[netcan]

I wince a little at calling it price gouging. It's true that over the long term prices should be near marginal cost of production. But these are short term products. They need to cover their R&D costs. Costs that come with a risk that needs to be covered too. I feel a little milked when I buy a mac and kind of annoyed because I don't feel like I have an alternative (This is obviously an illusion. I don't like Windows or Linux personally, but they are both very reasonable alternatives). But macs are much older and they are still getting better (but not cheaper aargh!) ever year.

On tablets and phone, these high profits have been driving wonderful innovation bringing us better devices at lower prices every year. It's not like we're getting overcharged for stagnant products. This December's devices would have been an incredible last year.

Price gouging implies overcharging on essential items because the consumer has no choice. The only power Apple have over their consumers is that they really really want the stuff Apple makes, right now.