And the thing is, that last one? While it’s conspiratorially minded, tinfoil-hat-wearing nonsense…

Is it, though? Because my understanding is that’s exactly Apple’s business model and it has been for years. The majority of their products are unreasonable expensive. People buy them because they think a higher price means a better product. Sometimes that’s even true. And sometimes they’re selling you a $30 foot power cable.

I don’t see where the tinfoil hat comes into play.

Because I am an idiot. And so are you. And so is everyone.

Well, not everyone. As someone living on a very tight budget, I buy generic brands all the time, and the only exceptions are when the generics have proved to be an inferior product. And there are plenty of people who do the same — at least enough to support a market for generics, or else you wouldn’t see them on store shelves. Of course, the same is true for the name brands themselves. They haven’t gone out of business, either.