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Comment by objclxt | Hacker News Reader

> Huh? They're competing just fine by keeping prices down, which is what most consumers look for first

I dispute that. If consumers looked to price first everyone reading this would be using a ChromeBook, but I imagine a sizable number are using MacBooks instead. A more generic example: some consumers will buy the cheapest possible clothing, but most consumers look to a reasonable compromise of price and quality.

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Just because you're price sensitive, that doesn't mean that you'll buy something you don't want, just because it's cheaper than what you do want.

There's been plenty of research that shows most people are more interested in lower prices than making some sort of social statement.

True. I think most people want the lowest price for a specific branded product. They start off by deciding, more or less, on getting a certain level of perceived quality, and then finding low prices. The price is secondary to making the decision to purchase a product.

As far as making a "social statement" - buying most recognizable or branded products is a kind of social statement. If it weren't, we wouldn't have such a diverse selection of cars, clothes and laptops.

This is an obtuse simplification. I would be happy with a Chromebook if I didn't happen to be a developer. Also, it's not easy for the layperson to measure the quality of groceries. A lettuce is a lettuce, so I'll buy it where it's cheaper.

That's perhaps one of the worst examples you could give to support your argument. The vast majority of people are not developers or otherwise employed in well compensated IT jobs. They most certainly look to price first when it comes to personal computers.

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