The Macalope Weekly: Everyone’s got an opinion

Macworld - Apple will never lack for opinions about how it should be running its business. Unfortunately almost all of it’s bad. Retrevo is still working the netbook thing (netbooks are so last year!) and a collection of tech pundits weighs in on whether the iPhone will win the mobile wars, causing metaphors to run wild. And, as Microsoft tries to copy Apple’s retail experience, Apple starts running serpentine!

Trolling for dollars

Our good friends at Retrevo were back this week, this time with a survey that says while most Mac users would be willing to pay more than $600 for an Apple tablet, most PC users want to pay less than that.

Unlike their previous survey, which showed how netbooks were going to ruin Apple’s back-to-school season (only they didn’t), this one was conducted by a third party and was of the general public, not just visitors to Retrevo’s site.

This is a smart marketing move by Retrevo, of course. It’s the same tactic Greenpeace used—lob inflammatory press releases at a highly visible company with an enthusiastic user community and watch the links come in.

Except Greenpeace actually had a something of a point and Retrevo’s only point here is that PC users are cheaper than Mac users. Thanks for the news flash, Anderson Cooper.

But beyond the obvious, isn’t it a little ridiculous trying to price a device that doesn’t even exist yet? You know, one we don’t even know the specifications for? Of course it is. Besides, you can rest assured that if and when the mythical Apple tablet does get released, people will complain that it’s too expensive no matter how much it is. People complain that 99 cent applications are too expensive.

The Macalope’s not going to venture a guess about how much a device we know nothing about should cost. You could say that Apple doesn’t have a mobile solution in the $400 to $900 range, but the brown and furry one has long argued that the iPhone is more expensive than the unit price because you have to buy a cell phone plan.

Retrevo goes on to claim that by not launching the tablet now, now, NOW!!!1!ONE!, Apple has missed out, because the entire planet is planning on buying a netbook for Christmas and then, apparently, time will stop and no one will ever buy anything ever again. Or something.

See, the thing about netbooks is, many are purchased, but few are loved.

Retrevo’s conclusions:

Based on Retrevo’s Gadgetology study, if Apple wants to grab a larger market and get in on the netbook craze…

It doesn’t.

…it will need to attract PC owners to generate significant sales. To convert PC owners to Apple owners, Apple must consider a (close to) $600 price point for the tablet and they must not delay bringing it to market.