Stating the obvious in electronics sales
News Apple cut its iPhone price tag by $200 to $400 prompted USA Today to write about trends in prices.
It starts of with this startling conclusion: "Electronics makers are discovering limits to what consumers will pay for the latest tech gadget."
No kidding.
I still find it hard to believe that Sony thought the PlayStation 3 would be a smashing success despite attempting to sell it for $600.
Despite the PS3 being touted as the next big thing in video game systems regarding bells-and-whistles and state-of-the-art graphics, Nintendo has sold twice as many Wiis so far.
The Wii also happens to cost half as much as the PS3, which now sells for $500. Hmm. Wonder what conclusions we can draw here.
Microsoft's Xbox 360 - no slouch either in the video game system market despite some nagging glitches - was $100 cheaper when the PS3 made its debut and is faring better too.
More shocking revelations, according to the article: Blu-ray players were expected to dominate the new market for hi-def DVD, but sales are falling short of expectations.
Blu-ray players, it turns out, cost about $450. HD-DVD players, which are outselling Blu-ray, start around $250. That's despite some well-publicized announcements concerning Blu-ray's powerful backers.
Good golly Miss Molly. People don't want to spend a boat-load of money on a DVD player, hi-def or otherwise.
The article does note some exceptions to the frugal consumer rule. Big items such as PCs and wide screens that cost at least $1,000 are selling well. Ditto regarding the 20-gigabyte iPod, which costs $500.