5 months later.........

As a Mac owner for 5 months now, I'm looking back and looking forward. I am super happy that I made the move. I even put the Apple sticker on my car.

So, what don't I like? I'm not even sure this has to do with Apple, but I want to vent anyway. You see, I live in Canada, and in some cases, it might as well be Mongolia as far as access to Apple products. Apple releases iPhone? Not in Canada. Apple sells TV shows? Well, you Canadians can have old hockey games. Apple releases iTunes Movie Rentals? Sorry, not for you Canucks.

Pricing: Oh, you're in Canada, and the prices are 20-40% higher? Sorry, but you can't buy this product on the Apple.com site. I know that Quicktime Pro Component for MPEG2 is $19.99 in the US and $30.00 in Canada. Why?

I want to buy Apple software and Products, (have my eye on the MacBook Air) but don't want to pay a Stupid Tax.

I would not be so upset if someone actually told us Canadian Apple customers why we are paying so much more. If someone actually told us why we can't rent movies via Apple TV. I am ready to buy an Apple TV right this minute, but if I can't rent movies, its a no go.

I ask all Canadian customers, write to Apple. Tell them you love the company and its products as I do, and for them to make it easier for us to buy those products.

Some issues like the movies and music distribution is not Apples fault. They are forced to distribute by region and price by region. I'm sure Apple would like to have one store and global distribution rights but their partners have others ideas and contract issues. There would be differing tax issues too.

The MacBook Air has a $100 premium, or 5.56%, while the Macbook has a 13% premium and the MBP has a 10% premium. One has to wonder how Apple comes up with these magic numbers. A 50% premium for downloaded software!

The iPhone has its own issues. A Canadian company has the trade mark for iPhone and has been using since before Apple's iPhone release. Also, the only cell carrier that seems to be available for the current iPhone model is Rogers. No one really seems to believe they are willing to offer a reasonable cost plan for the iPhone. So, don't expect the Apple iPhone in Canada anytime soon.

Well he did say the distribution issues weren't apples fault, but I can agree with the premium - not too fair!

I guess if you really want the products you'll just have to grin and bare the cost.

That's what you get for living in the winter wastelands of the north!! ;P

Hey you live in New Jersey ;D I live in Vancouver BC, probably get less snow here than you guys do.

Well, Apple Store opening here some day soon, walking distance from where I live.

Kash said:

That's what you get for living in the winter wastelands of the north!! ;P

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I live in Pa and I would kill to be able to live in Canada.

naftalim said:

Hey you live in New Jersey ;D I live in Vancouver BC, probably get less snow here than you guys do.

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LOL. I'm in Vancouver right now. Visiting home for a little while. You are probably right about the snow.

cheetahastra said:

Well he did say the distribution issues weren't apples fault...

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Where did he say that?

Haven't had a single snowflake yet

I want to visit Canada pretty badly.

Life seems calmer than here in the redneck south.

Canada, the West coast of the world.

In other words, we're a pretty casual bunch. Although I think Australians come close.

Weird Fish, Canada is a large and varied country with real seasons, so do your home work. For instance winter in Vancouver tends to be very dark & rainy.

Well where is the snowiest part?

Can't tell you about the snowiest part, but the rockies here are quite nice. With good snow and probably more than 7 ski resorts in driving distance (means everything from 1 to 8 hours) a good place to be. I am out there pretty much every weekend - sometimes even more than that. Love it! And once the snow is gone there is wicked mountain biking

Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg and the Martimes get tons of snow. In Vancouver, the snow stays on the mountains where it belongs.


Vancouver I think is also one of the only cities where one of the Universities, UBC, has a clothing-optional beach.

dekan said:

Can't tell you about the snowiest part, but the rockies here are quite nice. With good snow and probably more than 7 ski resorts in driving distance (means everything from 1 to 8 hours) a good place to be. I am out there pretty much every weekend - sometimes even more than that. Love it! And once the snow is gone there is wicked mountain biking

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Higher prices (and taxes paid by consumers and businesses, including Apple's) do have some justification because of the much lower population, about that of California but spread over an area much larger than the U.S.

Though most of the population hugs a narrow band within 100 miles of the U.S. border, and most of the infrastructure is in that narrow band, it still is 3,000 miles long or more, with the remainder of it across the same 3,000 miles but reaching up to the Arctic Circle — and all of it paid for by that fraction of 33 million people who are taxpayers.

So when I pay the extra 20 cents or whatever for a blank DVD, I subtract it from the number of times I've been in hospitals, had operations and MRIs and CAT scans (no waiting), all "free." And with no lingering hospital bills and/or threats of bankrupcies brought on by them.

I'll pay the 20 cents or the extra hundred bucks, thanks.

naftalim said:

Vancouver I think is also one of the only cities where one of the Universities, UBC, has a clothing-optional beach.

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Yea, and if you walk up and down the trail every day, you'll get in great shape to show your self off too.

Brown Study said:

Higher prices ... most of the infrastructure is in that narrow band, it still is 3,000 miles long or more, with the remainder of it across the same 3,000 miles but reaching up to the Arctic Circle — and all of it paid for by that fraction of 33 million people who are taxpayers.

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Nice theory, but I'm not convinced since most of the distribution is along that 3000 miles (and Edmonton). In the US the spread of distribution would add up to much more than 3000 miles. Also the number of people and distribution centers would add to the cost.

I do agree, people can't expect an exact exchange rate match. There are differring costs. I can't imagine the import duties are exact either.

he's right. 19.99 USD is 20.486 Canadian dollars, they are paying more. really sucks

xstep said:

Also the number of people and distribution centers would add to the cost.

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Not sure I'm missing something or if we're at cross-purposes.

Identical bridges, or telephone poles or wires or stringing cable, highways of the same length and width — infrastructure, probably everything — costs a lot less per taxpayer in California or Texas or Maine than in Manitoba with fewer than a million population and even fewer taxpayers.

Brown Study said:

... probably everything — costs a lot less per taxpayer in California or Texas or Maine than in Manitoba with fewer than a million population and even fewer taxpayers.

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I wonder about that too. California has a huge infrastructure. It is also considered a highly taxed state and costly state. So although they have so many people, they also have a higher count of roads, bridges, etc. Of course there are states that do not require such over the top development, but they have far fewer people to pay for it all.

I'm looking at it in a simple manner. In Canada distribution is mainly horizontal mostly along that 100 mile band you mentioned. Then vertically North where needed. In the U.S. I think of it like a complicated snowflake. Most goods come in ships on the two or three coasts. On the West coast that is Seattle, San Francisco, L.A., and San Diego. So, I suspect having more paths to travel and perhaps more distribution centers increases costs.

Of course I could be totally off track here. It is interesting to think about though. I'll trust that the businesses are doing what they can to minimize those costs to stay competitive.

Oh, by the way, MRI waits in B.C. are very long, according to a news story just the other night in Vancouver. Some people in B.C. are spending their own money to get medical procedures done in a timely manner.