The Apple Ecosystem. We have all seen students with the full network of Apple products, claiming they are the secret to academic success. Whipping out their $1000 iPad and $150 Apple pencil just to take the same notes as their peer next to them armed with a simple pen and paper. I am not doubting these students’ academic success, I am sure many of them are well, but questioning the justification for these purchases. Through this blog, I will analyze Apple’s top 3 expensive student products and decide: overpriced or justified.
1. MacBook Pro 14-inch
I remember the frenzy that erupted when Apple announced the new MacBook Pro. It truly was a game changer, with the M1 Pro and M1 max processor along with the return of the SD card slot – it all seemed perfect. Too good to be true in fact. This premium piece of technology did not come without a price, a price that started at a cool $1999.
During the rise of this new Macbook, I was sitting at my HP Spectre x360 (the laptop I still use in fact) wondering if I should beg my parents for the costly purchase. I then took out a sticky note and created a list of pros and cons. My computer was touchscreen, turned into a tablet, came with a tablet pen (yes, you did not have to buy it separately), and was a whopping 1000$ less than the new Macbook. The new Macbook at the time was….fast? After comparing the important specs for my needs, the Macbook was not worth the price, given my computer works as a Mac and iPad combined. The Macbook Pro no longer seemed as “pro” as it claimed. In the end, I will classify the Macbook Pro as OVERPRICED.
2. AirPods Max
The regular AirPods took hold of generation Z. Everyone at school used and continues to use the wireless orbs. However, over-ears were creeping into style with the Sony WH-1000XM4s becoming increasingly popular (the headphones I received as a birthday present from my brother). Apple had to take action. This is when they introduced the infamous Airpods Max. I use the term “infamous” because they initially went viral for the wild price – 549$! Up until the release of this lavish item, the most expensive headphones I had heard of were around $300. After the shock that went through the headphone-user community, people actually started to buy the item. Not to discredit the product, in fact, when I tried them in the Apple store I was satisfied with the pristine sound quality and the immaculate noise-canceling ability, but my Sony headphones have the same attributes for half the price tag. Although the product is cute and luxurious, it is just not a logical purchase compared to other competitors. It seems that the general population has come to this conclusion as well. I do see people adorning the Maxs, yet never quite as many who stuck with the regular AirPods. I believe the steep tag deters many buyers because they realize that this product is OVERPRICED.
3. Apple Pencil
The most obvious exorbitant Apple product has to be the one and only Apple pencil. Literally, a glorified stylus. Why pay for a 99¢ pen with a little rubber grip at the end when you can purchase a $129 version, right? Apple markets this technological stick as a must-have to transform your iPad from a simple video display to a productive powerhouse. Although it does have some impressive qualities such as pressure sensitivity and palm rejection, is that all worth the extra $128.01? Once again, I personally succumbed to the grand marketing scheme when the first generation came out in 2015. Equipped with the little cap at the end and the extra tip, I thought I was the coolest iPad kid on every airplane ride. In fact, when my father lost my Apple pencil on vacation, I guilt-tripped him into buying a replacement. In retrospect, I only used the pen for lousy procreate drawings and incessant tapping on the screen. Unless you are a pro artist, the apple pencil is overrated and OVERPRICED.
I know I am unable to persuade die-hard Apple users that Apple is overcharging their customers in a single blog post, but I do hope that you all have my little voice in the back of your head the next time you enter the Apple store.
oz vessel of lip gloss. When looking at the hashtag on TikTok #diorlipglow there are 115 million views overall. Of course, this does not account for the views other, related hashtags received. But how did this fad start? When “dior lip oil” is searched on TikTok the most liked video belongs to Olivia Dejarnett. Posted back in December of 2021, the video has now amassed over 2.6 million likes. The short clip is simply her unboxing the luxurious beauty product with the caption “this is your sign to get the dior lip oil”. After the video took off at the beginning of 2022, the oil is constantly out of stock online and at most Sephora stores. In fact, I myself visited Sephora almost weekly during my junior year just to check if they had restocked. After finally getting my hands on the mahogany colorway during the summer – I was thoroughly disappointed. The applicator was nice and large, which was a refreshing contrast to other lip glosses. However, the claim that TikTokers made about the formula being “long-lasting” and “ultra-hydrating” were false. After fifteen minutes I felt the need to reapply and before I knew it I was applying the last, thirty-eight-dollar swipe on my lips. With the same money, I could have bought 8 Burt’s Bees tinted lip balms and slapped a clear gloss over it to have the same effect. Not to mention the moisture would last significantly longer. Overall, the dior lip oil is a bust – just another cash grab.
