[dijit]

Argh. I hate to play devils advocate on this issue.

Here goes: it seems like that model doesn’t work anymore. People look for what it costs on paper. You already here people talking about Apple as if it’s some impossible luxury standard. Can you imagine if computers became £5,000 for the base model again? I can’t imagine anyone paying for email in this day and age. And I certainly can’t imagine people paying for operating systems. Windows only has market dominance because it comes pre-installed and is effectively free.

That’s the issue. If you’re competing in this market; then you’re competing with “free” from the consumers eyes.

[kalleboo]

The base model iPad costs $329, comes with free email and and an OS with free updates. And it doesn't data-mine you.

[dijit]

“But an android tablet costs £100! Apple tax is too high!”

[simonh]

Stopping advertising based business models would not make a $500 computer suddenly cost $5,000. Also Windows is not ‘effectively free’, it’s just you don’t usually pay for it separately.

Stopping invasive user tracking would make internet advertising less effective, sure, but it wouldn’t prevent it completely. Ad Words doesn’t fundamentally depend on user tracking to associate search terms to advertisements for example.

[dijit]

> Windows is not ‘effectively free’, it’s just you don’t usually pay for it separately.

https://www.howtogeek.com/163303/how-computer-manufacturers-...

The cost of a pre-installed license is cost neutral in most cases due to the crapware they add.

My overarching point is that 99% of consumers are cost-conscious. They look at the price in paper and rarely weigh anything else, especially a fuzzy notion of privacy. We are the 1% and we should be mindful of the 99%