Sure, even with Jobs having departed the company, many of the names and faces at Apple remain the same. But Jobs is known to have micro-managed since he returned to Apple and transformed the company into the behemoth it is today. With that guiding force gone for good things are all set to change.

One of the key components of Apple’s winning strategy has been its premium pricing. Apple products have always been expensive, the choice of those not on a budget, for whom the need for quality overpowers the need for affordability. But that strategy is already changing, and could change even more as the company heads further into the mainstream.

The question is, should Apple cut its prices across the board?

The Argument For

Apple is now about as mainstream as they come. What was once the small, independent-like company fighting against the big corporation that was Microsoft, the roles have changed. Apple is now rich, powerful, and a member of the new mega-corps. With that status comes a responsibility to lower prices. People now want to own Apple products more than ever after buying into the brand, and for people to do so in bulk the prices need to be lower than they currently are.

Apple can also afford to cut its prices. It famously now has more cash reserves in the bank than the U.S. government does. The iPad, which is the first of this new breed of affordable Apple products, is fairly priced, and yet Apple is still making a healthy profit on each unit sold thanks to the scale of its production line and the methods it uses: Chinese labor is cheap.

The Argument Against

Apple could lower its prices quite easily, but should it do so? The fact is it doesn’t actually need to. The iPad is a phenomenon, selling millions around the world and still being the cream of the tablet market despite various attempts by rival manufacturers to match or beat it. The Amazon Kindle Fire could derail its dominance, but that isn’t guaranteed. Meanwhile while the iPhone isn’t the best smartphone money can buy it is the one people invariably crave owning. And they’re buying even slight upgrades en masse.

There is also an argument that lowering prices could actually harm Apple in the longterm. While the company will gain more customers, those ever-so-loyal fanboys may turn their backs when the great unwashed join their little club. If Apple products become so affordable that the proletariat can buy them then expect some Apple fanboys to seek the next tech company selling overpriced wares.

It’ll be interesting to see which way new CEO Tim Cook goes on this one. If he gets it wrong then Steve Jobs’ legacy could soon turn to dust.

Image Credit: Lara604
Image Credit: Paulswansen

The post Should Apple Lower Prices In Post-Jobs Era? first appeared on Techerator.

As I believe I’ve stated on most (if not all) of my past articles, I am kind of lazy. I did not line up at 2:30am on Black Friday in hopes of scoring huge deals. In addition to that, I am in college, therefore I am, let’s say, not as financially well off as I would like to be. An obvious fix for this would be to become less lazy and stand in line on Black Friday and get things for cheap. Or, I could just shop online.

Shopping online has made bargain shopping not only easy, but almost hard not to do. In the past you drove to Best Buy to look at a TV, and if it was in your price range you probably picked it up. You did this because Wal-Mart was on the other end of town and you didn’t want to risk going all the way there only to find it was more expensive and have to drive back. What a pain.

Or, you could wait until Sunday and compare sales ads. These babies told you what the hot deals were, but really nothing else. Sure that TV is only $400, but how many HDMI input ports does it have? Does it even have HDMI? Is it HD as in anything that’s not 480p or is it true 1080p HD?

Add to all of this the fact the abysmal odds of two ads from different stores showing the exact same product on sale, and it’s pretty easy to see that shopping this way also had its drawbacks.

Then came the internet

(Insert angelic voices and rays of sunshine here)

Now, going to Best Buy only takes 5 seconds. Running over to Target to check their deals only takes another 5 seconds. In 15 minutes you have run all over town and checked out every deal available. All without having to put pants on.

This obviously has its advantages (seriously, who wants to put on pants on a Sunday?), but there’s more! Ever find it a bit coincidental that the floor salesman always recommends the most expensive of whatever you happen to be looking for and, that for whatever reason it is better from their place than it would be from another store? No more!

Probably one of the best things I like about shopping online is the customer reviews. I pay a lot of attention to customer reviews because they usually point out incredibly good aspects of the product I’m looking to buy, or some potential problems about them that I might otherwise miss. Some things I take into consideration are manufactures warranty and mail-in rebates. A website may list the price of an item as $20 off with mail in rebate, but if a look at the reviews informs me that getting said rebate is a hassle, I’ll try a different product.

Another way to save money is to take advantage of sites like Woot.com. If you haven’t Wooted yet, I would strongly recommend it. Woot sells one item a day (unless a Woot Off! is going on in which they sell a product until it runs out and then move to another one). This one item they sell is usually hugely discounted from what it normally runs.

The important thing to remember with Woot is that the only way you’re saving money is when you’re buying something that you would have had to buy anyway at a higher price. If you bought every good deal that was available on Woot.com you would probably make a purchase every day (and have about 394 Roombas). Another thing to note with Woot is that sometimes they will sell refurbished products (which accounts for a better-than-average deal). It is always stated on the product information if they are new or refurbished, so it might be worth checking if the warranty is still intact, etc.

Another great place to find deals is with Gizmodo’s Dealzmodo. Once a day, the Gizmodo team puts together a list of great deals from all around the internet. The deals come in all shapes and sizes: TV’s, game consoles, iPhone apps, etc.

Gain an advantage with research

One great, money-saving way to use the internet is to educate yourself. Exactly what about that laptop makes it so expensive? Maybe it’s because it has a dedicated graphics card and a quad-core processor. It doesn’t take a lot of research to figure out that you don’t need that if you’re just going on the internet and writing Techerator articles.

The same thing applies to almost any item. If you do some research, you can often find exactly what you need and not have to pay for extras you aren’t going to use.

Research can also let you in on some secrets such as how marked-up the prices of some products are in department stores.  For instance, talk to anyone that works at a Best Buy and ask them how much mark-up is added to cables and accessories. It’s ridiculous and might make you a bit nauseous. Online sites that make their own cables and sell them without ridiculous mark-ups can literally save you hundreds of dollars.

Last time I checked, the cheapest HDMI cable I could buy at my local Best Buy was around $25 (for a 6′ cable). I recently bought a 25’ HDMI cable to go from my Xbox 360 to my projector and paid $27 at www.monoprice.com. That same 6 foot cable you buy at Best Buy will cost you about $3 at monoprice.com.

Conclusion

The internet has saved my wallet over the years. I pride myself on getting good deals, especially on electronics, and I know I’ve saved hundreds of dollars just by buying all my cables online.

What are your online money-saving secrets? Do you have a site you like to frequent because of some great money-saving deals? Let us all know in the comments.

The post How I Used the Internet to Save Time and Money While Shopping first appeared on Techerator.

Let’s be serious, I’m broke, and I need to save some dough.  New Years is just the time to start padding my savings account and cutting my costs.

I had an interesting conversation recently with my friend Brianna that went something like this…

Brian: “Bri, buy me pizza.”
Brianna: “Buy it yourself.”
Brian:  “I can’t. I don’t have any money.”

I think this exchange goes a long way in describing my need to slash some expenses. I spent the rest of my evening making a plan for January 1^st that will dig me out of my financial sinkhole. The only rule is that I don’t want to live like a monk—I need some entertainment and, of course, Internet access.

So where do I plan to make the cuts? *Straps on helmet* Come with me.

1.  Choose your connection—Mobile Device vs. Cable Internet

At the moment I have a cell phone with Internet access as well as high-speed cable Internet access in my apartment. I’ve got to face the facts…I can’t afford both. Your situation may differ, but I personally don’t use my mobile device for much other than convenient email and the occasional Tweet, so my choice is obvious, sack the data plan on my phone.

However, if you’re the kind of person that doesn’t need super bandwidth at home, you may opt for a data plan that allows you to tether your computer and phone. There’s a swanky deal that will save you $40 or better. In my case, by shedding the data plan on my mobile device (and downgrading my anytime minutes), I’ll be saving $45. Cha-ching.

Worried about losing your ability to text? Fear not. Gmail and Google Voice allow you to SMS your contacts from your PC.

Pro-tip:  If you require mobile device Internet and Email access for work, ask your employer if they would be receptive to a co-pay plan. Some of my friends have had success with this.

2.  Choose your entertainment

Entertainment overload can be surprisingly stressful.  I have an Xbox Live subscription, Netflix, an enhanced Cable package, and I’ve been toying with the notion of Hulu Plus. Seriously, there aren’t enough hours in the day to enjoy each of these in the way the creators intended, so why cut yourself short?

I have a pile of Xbox 360 games still in the cellophane (including Dragon Age, ARGH!) so there is no question that I’ll be ditching my Live subscription. With all the free TV and movies available on Hulu and Netflix, is there really any reason for me to have enhanced Cable that I don’t watch?

By dropping Xbox Live and ditching my cable package (aside from internet), I’ll be saving $41 per month. Huzzah!

3.  Join a food co-op

After looking over my monthly expenses, I was shocked to see how much I spent on food. Between going out to eat and spending a small fortune at my local coffee house, my monthly food bill was approaching $450 each month.

I wept. I swore. I found an alternative.

Local food co-ops will help you pinch your pennies by providing you with a place to buy bulk commodities, such as grains, rice, soup mix, and basically any other dry food you can imagine. Bring your own container and taste the savings. Better yet, many co-ops offer year-round selections of local produce, such as tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers, and so on. You know what that means? You’ll be forced to be healthier and more attractive as you save money. The nerve of these people.

Most co-op purchased fruits and vegetables are organic. Organic?! Khaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!!

The co-op in my city costs $100 to join, but it is a fee that will be refunded when you leave the co-op. Plus, it gives you part ownership of the co-op. Pretty good deal. Aside from the initial cost, my new carefully planned food budget has slashed my culinary deviance by $150. Yeah, that’s right. You don’t like that–do ya, gut?

4.  Park the car. Leave it parked.

I drive too much. You drive too much. We as Americans (and some Europeans) drive too much.

We pay tax dollars to support a public transit system that we almost never use. At the moment I spend $75 on gas each month (3 tanks). As a student, I get free access to all city buses. Also, during the summer I’ll be riding my bike and hopefully getting some sun on this dreadfully pasty skin of mine.

My goal is to cut out one tank of gas each month, and I think that’s very conservative–a savings of at least $25 each month. Bazinga!

Pro-tip: Driving less will save on regular car maintenance, like oil changes. On a related note, don’t be tempted to skimp on car maintenance, as you already know deep down that it will bite you in the ass eventually.

5.  Save power AND quarters—a laundry tip

Some people may think this is silly, but take a second and think about your laundry. How many loads do you do in a month? How much electricity does it eat up to dry them? Or worse—how many quarters?

My parents recently purchased a drying rack to accompany their washer, and between the two of them, they save $6 each month on electricity. Pretty cool! I did some thinking and realized that I probably spend more than that each month in quarters drying my clothes at the laundromat. For shame!

A friend was quick to inform me that letting your clothes hang dry is a good way to increase their lifespan. That’s $6 per month in savings, and probably more. Let it rain!

6.  Ice those credit cards and make a friggin’ budget

We’ve been hearing this forever, but few of us actually do it. The average American has over $8,000 in credit card debt with an average APR of 14.4%. No need to bust out those calculators, that’s over $1100 that we hand over each year…

Studies have shown that people who stick to a monthly budget and limit their credit card usage usually pay off their credit card debt within 18 months. Are you up for the challenge? I am, because I’m tired of paying for Citi-branded Corvettes.

Head over to Google Docs and grab some of their pre-made Budget templates and tailor it to your own expenses. Then, set up an account at Mint to closely monitor your spending and upcoming bills. We can’t fail, amigo.

As an average American, a clean credit card balance means a savings of $96 per month. Bonzai!

Conclusion

If I follow my plan closely, I’ll be saving $363 each month. That’s $4356 in a year! My friends, that’s a lot of cheddar. What could you do with that kind of cash? A mattress of dollar bills, perhaps?

With a little discipline, the savings from these small lifestyle adjustments will alter the course of my ‘pizza’ conversation by this same time next year.

Brian: “Bri, buy me pizza. Psych! I’ll buy it myself…With real money. And guess what—you don’t get any. Ok, you can have ONE PIECE…but I get to choose the toppings. And I’m taking the toppings off your piece.”

Sorry, Bri, the wealthier Brian is insufferable.

Happy savings, and happy holidays, everybody.

The post Stay connected & save: 6 tips for padding your bank account in the New Year first appeared on Techerator.

Mint.com is a free, secure way to manage your bank accounts, visualize your spending with graphs and charts, set budgets, and save money for the future.

(Note: For obvious reasons, I’ll be using stock images of Mint.com account pages instead of my own in this article.  These images are identical to the ones you will see if you use the service.)

All your accounts in one place

Now that I’m out of college and working full-time, managing my accounts with Mint.com is even more important.  I can import information from my bank accounts, credit card, retirement savings accounts, and student loans.  This takes all the information that’s spread across 4 or 5 websites and shows it to me on one single screen – I can’t tell you how much time that saves me.

You aren’t limited to business finance solutions such as bank accounts and student loans, you can add vehicles, mortgages, and real estate using nearly every popular financial institution.  Mint.com will automatically sync data from your accounts too, so you’ll never be able to say “I had no idea my account was that low!” ever again.

Easily create and manage budgets

Mint.com‘s fantastic budget system is the single most useful feature for me.  When I first considered making a budget, I was overwhelmed by trying to figure out what amounts were realistic to spend but not too high.  Mint helps you right from the start by suggesting budgets based off your spending history in every category.

You can also compare your spending month-to-month, year-to-year, or even against the average US citizen (I’ve since discovered that my “electronics” spending is a bit higher than most…).

Visualize your spending

Ever have that feeling at the end of the month when you realize that you spent way more than you thought? Mint can take your entire spending history, categorize each transaction, and show you exactly how much you’ve spent.

As you can imagine, it isn’t possible for Mint to categorize every transaction properly.  When I buy lunch at my work cafeteria, for example, it has no idea what I’m buying there.  Mint has a very simple method to review your transactions, where you can edit categories (or even create your own).

Security

When I heard about Mint.com over two years ago, I didn’t get an account at first because I was concerned about giving a website access to my financial information.  I’ve been using Mint for two years since, and I’ve never had a concern about how they handle my information.

Mint accounts are anonymous and only require an email address and password for you to log in, meaning they don’t require any personal information like social security numbers or PINs to be kept on file.  Mint also employs technologies from TRUSTe, VeriSign, Hackersafe, and RSA Security to ensure your digital safety.

Most importantly, Mint.com is a read-only service.  You can’t transfer, withdraw, or do anything with you funds through the website – it’s only for viewing and analyzing data.

For more information, check out Mint.com’s security and privacy page.

Mobile apps and notifications

Mint has great applications for both the iPhone and Android, giving you access to your spending reports, budgets, and account statements on the go.  Out on the town and want to make sure you have enough money in your checking account to foot the bill? Just open up Mint and you’ll have an overview of your entire financial situation.

Don’t have a smartphone?  Mint can send you alerts and messages via text message!

Since you can’t always check in on your Mint account, you can set it to notify you about any changes to your accounts.  It can notify you of banking fees charged (great if you’re prone to overdrafting or ATM charges), if you’re using a certain percentage of your total credit, or if you have a payment due.  Personally, I have Mint set up to send me weekly notifications of my account statuses and alert me immediately if I exceed a budget.

Conclusion

Mint is one of the most popular ways to personally view and analyze your finances, and is owned by Intuit (the same company that makes TurboTax and Quicken software).  Even if you’re great at managing your own money, you can always do better by leveraging Mint’s fantastic budgeting and graph software.

Check out Mint.com and let us know what you think!

The post Create Budgets, Visualize Expenses, and Reduce Debt for Free with Mint.com first appeared on Techerator.