Not to mention mental health preservation. Apple updates popup reminders have some history of making users crazy. They know how to make their new OS adoption rate chart look good. Bitches! Yep, forced obsolescence. Unplug wifi if you want to freeze your device in time, consider cryogeny just to be safe. I stopped counting total worth of apps rendered obsolete over os updates.
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For a studio iPad? 
Iām sure those hackerz would love my drum synth patchez from my iPad 1ā¦ if they could connect to it as it never has wifi on.
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Lol! Many (but not all) people use thier iPads for lots of thingsā¦ things they would rather keep to themselvesā¦
The Korg Legacy Collection I bought in 2004 for my iBook on OS X 10.3 Panther still works today on my 2018 MacBook Pro running macOS 10.14 Mojave because Korg is a serious software vendor who updates their stuff.
I think itās safe to assume youāll be able to run Korg Gadget on a lot of future iOS releases.
Letās get back on topic.
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so now the āexplanationā is out/confirmed that the price increase of the OP-1 is due to new sources for some parts and a (unconfirmed) partial redesign of the hardwareā¦
so, with that info, all is left is the HUGE public relations/marketing debacle of not communicating that upon announcement. AT ALL.
on the contrary, posting something like āwe donĀ“t like to see those pricesā just days before the re-release announcement is justā¦ sorry, itĀ“s just STUPID.
it makes me even more mad about the whole thing, so mad in fact that I came back here to add this comment!
in this industry, we are used to a lot of companies being completely tone-deaf (ironically) to their customerĀ“s input, and a grave lack of transparency in a lot of casesā¦
but I donĀ“t think I have ever witnessed a fuck-up as bad as this one.
to my info, nobody at TE has come forward and just straight-up owned this mistake to dateā¦ which could, at least in my opinion and for sure in my eyes safe face for them.
Just say "we obviously failed to communicate this clearly in advance and we want to apologize for the confusion, but here is our explanation of the new pricing: [ā¦] "
it is 2019 for fucks sake, are people STILL not paying for a decent marketing/PR department?!?
edit:
I have been made aware that, apparently, the CEO of TE has responded to some random comment on Instagram and explained there what the reasons for the price increase wereā¦
to that I say: if you donĀ“t see the problem here, I donĀ“t know what to tell you.
replying to somebodyĀ“s pissed-off comment is NOT clear communication to your market audience!!
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Speaking from experience, thereās a vast difference between marketing an PR - as this event shows. Problem is, a lot of companies (esp younger/cooler/startups) generally only think in terms of marketing, in terms of broadcasting a message and letting that be that.
TEās marketing is generally excellent, especially if we consider product design a part of marketing. But as you say, their PR isā¦ less so.
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I agree with the separation of marketing from PR, but in a case like this the problem would have had to be handled from BOTH at the same time:
marketing should have broken the news to us in a way that we actually think this is worth the extra money (ānew improved screen, specially made for the OP-1 mk2ā - the āmk2ā would have easily taken out most of the anger on its own), and then PR would have needed to step in and calmly handle the remaining angered comments in a professional manner.
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Agreed, but also PR capacity should have been employed much further in advance to give some foresight to potential reactions and ways to mitigate them.
This, though, if probably off topic again so Iāll shut up 
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Who is the aggrieved party in this case?
An Op-1 owner who just found out that the box they already own has just got a lot more expensive?
A potential buyer who is now not going to buy as it is too expensive?
A potential seller of an Op-1?
Someone who was nearly going to pay 28 grand for an Op-1 on eBay but TE warned them not to?
Just the second group it seems to me.
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I am a happy owner and user of an OP-1 bought for 899us + shipping + import taxes. In canadian dollars goes beyond 1299$. It was insane. With the price hike I feel I will never do that again and it is a shame cause I like this thing a lot and shit happens like accidents, stealing etc. Built myself a tough wooden travel case but you never know. Hope nothing will happen cause this is clearly the last.
That is a shame also that tho available, fewer will be able to afford it and enjoy it. It was expensive but now it has become a luxury item for a bunch of rich people.
Exchange rate is a bitch on top of it.
Just delete all the youtube demo of it and their sales will pretty much disapear. I would have prefered volume to flood the market as a way to stop resellers schemes, but price hike should do the trick. Tricky line to draw. No win win as far as I see it.
Communication dep failed for sure.
I spoke to TE fairly extensively today regarding the price hike.
The answer is obviously not as trivial as some make it sound regarding the AMOLED display. Of course it doesnt cost Ā£400. But, as @Simon mentioned some posts above, they had to re-work the board and case in order to get the screen to fit into the chassis. Moreoever, they had to re-write the code for the graphics to display correctly etc.
I doubt they are doing it on purpose for their benefit. Old gear, trade tariff wars globally, shortage of certain components and time spent re-writing code etcā¦ all adds up I suppose.
Anyway, I ordered one from TE direct to take with me on holiday. At these second-hand prices, may as well get one from the source with a warranty in case something goes wrong. Have to say that ever since selling mine a couple of years ago to a fellow 'Naut, I have missed the OP-1s immediacy and limitations.
BTW - the fact that the sequencer and synth buttons are switched on the Valentines Day promo is because they were shipped a unit that had the buttons assembled the wrong way around - yikesā¦! 
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you see, this is what pisses me off, reallyā¦
itĀ“s not as if they arenĀ“t willing to share background information on the price increase, IF they are being pressed for itā¦
but the fact that all anybody seems to get is āprivateā conversational info / replies to single people on *****ing instagram, and no official statement to be found anywhereā¦
oh well. IĀ“m over it (them).
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There is no way it actually costs them 400 British pounds extra per unit. I would guess that is what upsets people. Itās like a 40% increase.
Anyone would understand 50 quid increase for some new parts and reworking the production process. But at 400 per unit theyāve lost all credibility.
Iād love to see the BOM for the OP-1 though. Maybe they can make it public to curb the negative press 
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You must have insider information about their manufacturing costs then? Tell us more
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Nope, but I do have common sense
Anyone is free to believe their cost actually increased 400 pounds per unit though.
Again, why the big deal?!
Theyāre welcome to sell at Ā£1m per OP1 if they wanted to. Itās up to them at the end of the day.
There is a perfectly valid reason for the price hike. I donāt like it but only because Iām not rich enough to afford it. I do think itās overpriced but again, thats me and my personal view point.
The way some are behaving about it is as if TE popped round and shat in your cornflakes!
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a 400 quid increase could easily explained if they shifted production from China to Sweden, for example, increased labor wages etc.
but, as you said: we have NO INFO so we are doomed to speculationā¦ and nobody to blame for this but TE themselves.
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youĀ“re right of course, itĀ“s a buyers market and they can ask whatever price they want - someone is gonna pay it, or the product goes awayā¦ simple.
but you might be reading too much into the (admittedly) strongly worded postsā¦ nobody REALLY is making a ābig dealā out of this, but itĀ“s a slow news week and all of our real problems are too depressing to think about I guess.
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You have a point there! 
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