The Other problem with iPhone pricing in Canada

Posted on November 6, 2007 by Thomas Purves

We all know about Canadian carrier’s traditionally egregious mobile rates. Well an encouraging story in the Globe today suggests that Apple itself may force Roger’s hand when/if/finally our local GSM giant comes to offer the svelte device in Canada. Word is apple will insist that Rogers offer the iPhone with some sort/any of data plan to the device at least a little more useful than a mobile tea coaster for your Tim Hortons steeped.

HOWEVER the one remaining pricing problem that Rogers could themselves get screwed with is the price of the device itself.

When we last looked, Apple’s stores in Canada still had not updated their Canadian prices to reflect parity with the US dollar. And since then that crazy looney has gone up again (hitting 1.08 today). Meaning apple kit that was 10-12% overpriced in Canada is now 20% overpriced and if you count that you might get away without paying GST if you pick one up south of the border… apple stuff is now about 25% too high in Canada. That’s nuts.

In the US, iPhones are 399. How ready are you to pay a hundred bucks extra in Canada?

(Of course a hundred bucks is just a hundred bucks, the situation is a lot worse if you were itching to buy a macbook pro, or 30″ cinema display or something – like DON’T)

Posted in apple, Archive, pricing | 2 Comments

StartupCamp Toronto

Posted on November 2, 2007 by Thomas Purves

startupcamp

Well that was quick. After announcing the event just this morning, it looks like we’ve* sold out the first block of tickets already. Don’t expect too many more of the free ones to come up, though there are still sponsored seats available (and you will get some recognition for being a sponsor).

And look for something later this weekend on how to submit your startup as one of the presenters. (There will be 3 or so open slots and the attendees will get to vote on the most interesting. Or at least this is the working theory. Submissions due by midnight Nov 11th).

*I’m lending a hand to the good crew at startupnorth.ca (and sponsors to be announced) in organizing this event. Should be a lot of fun!

Posted in Archive, startupcamp | Leave a comment

Social Network Portability Has Arrived

Posted on October 31, 2007 by Thomas Purves

Google has launched it’s Open API for Social Networks. It’s about time someone did this.

This explains why the goog wanted so badly a piece of facebook. And why Microsoft would pay at any wacky valuation for FB to keep it out of teh google. Facebook is the singular major social network not participating in google’s new scheme.

At the same time though, it cuts out at the knees the fundamental (would be) game-changing advantage of the facebook platform: the idea that someone should be able to build a social app or someone should be able to use a social app without the redundancy of setting up a new profile page, another buddy list, another messaging and comment system etc. (not to mention the viral adoption and network effect advantages that have made some facebook apps the most rapidly adopted software apps ever).

Meanwhile at long last, Google combats microsoft with it’s own operating system… a social operating system for the new web.

neat.

see also recently: Albert Lai’s great deck on Web 2.5, 3.0 and social operating systems
Jevon’s insightful post on Startup North: Delusions of Facebook – Should you be a Facebook Startup?

Posted in Archive, facebook, google, socialos | 4 Comments