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$1,000 Apple Mac Pro display stand sparks anger: 'The ultimate middle finger'

The price of Apple's Pro Stand, unveiled at WWDC, sends the internet into sticker shock.

Amanda Kooser
Freelance writer Amanda C. Kooser covers gadgets and tech news with a twist for CNET. When not wallowing in weird gear and iPad apps for cats, she can be found tinkering with her 1956 DeSoto.
Amanda Kooser
2 min read
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Apple fans are used to paying a premium price for design, cachet and performance. A Mac Pro for $5,999? You got it. The specs are amazing. Pro Display XDR for $4,999? Cool. That's way cheaper than many high-end displays used for video. And $1,000 for the monitor stand ? Hell no! Slow your roll, Apple!

Even the Apple-loving crowd at Monday's 2019 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) keynote seemed stunned by the premium price

Watch this: Mac Pro: Everything you need to know

Apple touts the $999 stand's ability to tilt, change height and rotate, but that's not convincing general audiences the cost is justified. Unhappy techies took to Twitter to call the move greedy, sad and "the ultimate middle finger to any consumer that is seriously considering their machine."

Those are some harsh words, but others took the time to crack wise about the cost instead. Video maker jacksfilms, who snarked on the $1,000 iPhone X in 2017, composed a lovely piano ballad comparing Apple with pricey fashion label Supreme.

Some weighed the cost of the stand against the price of Apple's flagship iPhone.

Twitter user edem Kumordjie decided there had to be a better way to mount the monitor and suggested a DIY effort involving lots and lots of tape.

Twitter isn't the only internet hot spot for Apple-stand amusement. Reddit is on the case, too. Internetuser101 shared a photo of "the original $1,000 monitor stand," which consists of a stack of very expensive textbooks with a laptop on top.

The stand also earned a very popular post of a laughing Michael Jordan reaction GIF.

While the public seems to be rebelling against the monitor stand, it's a good time to remember Apple's expensive Mac Pro gear isn't aimed at a general audience. It's geared for people with high-end computing needs and the money to burn. 

But for $1,000, you could just hire someone to hold your monitor up for you.

Apple's big WWDC day inspired another set of wisecracks thanks to the updated design of the Mac Pro. It now looks more like a cheese grater than ever before. 

WWDC 2018: Everything from Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference

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Originally published June 4.