When the pin is pulled, Mr. Grenade is not our friend
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Samsung Galaxy Tab sales go rogue
DESPITE ITS APPARENT BEST EFFORTS Samsung has suffered the ignominy of seeing its Galaxy Tab tablet pop up on hardware websites.
The last we were told, Samsung was limiting the sale of the tablet to mobile phone operators, who would presumably subsidise its cost by offering two year contracts and data usage tariffs that would range between reasonably cheap and unreasonably excessive.
However, it appears that this is not the case, as so far we have managed to stumble upon four websites selling the tablet unlocked, albeit at what seem to be unofficial and rather high prices.
We know that a week is a long time in technology, but it was only last week that Samsung mobile communications business president J K Shin said sales would be limited to mobile operators, and only yesterday that the firm refused to even confirm when it would be available.
As with the release date, which we narrowed down thanks to a Vodafone statement though not its website to October, so has the Internet come to our rescue with clues to the pricing of the tablet, which seem to us to fall more into the 'ransom' than 'bargain' category.
Amazon's German website is offering the Galaxy Tab a jaw-dropping £670, Expansys currently has it at a Father Christmas offending £679.99, Redstore.com at slightly more down to earth £648, and Clove.co.uk at a 'I might as well buy an Ipad', £616.88.
We've asked Samsung to explain how its Galaxy Tab has appeared online with these prices, but so far it has not got back to us. µ
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Britain still uses its own pound, but Brits can buy European-sold goods online. A credit card may be as reasonable a way as any to change money. Sales tax may apply to the price of goods, which in Britain is called "Value Added Tax" (VAT).
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business/market_data/overview/
right now shows £1 = $1.5467, € = 1.2706, £ = €1.2171.
It might be very expensive now, but you have to remember that most people don't actually care about gigaflops and how much RAM they have, they just want to do stuff with minimal hassle. If it can work as a media player/notebook(paper version)/messaging device/phone/casual websurfing device, and do all those things reasonably well, that cost only seems to be slightly expensive.
Please note that I'm assuming that a Euro is worth approximately $1.50, if I'm way off, I'm sorry. Haven't checked that stuff in a while.
Those are simply rediculous prices. This started out as a man 'accidently' publicly testing a Tab on an aussie commuter train to drum up some publicity and free advertising for the Tab, and has descended into the chaos we are winessing now. Samsung should know better and put a stop to it.