View Full Version : Over priced electronics
Frank
03-01-2002, 05:13 PM
I just looked at a new Lowrance X-16 fish finder.......for around $1500. I also just purchased the newest iMac computer, with an flat screen LCD, CD drive, CD burner, DVD drive, "tons" of software, internet ready (to connect to Walleye Central!), beautiful music player, and enough programs to run an entire business all for less than the cost of the X-16!!!! Do you think the Lowarance (and others) are somewhat over priced?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
RANGER
03-01-2002, 05:51 PM
Yep!
I have noticed that things related to male dominated hobbies are usually a complete ripoff. We must be a bunch of suckers huh?
On the other hand they sell a lot more Imac's than X-15's so it is easier to recoup all those R&D dollars.
electronic junkie
03-01-2002, 07:57 PM
If they sold half a million or more of the x-16's you bet the price would be lower. You will still be using the x-16 in 5 years and probably have replaced the puter. Give em a break! If they made them cheap you would complain that they did not work.
some guys are never happy.
Defference between the dept finder and the computer is when you check the price of the D.Fr 3 years from now its still costs the same BUT go check the price of that same computer you,ll find it dropped about 70%
and that computer you bought at the store that sells for let say $2000.00 dollars i can build complete for under $750.00 and 5 hours of time, matter of fact the computer i,m sitting at right now i built for $490.00 dollars minus the montior the price it sells retail was $2200.00 dollars, so we get
this right i,m talking all NEW name brand parts that come with all the warranties and tech support that you get when you buy from the store, i guess what i,m trying to say is theres no way to compare a computer to a dept finder the dept finder is much more intracate and is a lot more involved than meets the eye, just my opinion.
Tom}>
Frank
03-02-2002, 12:37 PM
Check out the price (on walleye central) of a Lowrance x-85, and see what that sold for just a couple of years ago. Dramatic drop! In fact, I have an old X-15 paper graph that cost a "ton" when new and is worth about $10 now. If you (or someone who knew how) sat down, bought the parts and built an X-16 he probably could build it for $400 or $500 also (probably alot less!). The point being, the electronics and know-how in the iMac is 10 times that of the X-16 and it costs less. And by the way, I don't think most fisherman, certainly not "pros", have the same fish finder for more than five years.
Frank
03-02-2002, 12:41 PM
So you're saying the only choices are: Very, very expensive, or poorly, poorly made!? How about, a good product at a fair price!
What R&D costs? There hasn't been a dime sunk into R&D for fishfinders in the last 20 years. The only improvements that have come about in fishfinders at all came from the screen technology that have been pirated from the laptops computer makers.
Thom
perchjerker
03-02-2002, 02:18 PM
Frank and Tom, you are so off base on this its kind of funny.
How can you compare a product that is so mass produced as a computer to a depth finder? Talk about 2 different animals! Most computer are designed with an open architecture, meaning any company can make a particular component for it as long as it meets certain standards. So with all that competition the price is held down. Thats why you can build a computer on you own like you stated. Try going to Best Buy and get a memory chip for a Lowrance. There are not hundreds of companies making that. I think you see where I'm going here.
Sure, they are expensive, I cant argue that. I would love to pay less, but thems are the breaks.
sorry i don,t see it that way, i have 1 lowrence x65 and a bottomline HR that are both 3 years old and still sell for the same price that i know of, if you think your getting something special in that Imac your kidding yourself, all you need to do is go to a computer show and look around and ask a few question its a experience that will enlighten you and maybe save you a few bucks, i tried buying a main board for a dept finder ( bottomline ) called them direct and guess what just the main board was more than what i would pay for the whole unit at cabelas, i can,t speak for everyone who owns a dept finder but if its a good one i see no reason to get rid of it after a period of x amount of years if its still in working condition, i guess when your a pro its a whole new ballgame they can beat the crap out of their equipment and than go to one of their sponsers and buy new at a price that most of us would never get if they even pay at all, if you can find me some place that i can get the compontants to build a deptfinder and keep the cost lower than what cabelas charges for the unit complete, i would be greatful because i can,t find one, what i posted above was only my opinion and experience.
Tom}>
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Tom