Apple announced on Tuesday that it has launched its online store to sell quality-tested second-hand Apple products in China, to increase its sales. The available refurbished products in Apple's Chinese store include iPod Shuffles and iPod Nanos which are offered at a 22% discount whereas iMac is being offered at a 12% discount.
The cost of the used apple products range from US$44 for an iPod shuffle to more than US$2,047 for an iMac. The total number of used products to be sold is not yet known. All refurbished products are sold with a 1 Year quality guarantee. They are only sold online and delivered to the buyers via a phone call to Apple's Shanghai distributor.
Apple has similar discounted refurbished sales deal in other countries like the US, UK and Japan for many years, but to a lesser extent. U.S retailer Best Buy is selling refurbished versions of Apple iPhone 3G that are priced around US$50 less than new ones. Apple's US online store products include Macbook Air which costs US$999, less than half its intro price last year.
The first Apple retail store was opened in China just before the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Olympics. The retail sellers might have nothing to fear about this sale as they offer huge discounts to consumers rather than online sellers.
No, you're thinking of the iThere. The iTeleporter was older and clunkier, and only marketed for about 4 months in 1998, but was met with massive commercial failure, due to it's inability to teleport anything except for 16bit matter.
The iThere will revolutionize the market, though, with the ability to teleport 32bit matter out of the box, and support for 64bit matter in the next update! (They're going to charge $5.99 USD to enable it though, due to 'accounting reasons')
It may not seem like a lot to non-Chinese, but let me put it in context for you.
90RMB can let you ride the subway for 45 times in Beijing (our subway is $2 per ride, irregardless of going just to the next station, or going to the other side of town), or if you're like me and take the bus to work, that $90 pays for 225 rides.
While one can argue that those earning very little may not be able to afford an iPod to begin with, $90 discount is very tempting for those young people who wants to be hip but doesn't earn all that much (enough to get by, and get something nice once in a while).
Once again, just kidding.
They only care about money and their reputation. If they cared about the little Chinese boy that you talk about, they'd reduce it in price even more, but do they really want their elitist products tainted by the poor?
Once again, just kidding.
Peculiar place to punch someone if you ask me. I suppose you could grab their (whatever it is that you are stealing) and they wouldn't be able to shout for help. Nice thinking.
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