	2,099.00	1,812.24	286.76	324.04	18%
Apple Quad-Channel 4Gb Fibre Channel PCI ExpressCard	999.00	999.00	1,006.35	(7.35)	(8.31)	-1%
Apple Remote Desktop 3	299.00	349.00	301.20	47.80	54.01	18%
Apple TV 160 GB	329.00	349.00	331.42	17.58	19.86	6%
Apple TV 40 GB	229.00	249.00	230.69	18.31	20.70	9%
Apple Wireless Keyboard	79.00	79.00	79.58	(0.58)	(0.66)	-1%
Apple wireless Mighty Mouse	179.00	199.00	180.32	18.68	21.11	12%
Final Cut Express 4	199.00	199.00	200.46	(1.46)	(1.66)	-1%
Final Cut Express HD Upgrade	99.00	99.00	99.73	(0.73)	(0.82)	-1%
Final Cut Studio 2	1,299.00	1,499.00	1,308.56	190.44	215.20	16%
iLife '08 Family Pack	99.00	99.00	99.73	(0.73)	(0.82)	-1%
iLife '08 Single User	79.00	79.00	79.58	(0.58)	(0.66)	-1%
iMac20" 2.4 GHz	1,199.00	1,299.00	1,207.82	91.18	103.03	9%
iMac20" 2.66 GHz	1,499.00	1,599.00	1,510.03	88.97	100.53	7%
iMac24" 2.8 GHz	1,799.00	1,899.00	1,812.24	86.76	98.04	5%
iMac24" 3.06 GHz	2,199.00	2,299.00	2,215.18	83.82	94.71	4%
iPod Classic 160 GB	349.00	369.00	351.57	17.43	19.70	6%
iPod Classic 80 GB	249.00	259.00	250.83	8.17	9.23	4%
iPod Nano 4 GB	149.00	159.00	150.10	8.90	10.06	7%
iPod Nano 8 GB	199.00	209.00	200.46	8.54	9.64	5%
iPod Shuffle 1 GB	49.00	55.00	49.36	5.64	6.37	13%
iPod Shuffle 2 GB	69.00	75.00	69.51	5.49	6.21	9%
iPod Touch 16 GB	399.00	419.00	401.94	17.06	19.28	5%
iPod Touch 32 GB	499.00	519.00	502.67	16.33	18.45	4%
iPod Touch 8 GB	299.00	319.00	301.20	17.80	20.11	7%
iWork '08 Family Pack	99.00	99.00	99.73	(0.73)	(0.82)	-1%
iWork '08 Single User	79.00	79.00	79.58	(0.58)	(0.66)	-1%
Logic Express 8	199.00	199.00	200.46	(1.46)	(1.66)	-1%
Logic Studio	499.00	499.00	502.67	(3.67)	(4.15)	-1%
Mac Mini 1.83 GHz Combo Drive	599.00	649.00	603.41	45.59	51.52	9%
Mac Mini 2.0 GHz SuperDrive	799.00	849.00	804.88	44.12	49.85	6%
Mac OS X Leopard Server License Upgrade	499.00	499.00	502.67	(3.67)	(4.15)	-1%
Mac OS X Leopard Server Unlimited-client	999.00	999.00	1,006.35	(7.35)	(8.31)	-1%
Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard Family Pack	199.00	199.00	200.46	(1.46)	(1.66)	-1%
Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard Single User	129.00	129.00	129.95	(0.95)	(1.07)	-1%
Mac Pro Base	2,799.00	2,899.00	2,819.60	79.40	89.72	3%
MacBook 13" Black 2.16 GHz	1,499.00	1,549.00	1,510.03	38.97	44.03	3%
MacBook 13" White 2.0 GHz	1,099.00	1,149.00	1,107.09	41.91	47.36	4%
MacBook 13" White 2.16 GHz	1,299.00	1,349.00	1,308.56	40.44	45.70	3%
MacBook Air 1.6 GHz 80 GB HD	1,799.00	1,899.00	1,812.24	86.76	98.04	5%
MacBook Air 1.8 GHz 64 GB SSD	3,098.00	3,248.00	3,120.80	127.20	143.73	5%
MacBook Pro 15" 2.2 GHz	1,999.00	2,099.00	2,013.71	85.29	96.37	5%
MacBook Pro 15" 2.4 GHz	2,499.00	2,599.00	2,517.39	81.61	92.22	4%
MacBook Pro 17" 2.4 GHz	2,799.00	2,899.00	2,819.60	79.40	89.72	3%
QuickTime 7 Pro for Mac OS X	29.99	37.99	30.21	7.78	8.79	29%
Shake 4.1	499.00	579.00	502.67	76.33	86.25	17%
Time Capsule 1 TB	499.00	529.00	502.67	26.33	29.75	6%
Time Capsule 500 GB	299.00	329.00	301.20	27.80	31.41	10%
WebObjects 5.2	699.00	1,049.00	704.14	344.86	389.69	55%
Xserve	2,999.00	3,199.00	3,021.07	177.93	201.06	7%

More price drops, more gouging. Yawn.

The iPod Shuffle 1 GB dropped substantially in price from USD$79/CAD$89 to USD$50/CAD$55 and was joined by the 2 GB Shuffle at USD$69/CAD$75. Those $6 we shell out to Apple Canada for each and every Shuffle, just for being Canadian, gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling – the same feeling you get after being slapped in the face.

The iMac 24" 2.8 GHz dropped USD$$50/CAD$60 but that wasn't enough of a drop in the CAD price to bring parity. Nope, Apple Canada still gouges by 9% ($200 with tax).

The Canadian price for the MacBooks and MacBook Pros dropped $100 across the board, except for the high-end Pros, which saw a $200 price drop. But, we're still being gouged about $80 for the MacBooks and $150 for the Pros after taxes. Apple Canada just can't bring themselves to do the right thing.

I think there must be much whining, moaning, and groaning at Apple Canada HQ for every Canadian price drop. It hurts them so much to even acknowledge how badly they've been gouging us before. Yet, they're comforted by the fact that they still gouge Canadians an average of 11% over the U.S. price.

To Apple Canada let me say just one last thing – siooma.

Aperture 2 brings price drop

Apple upgraded Aperture 1.5 to version 2. With the upgrade came a price reduction of USD $100 and CAD $150 resulting in price parity. One can conclude from this that Apple does believe that U.S. and Canadian prices should reflect the exchange rate. Or, one could conclude that this is just a coincidence and that Apple Canada prices things pretty much any way they want.

MacWorld 2008 Price Analysis

Am I the only one that was disappointed with the announcements? Oh well, Apple can't hit home runs every time. I have many thoughts on the products, but this is not a product analysis blog, it's a price gouging watch blog.

The Apple TV dropped in price:

Product	Old CAD	New CAD	Old USD	New USD
Apple TV 160 GB	$450	$350	$400	$330
Apple TV   40 GB	$330	$250	$300	$230

Still gotta gouge, don't ya Apple Canada?

I'm not really sure if the iPod Touch Canadian price was lowered or if I had a bug in my script. I'll refrain from comment on this item.

The MacBook Air and Time Capsule products were added to the list. Of course, Apple Canada absolutely must gouge us. I guess us Canucks are paying for the huge expansion going on at the Apple campus in Cupertino. How this benefits us is a bit of a mystery.

At least we know what to expect from Apple Canada. They will consistently gouge us.

But there's one more thing (on this blog, if not the keynote)…

Has Apple Canada forgotten about WebObjects??? This product has lead the gouge list since I started this months ago. It's priced hundreds of dollars more (over 50%) than the U.S. price. Maybe there are no web developers in Canada so Apple Canada doesn't feel the need to lower the price. Or maybe, any sane developer buys the product in the U.S. or as a registered Apple Developer. Whatever the reason, you've got to admire Apple Canada's chutzpah.