$699 Apple Pro Wheels | Hacker News Reader

$699 Apple Pro Wheels

apple.com

39 pointsonewhonknocks49 comments

The Apple apologists are going to call this a marketing stunt, but functionally it's just the inevitable conclusion of a platform monopoly that's extremely hard to leave. All it really does for me is send a very strong message about what Apple thinks about its customers, but I'm not really the type that enjoys spending $5000 on a $1000 computer for it's Veblen good aesthetics and the joys of trying to get my linux production software to run on their tortured unix.

If Apple's profit margins are coming from extremely expensive business computers and high end phones, there could be some brutal earnings reports in their future. Will be interesting to see, but given their current war chest I suppose they could just buy their way into the current valuation for a while with dividends and buybacks.

Note that they don't have brakes. There are reports of Mac Pros wandering around on floors that are not completely level [1].

[1] https://twitter.com/MKBHD/status/1232708514625310721

Edit: it looks like they are mounted with pins that are almost the same size as normal wheels. So I guess you can also go for $2 wheels available at your local hardware store.

Perhaps there will be a $2000 version with brakes?

Without premium support they will be cheaper.

Apple Pro Wheels 2

Revolutionize your office flexibility by using the brand new wheel brakes.

Keep your Mac Pro near you, apply the breaks. Never stop imagining.

Apple Mac Pro Wheels Pro.

Not until after WheelGate

Obviously, the Apple recommended solution is to have your floor properly leveled within millimeters, just like Apple Park.

How many people are talking about these wheels?

It's like "have you seen how much Apple are charging for their Mac Pro wheels?!?!"

And people are becoming aware that the Mac Pro exists.

Yep. Like the monitor arm but better.

Especially because they are released with time in between for maximum effectiveness. I bet they will release another useless $1000 option next in a few months. Idk, a $1200 black case or a $600 mouse or something.

Oh! An external wireless keyboard with touchbar and touch ID for $400! That would be a great move. I bet people will actually buy it as well.

I paid close to $400 for my current keyboard, and it’s just a ordinary mechanical keyboard, no fancy features. I’m very happy with it, and how much I paid for it.

Was it a custom or semi custom job? You can get amazing keyboards for 200, just wondering what it is.

Anyhow even if not custom/limited run product, you paid x2 not x10 of the cost.

I wanted a very specific Filco model. It was out of production, and I had to order it from overseas, which drove up the cost a fair bit. I probably did pay about 2x the original price for it, but I’m not really sure because it was never sold in the US as far as I know. Filco make high quality keyboard in any case, and they’re not exactly cheap under normal circumstances.

My point being that I knew what I wanted to get, and I was happy to pay that price for it, even if some (or a lot of) other people would think that’s ridiculous. I think I’ve gotten more value out of it than I paid for it in $$$. If charging high prices is what it takes to convince people to produce high quality products, then (for certain products) I’m happy to pay them.

its a marketing move. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TfLVL5GeE4

Aghh Linus... Now my feed will be full of him again!

Thanks for the warning.

In your feed click the three dots > "Don't recommend channel"

What's the deal with him?

Ah he's not bad to be fair, but everytime I watch even just 1 video, YouTube seems to think I want to binge every min of his videos.

There are a few YouTube personalities that have that effect.. And it takes a while to clear out that feedback bubble.

the price is crazy, marketing or not. what if a customer actually wants the wheels?

They are cheaper if you buy them with the machine, presumably because you don't need the feet.

If you change your mind you can always get the feet for $299.

I see it more as kind of like jewellery for dogs. Some people just don’t know what to do of their money. And there is always a kind of stingy pleasure in buying stuff that is slightly too expensive for you. Even people with modest revenues like to buy the cheapest item they can afford at the Hermes store. But you get deprived from that stingy pleasure when you have cash coming out of your ears. Apple (and art dealers) provide a valuable public service by selling to those people some piece of junk that makes them feel like struggling consumers again.

Hermes did an even greater trick with their Birkin bag. Episode of Planet Money is about how Hermes is charging 60k for leather bag.

https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2017/11/10/563342363/epis...

Im not sure I agree; a set of $700 wheels won’t make anybody who can easily afford them feel like struggling customers again. Wealthy people that I got to know would likely feel offended by the price tag in relation to the functionality. The nouveau riche crowd looking to display status on the other hand...

Innovation still taking place.. They said don't reinvent the wheel.. Well Apple proves once again.. To think different.

It takes the courage to use a revolutionary design.

The wheels for my car are cheaper.

That's because wheels for your car have breaks. Those, don't.

car wheels do not have brakes.

So why then they are so cheap?

You must be fun at parties :D

My car was cheaper.

If you don’t have a cool $699 for the wheels, you could just go with the $299 feet [0], and load the whole thing onto a kid’s steel wagon [1].

[0]. https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MXNM2ZM/A/apple-mac-pro-f...

[1]. https://www.mocka.com.au/kids-steel-wagon.html

I have an old imac. I was trying to change the batteries in the track pad. The batteries must have leaked and I could not get it open, even with massive force.

I learned my lesson on paying a premium for expensive accessories. So here is what I did.

I just ordered the basic ipad yesterday for my kid's distance learning.

They were pushing the pencil and keyboard hard. I did a quick search and found off brand pencils and keyboards that would work for a fraction of the cost. That is the route I went.

I love macOS & iOS. I’ve been happy to be an Apple customer because the support for hardware has been excellent as well.

The icing on the cake was the era of belief that Apple had the goal of making consumer products that people could afford and cherish a good portion of their life. The company is sadly drifting from the past brand status for everyone can change the world to just another luxury brand that not everyone can afford for participating.

Why the company prefers making these beyond expensive products and instead of improving user experience & enticing new customers is beyond me. I guess people just work for waking up to a higher paycheck than last year nowadays.

Interesting. Did not realize people moved their towers that much. Perhaps it's a thing people do in art studios or wherever Mac Pros are used.

It’s not about moving the tower. It’s about brand awareness, like this post.

“Look how stupid these expensive wheels are.” While you look at their fancy mac pro. It’s free advertising, and since nobody needs the wheels, no customer feels ripped off.

Win-win.

It’s like the $1000 Monitor arm but better.

earlier discussion https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23086254

Comment from there: “The guy was a 10x engineer. He was looking into medical tourism to have a feeding tube put in so he could fuel w/ Soylent.”

That was a joke right?

The real joke is that there are so many people in the industry who devote their lives to work to the point that people question whether this is really a joke.

It wouldn't work as humour if there wasn't an element of truth in there.

What a bargain! They’re €849 ($919) in NL, tax included.

Mac Pro Weight: 39.7 pounds (18.0 kg)

How do these work, i.e. there doesn't seem to be anything in the center of the wheel. How do they work?

Its two separate wheels that rotate independently, probably using ball-bearings.

So it's technically only $87.50 per wheel. By Grabthar's hammer, what a savings.

https://www.google.com/search?q=motorbike+spokeless&client=f...

Here's a better angle: https://scdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/apple-...

Reply on news.ycombinator.com