i guess i am confused by the "free" statement as well. hp seems to be selling the aps/ps version of the 24" for about $1200 more than the non version before rebate. unless i am missing something) now, some of you seem to be getting a better deal through private vendors in which they seem to be selling the ps/aps version for about the same price or a little more than the non ps/aps version. it seems that that has nothing to do with hp but everyting to do with those particular vendors
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If you want to pay the manufacturer's list price, go ahead and buy from HP. Those of you who want to argue this point love to quote the HP prices, and ignore the prices that any sane person would pay from resellers.
What are you missing? Read the original thread that started this, and then you'll know. As that thread reported, the prices for the Z3100 suddenly dropped by $800. It didn't drop with only one or two vendors. It dropped with many vendors across the board. What is clear is that HP dropped the prices for the resellers. As I recall, the PS model didn't even exist when many of us bought the Z3100 without APS or bought the APS separately. HP created a new model and a new bundle, and the price they are charging resellers allows them to sell the new PS model with APS for roughly the price they charged for the Z3100 without APS less than 60 days ago.
As for comment from Ernst Dinkla that these complaints are infesting the forum, well, all you need to do is stop adding to it. It is the debates that add to the length of the threads, so you have only yourself to blame in that regard. If the threads bother you so much, ignore them. Resist the need to respond! Let those of us who were screwed by HP note that fact on our own.
Ditto with Roscolo. In the thread on HP ripping us off, he based his entire argument on the assertion that the rebates didn't apply to the PS model. (Don't take my word for it, go read his comments on that thread that went on for several pages.) I'm quoting the thesis of his argument correctly. Now that HP blew his argument out of the water by giving rebates to the PS models, he continues to take page after page arguing the point. It is that type of pointless debate that adds to these threads.
When I was told that the rebates didn't apply, I admitted that I was wrong, and actually apologized to the forum. Now that HP clarified that the rebates do apply to the PS model, some of you should follow my example. Instead, some of you just continue to stubbornly debate the point, even after the actions of HP defeated your own arguments.
On the other hand, a few participants on the forum have been gracious enough to admit that those of us who are critical of HP for doing this were right all along, and kudos to them.
For all of those who love to defend the irresponsible behavior of HP, I challenge you to quote 5 examples of manufacturers who released a consumer product costing $4000, persuaded the early adapters to pay that price, and only THE FIRST 60 DAYS later dropped the price by about $800 on that SAME CONSUMER MODEL. (Five out of the tens of thousands of products released every year.) I have put forth that challenge numerous times, and despite all the complaining and weak defenses of HP, no one has responded.
Why not? Maybe because the lesson to all of us is:
DO NOT BUY HP PRODUCTS FOR THE FIRST THREE OR FOUR MONTHS AFTER RELEASE, IN ORDER TO BE CERTAIN HP WON'T DROP THE PRICE AND SCREW ANYONE FOOLISH ENOUGH TO BUY EARLY.[/color]
This is a great lesson for all of us. If we all follow it, it means that hundreds of thousands of dollars of inventory will sit idle in warehouses at any seller of HP products, collecting dust, waiting for the consumers to be convinced that the price won't drop by a spectacular $800.
And that is exactly why manufacturers never behave as irresponsibly as HP. Companies don't dare do this, or consumers will not trust the company, not buy the products when released, and vendors are stuck with tens of thousands of dollars of unsold inventory for the first three or four months.
