For once, Canada doesn't get the price shaft

Stuff in Canada is usually slightly (clothes, CDs) to moderately (books!) overpriced, when compared to U.S. prices, factoring, say, a 6-month exchange rate and a slight markup if it's imported. So it was nice to see this very interesting report (via Infinite Loop) on Australia's Commonwealth Bank's "CommSec iPod Index" - or, as I call it, the iPod Purchasing Power Parity Index. It shows how much an iPod 2GB Nano costs where, in current U. S. dollars. Parity is the U. S., where it costs US$149. Highest price (by far) is Brazil, where it's US$327.71. And the lowest? Right here in the frozen Dominion, where right now the retail on your 'Pod will cost you US$144.20. (Of course, you will have to pay GST and PST on that - all the more reason to buy one here in Alberta, where there's no PST!) This was not surprising to me because, when I bought my nice new 4GB Nano last October, I ran the numbers and it seemed like the retail price was either par with the U. S. price or (could it be? maybe it was!) a teeny bit lower. At any rate, an amusing article, and an interesting idea, that really shows the global reach and penetration of Steve's little music doohickey-thingy.

Apple's iPod takes on global currency markets