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.Mac Available Through Resellers, Discounts Possible
by , 8:00 AM EDT, July 31st, 2002
When .Mac was introduced with its $99 yearly price tag, many MACWORLD EXPO attendees failed to notice that it would also be available through Apple Authorized Resellers. This method of purchasing .Mac has just recently become available. MacWarehouse is selling a one-year .Mac membership for a discounted price of $94.95. According to a report from our friends at Applelinks, Apple is doing more than just making the .Mac retail package available:
We understand from several sources freely accessible via MacSurfer and other indexes that Apple's reseller-only Web site is actively pushing .Mac as a profitable add-on. (We don't know really know retailer jargon, but we once learned from a shoe store salesman that high-profit items like laces and polish next to the register were known as "up-fronts." Same difference!) Resellers will be able to buy boxed versions of .Mac for a reported $70, allowing resale at a very nice profit indeed.
As of publishing time, TMO was unable to confirm the price resellers will pay for .Mac boxes. One should note, however, that the $49 "upgrade" from iTools is only available through Apple's online store. More information on Apple's Web services can be found at the .Mac homepage.
The Mac Observer Spin:
The reported price from the Applelinks article suggests that resellers could significantly discount the .Mac retail package from Apple's $99 and still retain a good profit. With the opportunity to sell the Internet services to customers, resellers can bundle the .Mac boxes with regular system purchases in addition to stand-alone sales. This should give Apple a good .Mac push at the retail level (especially with new users), which could boost the number of .Mac subscribers substantially.Observer Comments
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