Apple Affected by LCD Price Fixing by LG, Sharp, Chunghwa

Maybe Sharp will offer discounts on a new Macbook / Mackbook Pro to those they helped rip off. :D

OK, it's a dream, but ...

Maybe Sharp will offer discounts on a new Macbook / Mackbook Pro to those they helped rip off. :D

OK, it's a dream, but ...

Why? Apple still made a premium on the panels without a doubt. Overall, they make a premium on every computer. As far as Apple is concerned, it probably hurt them more because I seriously doubt they would have opted to drop prices even if the panels were less expensive.

So, LG, Chunghwa and Sharp pay to the big Kitty, and then we get scraps, right? $5 of free iTunes downloads or a replacement iPod for the overpriced one that I gave to my brother. Pretty certain "we won't see JACK"...:eek:

This is good for competition.

Without the fixed high price, EVERYONE who produces LCDs will get downward pressure. The same competitive downward pressure that tries to pull the prices of consumer goods lower, to chase more scarce demand right now. Funny how the free market works when allowed to, and not hindered by illegal private, or regulatory government price fixing forces. This market will likely respond pretty quickly, due to being relatively un-regulated by civil regulations. Fraud prosecution, as what happened here, is the proper way to handle these situations. Although the fines that the LCD companies have to pay merely go to a bloated government, not to some other good use.

As these companies start having to compete with each other, they will undercut prices, and add more features. This will bring the whole LCD market to that point, of either adding value, cutting price, or both.

Just in time for the rumored dive in prices for LCD HD televisions around black friday, and through the christmas season, where this sort of tech goods were rumored months ago to take a heavy price dive, in light of the economy, but also the digital change-over in February.

Wow, this is pretty big. Kind of hard for electronics producers to take a hit like that during these economic times.

Why? Apple still made a premium on the panels without a doubt. Overall, they make a premium on every computer. As far as Apple is concerned, it probably hurt them more because I seriously doubt they would have opted to drop prices even if the panels were less expensive.

Agreed, as I said before, I find that Apple is more interested in getting high margins rather getting high volume of sales. I've heard rumors (correct me if I'm wrong) that Apple doesn't have anything less than a 28% margin on its products. I'm not sure if that's 28% more than just the bill of materials or what (I'm no businessman). I'll admit, I'd understand putting jacking up the price to make up for labor/advertising/R&D costs, plus a small profit. But after awhile, I've got to ask, how much profit do these companies really need? To me, there's a difference between a fair profit, & too much profit. Where that lays, varies.

I'd like to know by how much they jacked up the price. I wonder what the cut off point is between a "fair profit" and criminal price-fixing.

...goes around.

maybe that LCD tv will drop in price now.

i'm just glad that they were caught, so this doesn't happen in the future. maybe we'll see cheaper displays soon?

Wow, I wonder whats next for the LCD market...