Posted on 03/31/2011 7:36:01 PM PDT by harpu
When someone asks me if I've changed my mind yet and now want one of Apple's new iPads, I tell them: "Well, even if I did, I probably wouldn't want to spend $2,000 on one."
They generally looked at me, baffled. "What do you mean, $2,000? I thought they started at $500." But I figure $2,000 is the minimum that Steve Jobs's new toy is going to cost me.
How come?
Simple. If I don't spend that $500, I'll invest it.
Historically, the stock market has produced average long-term returns of maybe 5% a year above inflation. (More on this below.)
At that rate, in 10 years' time my $500 will have grown to about $800. That's in today's dollars—after inflation. In 15 years it'll be about $1,000, and in 30 years, $2,000.
I figure I'll be retiring in about 30 years, which is when I'm going to need lots of capital. I can have the iPad now, or about $2,000 then.
Thanks, but I'll take the $2,000.
(If I were younger the iPad would cost me even more. If you're 30 or younger and you just bought one, congratulations: It probably cost you about $3,000.)
Yes, I typically do these mental calculations, at least in the back of my mind, for most things. I typically come back from the mall with no bags, gleefully clutching my future millions. (Warren Buffett, as Jason Zweig reminded us over the weekend, takes a similar view.)
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
How many is "many", and what percentage of employees using them is "extensively"?
How many is “many”, and what percentage of employees using them is “extensively”?
—
You’d have to do your own checking for the exact figures, but as I understand it about 70% of the Fortune 500 have deployed, with iPad 1 and 2 going to executives, sales, and other positions. That’s how many.
I do not believe the articles I read mentioned percentage, beyond saying most employees are using them in each company on a daily basis for much of their work. That’s how extensive.
Like I said do your own checking. iPads are lighter than laptops or notebooks and have better battery life. So explore this issue a bit more.
I was going to buy the Wall Street Journal today, but then I read this article and realized that it will cost me the $750 that the price of the paper would otherwise earn if invested for just 72 years.
When did it become my job to provide the evidence to back up your claims?
Well, you've just enumerated Dave Ramsey's secret to wealth. Live well below your means and invest every penny you didn't spend.
I have a laptop and use it and have purchased and used two previous tablets both of the android persuasion. I'm not an apple user. I actually prefer the android OS because its open.
But...
I travel about 200,000 air miles per year. I'm tired of not being able to open and use a 14" laptop because the guy in front of me is in full recline. Yes...even in first class. An ipad solves that problem for me. I can use to type just fine. More importantly, I can mindmap, use evernote, read the web and twitter feeds, and use email and skype/facetime.
It's about 70% of the usefulness of my laptop which makes it perfect for flights, meetings, presentations, etc.
The iPad, and the similar tablets to follow, are winners.
until you realize that you can use that 500 computer device to make 2000 in one month. (cell phone, tablet, netbook, laptop, additional office computer etc)
There is no beer in heaven that is why we drink it all down here...
real or wishware?
Quite. If the article was about how $1 spent now deprives you of $4 thirty years hence so choose wisely and make it count, fine.
It wasn’t.
It’s an excuse to bash the iPad.
Clue, naysayers: if you don’t want one, don’t buy one. I use mine every day, and it’s made me a lot more money that it cost, since I got it 30 minutes after it went on sale. If you’re concerned that spending $1 now deprives you of $4 later, consider how much time you’re wasting bashing a product nobody is making you buy.
Many people don't buy one because they don't want one, but on any given thread about a problem about a system from some other vendor, there invariably has to be comments made that they should have bought an Apple product, as if they it's automatically assumed that they're too stupid to have bought what they wanted, and need to be educated.
Non-sequitur.
Your argument is not that there is something wrong with the iPad to wit it isn’t doing what someone bought it to do with reasonable expectation that it would.
Your argument is a tautological “it’s a waste of money because it’s a waste of money” coupled with unilateral declarations of “it’s a toy” despite people like yours truly putting it to good productive profitable use.
If people were getting iPads to do X, when it claimed it could do X, but it didn’t do X, and buying Y instead was a good recommendation because Y does X better, then your point would matter. But that’s not the case. You’re mad because other product lines aren’t living up to their claims, when it seems Apple products do - so yeah, saying “shoulda got an Apple” makes sense.
I’m not having a problem with my iPad. To the contrary of the lead post, mine is making me more money in weeks than not buying one would make me in decades. But you justify the bash because other products don’t work when Apples do? WTF?
I did argue that it would probably replace a laptop for people who have one and only use it for entertainment, but that it would probably not replace a laptop for people who use one as thair primary work tool.
I don't believe the author of the article argues that either. He does argue that he personally doesn't really need one, and thinks the money would be better invested for the future.
Neither proposition seems to warrant the resultant animosity.
Animosity? The author, instead of just not buying what he doesn’t want, goes to the trouble of writing and publishing the fact in a bigoted manner, and the resultant animosity is surprising? People ARE using iPads as work tools, and you make snide comments that they’re not, and the resultant animosity is surprising?
I didn't say it was surprising, I said it didn't appear warranted. I have seen too much of it to be surprised by it any more.
The man is a writer. Writing articles is what he does for a living, and his employer published the article. I'll grant you some people are using iPads as work tools, but that does not change my observation that for most people it will not replace a laptop as their primary work tool.
You seem upset that anyone would find any reason not to want to buy an iPad, and to say so publicly.
I know you weren’t knocking it, that is the attitude of some - if it isn’t brand new it’s outdated and useless.
And some of the earlier stuff, like the piece you have, was made a lot better than some of the newer stuff. I am amazed you haven’t lost more of the plastic parts in it, just from outgassing the last 33 years. I know probably much more of the internals on it were metal.
The newer vcr’s heads (what reads the tape) wear out in a few years. That thing must have great heads on it.
I have a nice collection of old electronics and the like. I have a few Philco Predictas, my 1978 Atari 2600 and an old RCA SelectVision player that is basically a video record player, among others weird things. I am a collector of a lot of odd things.
Was the Selectvision their video disc player? We had one of those.
I’m not sure what you are asking. Its a real item; link is at post #37.
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