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iPod unlikely at Wal-Mart stores

updated 09:50 am EDT, Thu April 21, 2005

iPod Wal-Mart

Apple's iPod may be winning shelf space at retailers like Best Buy, but Apple's firm pricing policy may leave the music player . While Apple likes tight control over how and at what prices Apple products are sold, Wal-Mart largely dictates terms to its suppliers, according to IDC analyst Roger Kay. Apple, in years past, pulled out of a number of retailers because it wasn't getting enough support in selling Apple products. "I'd be very surprised if Apple went to Wal-Mart, because they're a true discounter," said analyst Tim Bajarin. "Apple won't go in without an agreement that the reseller won't change the suggested retail price" Bajarin said.

by MacNN Staff

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VidMac237
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Joined: Apr 2005

+1

04/21, 10:17am | report spam | close Reply |
HP iPod

There may not be an Apple iPod coming to Walmart, but the HP iPod is. Was there last night and signage all over the place talking about the HP iPod arriving May 6th. Nothing about prices though.

Thump
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Joined: Apr 2005

-1

04/21, 10:23am | report spam | close Reply |
iPod at Wal-mart on 5/6

I was in Wal-Mart last night and they have a large sign by the front door announcing that they will have the iPod by HP on May 6th.

Roehlstation
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Joined: Aug 2001

-1

04/21, 10:48am | report spam | close Reply |
So..They are a discounter

Walmart does not have lower prices on Sony PlayStations or XBoxes, what makes you think they will try to dictate to Apple what their prices should be? They might try, Apple will say no and if Walmart wants a piece of that action they will agree to sell them at the same prices as everyone else.

climacs
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Joined: Sep 2001

+1

04/21, 11:01am | report spam | close Reply |
f*** wal-mart

f*** 'em. I refuse to ever shop there. I wonder if the in-bred fat-assed morons who spend money there know that virtually everything there is made in China, that the employees are paid spit, that they use illegal labor, and their employees have to apply for health insurance from the state because they are so ill-paid.

BOYCOTT WAL-MART!

slffl
Dedicated MacNNer

Joined: Jan 2003

+1

04/21, 11:23am | report spam | close Reply |
Good

Good, I'm glad Apple won't be helping out that neocon controlled corporation!

burnkit
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Joined: Apr 2005

+1

04/21, 11:28am | report spam | close Reply |
We have them here.

The Wal-Mart in my town has had ipods (hp and mini's) for a while now. They're priced the same as any other store.

crovira
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Joined: Feb 2002

+1

04/21, 11:34am | report spam | close Reply |
Apple at Wal*Mart. Yuck!

Apple is as likely to be in negotiations with Wall*Mart as Lexus would be likely to be in negotiations with Yugo.

The high-end market is NOT there. The market that IS there is NOT the one that would support Apple's margins.

HP is another kettle of fish however. Since the profits in the printer and PC markets are going south (when the production facilities are going east, HP stands a chance at being a high volume box stuffer like Dell.

Apple doesn't have to worry that HP'll come up with the next big thing, so let 'em make and sell iPods (and pay Apple something on each,) and keep the iTunes Music Store cash registers ringing too.

brainiac
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04/21, 11:49am | report spam | close Reply |
Walmart evil?

Okay, so I am not a big fan of corporations making a lot of money and not sharing the wealth with employees. But, in many regions in the United States wages are ridiculously inflated. For the skill level of work that many of their employees do, should wages really be inflated? I know a lot of people who get paid way too much for what they do. Why do jobs go to China and India? Because our workers are too expensive. And don't get me started about tip jars at fast food sandwich stores...

chadpengar
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04/21, 11:56am | report spam | close Reply |
re: Walmart evil?

yes, Walmart is evil -- they abuse their employees and their suppliers.

Due to a few things. The biggest reason the cost of doing business is high here is the intrusion of regulation and taxation by the government, and the effects of labor unions to a lesser degree.

chadpengar
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04/21, 11:56am | report spam | close Reply |
re: Walmart evil?

My message above should have quoted this:

>>>Why do jobs go to China and India? Because our workers are too expensive.

climacs
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04/21, 12:03pm | report spam | close Reply |
wages too high?

give me a f****** break.

yes, we should pay our workers like they do in China... virtual slave labor. Yep, that's capitalism. Yep, yep, yep. Let's return to the good ol' social darwinist days of the 1890s. Let's return to industrial age feudalism. Yep, yep, yep. That's Bush's vision of the USA. Eliminate the troublesome middle class, keep the peons scratching to just get by, that way they are too busy trying to keep from starving and keep a roof over their heads to notice that you're destroying the freedom and liberty you claim to cherish and love.

f*** Wal-Mart. f*** Bush.

Feeling_Macish
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04/21, 12:13pm | report spam | close Reply |
China is borrowing

against their future when they price things so bottom-line. They are not pricing the cost of damage to the environment by factory refuse/effluents, the damage to the health of the workers, etc. The idiots who shop at Wal-Mart are the last people who will care about this; all they care about is CHEAP when they wander the aisles at 10:00pm with their six kids ranging in age from 6 weeks to three years old. They don't even care about buying something better with a slightly higher upfront cost in order to avoid buying its replacement 3 or 4 more times (which will then make the cheaper model more expensive than the more expensive model). They are absolutely unable to think strategically. Wal-Mart is the beneficiary of a very stupid population of rabid breeders.

brainiac
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04/21, 12:34pm | report spam | close Reply |
For the prev few posts...

Chadpengar: Yes, the government has a subsidy for sending jobs away but on a level playing field, there would still be a disparity. Yes, unions cause problems by inflating wages. Why should an academic counselor be paid 50-60$ per hour to help a student choose classes? And the cost of nurses is way out of whack, increasing health care.

Climacs: Go to one of the overpriced nurses and get a valium. Nobody says we should pay people (I mean use free prison labor) like they do in China. Yes, the government sells themselves to special interests and it gets out of hand as they make money and cut services to us. If you level the wage playing field and narrow the gap between rich and poor then there are fewer social disparity problems. But paying inflated wages is not the answer, lowering the ceiling is.

Feeling_Macish: China is killing their environment. When I went there I checked the weather reports. I never knew that "smoke" was a valid weather condition. The environment is not as important as surviving there. And, yes, I cannot understand how people cannot afford food or heating oil, but they can have 5 kids, cell phones, and 100$ a month cable with high speed internet access. These are not the people that think about buying something once or buying cheap stuff 5 times. Humans are, generally, innately stupid creatures with short-term sight and a sense of entitlement.

testudo
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04/21, 12:46pm | report spam | close Reply |
Walmart the discounter

Walmart offers discount prices only when it makes them money. Most of the time, though, this is because they basically strong-arm their suppliers into sweetheart deals (esp. where there's competition in a category) by saying "Gee, sell us your product for this much, or we'll just pull you off the shelves and sell your competition". This is especially true for consumables (paper products, food stuffs, clothes, most toys, etc). Some products, however, don't have the competition. Xbox and Playstation, for example, are both products in demand specifically, and its in Wal-mart's interest to sell them, despite not getting discount deals from Sony or MS. Same with the iPod, I would assume.

Oh, and you can't blame Wal-marts evilness on Unions, because they don't allow unions in their stores. And their stores (as messy as they are) do serve a purpose. Because when they move into town, they force all the other businesses to close, and then everyone has to work at Wal-mart, and, well, that then becomes the only place they can afford to shop.

brainiac
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04/21, 01:17pm | report spam | close Reply |
me again

As I first stated, I am not a big fan of corporate greed. Also, in your statement, you didn't mention how Walmart uses their status to get sweetheart land deals and subsidies from local city governments to build a store with the hope that the city will benefit from middle to long term tax benefits only to have Walmart pull-up tent stakes before it must pay city fees. Many times, the stores are relocated to a new location only miles from the original location in another city's jurisdiction. Walmart in inherently "evil", but the overall economic practice of forcing higher pay, raising prices so the CEO can maintain their lifestyle, and then complaining that prices are too high and that workers must now be paid more again is how we are getting ourselves into a bad situation. In a global economy (artificial or not), the bubble will burst.

chadpengar
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04/21, 01:41pm | report spam | close Reply |
nurses

The comment that nurses are paid too much is way out of line and has nothing to do with the high cost of health care (which is mostly high due to government involvement and underpaying). In most cases, nurses are not paid enough for the work they do and the responsibility they have. They have most of the responsibility in a clinic or hospital (they get in trouble if a doctor prescribes a wrong dose or wrong medicine -- not the doctor as they are supposed to double check the doctor) but the doctor gets all the money. Most nurses get between $35k and around $60k a year, which for the c*** (literally) they go through is not enough. The $60k a year ones have been on the job for 30 years. Compare that to a web designer who gets $50-80k a year to design stupid looking web pages.

A nurse in a typical medical/surgical floor of a hospital is paid $17-$25/hour or so, often has 7-8 patients to care for, half of whom are old senile people who c*** all over their beds and complain and abuse the nurses. The nurse is responsible for dispensing the medication (and double checkling the doctors orders), taking vital signs and diagnosing changes in condition, often (because there are not enough nurses aids) cleaningup the f**** and urine when the patient poops in his bed, dealing with hysterical relatives of the patient, being responsible to keep track of medications and narcotics, etc. When an emergency happens, the nurse is on the front line with life support until the emergency crew (if any) arrive. It is very stressful and quite low paying for the training required and the responsibility given. And then, when there is a day of low patient count in the hospital, the nurse's shift can be canceled. Many work 12 hour shifts and to lose 12 hours out of your week is a major financial loss. Many nurses are the major or sole bread winners in their families and have a hard time making ends meet. I know, my wife is a nurse and I therefore know a broad spectrum of nurses at a few facilities she has worked at.

chadpengar
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04/21, 01:42pm | report spam | close Reply |
re: Walmart the discounte

The earlier comment about unions is not directly related to Wal Mart, but to grossly higher costs of doing business in general.

jvputten
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04/21, 01:48pm | report spam | close Reply |
Re-Walmart evil?

Brainiac wrote: "But, in many regions in the United States wages are ridiculously inflated."

I live in Arkansas and I hate Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart�s low pay and employee benefits force hundreds of thousands of employees to resort to Medicaid, food stamps, and public housing. Call it the �Wal-Mart Tax.� And it costs you $1.5 billion in federal tax dollars every year.

jwdsail
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Joined: Jun 2000

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04/21, 02:18pm | report spam | close Reply |
HP iPods..

HP iPods (40 GB) have been in my local Wallmart for *months*. iPod mini docks and other accessories (from Belkin) have also been available there.

I hate Wallmart, but as an Apple shareholder was glad to see iPods, mini docs, accessories available there. Not just for the possible sales, but for the eyeballs/mindshare gains..

later all

crovira
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Joined: Feb 2002

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04/21, 02:36pm | report spam | close Reply |
Why do Jobs go to ... ?

Because multi-national companies have realized that there is profit in getting people from poor(er) countries competing with the rich(er) countries.

The one's in the rich(er) countries have NO CHOICE but to compete on price, since that's all that matters to a multi-national, for equivalent goods/services.

The fact that the rich(er) countries are getting poor(er) at a faster rate than the poor(er) ones are getting rich(er) is due to the fact that, when you're competing on price alone, you tend to keep yourself poor, though you're hopefully not as poor as you were before.

We're hurting in the industrialized world because the priec of transporting goods around the world is so low. Support oil at US$75.00 per barrel (which will finish off GM and the gas guzzlers from any other manufacturers.

As an unintended consequence, get ready for a glut of Bollywood film, which should make the deep-right happy because they're so 'moral.'("No s** please ... We're Hindi!")

ApeInTheShell
Senior User

Joined: Nov 2002

0

04/21, 03:20pm | report spam | close Reply |
Target

I like Target better. At least I know where things are and don't have the fear of large boxes falling on me as I cross the hallways.

Faizon318
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Joined: Mar 2004

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04/21, 03:29pm | report spam | close Reply |
what will happen ?

What will happen in 10-20 years when the USA makes nothing and consumes everything ? At the rate we are going wont everything be made in another part of the world ?

I read some place that all that polution chinas doin will be over the US in a decade so we might wind up living in the Iraq when it becomes a part of the union.

brainiac
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04/21, 03:57pm | report spam | close Reply |
Nurses...

Chadpengar: About nurses, hence my statement " But, in many regions in the United States wages are ridiculously inflated." I know two nurses who make 75$+ per hour and very often get overtime to the tune of 100$+ per hour. Many times, especially with night shifts, that money is made walking rounds and reading. Have your wife move to San Diego. I agree with most everything else you say.

testudo
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04/21, 04:28pm | report spam | close Reply |
Re: nurses and walmart

Also, in your statement, you didn't mention how Walmart uses their status to get sweetheart land deals and subsidies from local city governments to build a store with the hope that the city will benefit from middle to long term tax benefits only to have Walmart pull-up tent stakes before it must pay city fees.

Actually, many towns are trying to keep them out (they are where I live), while others beg for them (esp. places that can't get any stores to come, DC comes to mind).

To Brainiac: Nurses get paid alot because there's such a demand for them, and there's not enough good ones. But, like teachers (who don't get the money, but all they do is teach the future of the country), they do a lot of stuff that people don't realize. Chadpengar is right, they deserve their money. They're the ones drawing blood, cleaning up, taking tests, etc. Doctors are the ones who are overpaid. They stroll in (whenever it pleases them), look at some results, go "You need drugs", then leave, probably to call their broker again.

But the cost of nursing isn't what drives up medical costs, so its all moot. The real cost is in malpractice suits (and the ability to sue over anything!), the arrogant AMA which basically has no rule to pull licenses from incompetent and dangerous doctors, the way overpriced prescription drug business (talk about sweetheart deals), and the fact that most hospitals are being run by for-profit corporations looking to make a buck wherever they can.

IonQuest
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Joined: Apr 2005

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04/21, 04:48pm | report spam | close Reply |
American Revolution

Some US citizens seem to think there is a nickle's-worth-of-difference between Democrats and Republicans. Both create policy based on bribes from special-interest lobbies. These bribes sometimes go by the names "campaign contributions", "educational junkets", etc.

A bill was before Congress in Oct. 2000 to triple the influx of cheap foreign tech workers. It passed the Senate by 96 to 1. The House held a "rare voice vote" -- no one was accountable. The bill was signed by a (pro-labor?) Democratic President. Would the Congress ever consider importing as many cheap foreign lawyers?

Questions from IonQuest: (1) Should we toss the incumbents out of Washington and vote in some real-people? (2) Should we create a third Citizens Party to represent the American majority? (3) Should we choose our Congress by lottery? No campaign contributions. (4) Should we open our borders for ten years to equalize ALL salaries to world levels?

I'd like a second American Revolution. Soon...

dru
Senior User

Joined: Apr 2002

0

04/21, 05:15pm | report spam | close Reply |
Walmart not Apple market

Subject pretty much says it all. Walmart does not cover Apple's market segment and Apple should stay out of there so they don't risk the prestige of the Apple brand. Target is the "high end" Walmart and they're already at Target. I would avoid Walmart. The HP-branded iPod I could see but not the Apple brand. And yes, I do shop there.

jbelkin
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Joined: Sep 2003

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04/22, 02:31am | report spam | close Reply |
WalMart-Low Priority

I believe Fortune recently listed the 5 things to maintain successful consumer and one of them was to try and sell as little as possible to WalMart - it's not just the pricing but once you become dependent on them, they start adding in things you have to do and frankly, Apple does not need them. While Wal-mart is trying to upgrade their image, all you have to do is look at the TV and VCR's they sell to see people are not there for the quality but only the price. And frankly, if you cannot figure out how to buy a $99 Shuffle at a couple dozen other stores, online or even by phone to the Apple store, honestly, you don't need a mp3 player. And it's NOT like Wal mart is going to give any add'l cachet to Apple - not being available at Wal mart is actually a good thing in Apple's case.

nickw311
Senior User

Joined: Mar 2005

0

04/22, 02:26pm | report spam | close Reply |
F ck WalMart

I agree... Boycott WalMart. They abuse their labor, illegaly prevent unions, hold back women from succeeding in management positions and their clientelle is of a very low class of people.

MacNN is getting attention on Walmartwatch.com :) http://walmartwatch.com/blog/archives/mac_fans_debate_wal_mart/

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iPod unlikely at Wal-Mart stores

updated 09:50 am EDT, Thu April 21, 2005

iPod Wal-Mart

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So..They are a discounter

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