- Apple kicked off its largest conference of the year on Monday, where it unveiled software updates for its devices and a newly designed Mac Pro desktop computer and display.
- The 32-inch Pro Display XDR monitor itself starts at $5,000, but that price doesn't include the stand — which costs another $1,000.
- The reveal of the stand's high price at the Apple event was met with audible groans, and others were quick to roast the company online for the lofty cost.
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On stage at WWDC 2019 on Monday afternoon, John Ternus, Apple's vice president of hardware engineering, had just reappeared in front of the audience.
For the past 20 minutes, various Apple executives had taken the stage to show off the new features of the Mac Pro, Apple's most powerful computer ever, and one intended for professionals. Now Ternus was back to reveal how much they were selling the beast of a computer for.
The announcement of the price points for the Mac Pro and the Pro Display XDR monitor — starting at $6,000 and $5,000, respectively — were met with cheers and applause. But when it came time to debut the cost for the monitor stand, Ternus' announcement received something rare for an Apple event: groans.
That's because the new Pro Stand is priced at $1,000, which is as much as an iPhone XS. The murmurs rippling through the crowd were audible even on the event's livestream, as was what sounded like the sole clap from someone in the audience. Even Ternus seemed to notice the murmurings, but he soldiered on with the rest of the announcement, which included that the $1,000 computer-screen stand would be available for purchase this fall.
But the reaction on social media to the $1,000 stand echoed the sentiment inside the conference auditorium, with those following along via the livestream quickly chiming in to voice their displeasure. Users on Twitter and Reddit were taken aback by the $1,000 price tag for a stand to hold an already $5,000 monitor (for the full package shown in the picture below, you'd have to fork over at least $12,000).
Unsurprisingly, Apple's Pro Stand was quickly given the meme treatment across social media.
—EricPug (@pug_eric) June 3, 2019
—Mike Murphy (@mcwm) June 4, 2019
—Naturalized Canadian/Day 1 Raptors fan (@theisaiahbell) June 3, 2019
—Maita (@piyapiyanka) June 3, 2019
We'll have to wait until the fall to get a sense of how many people buy the Pro Stand and how many opt for cheaper alternatives without the Apple logo.
