Apple makes $208 on each $499 iPad (Computerworld)

Tbd if Apple has figured out how to “… make a $500 computer that’s not a piece of junk” and/or mutated its “DNA” to facilitate shipping it either way

The $499 version of the new iPad tablet actually runs Apple about $270 in materials and manufacturing costs, a Wall Street analyst said today.

According to a bill of materials (BOM) analysis by Brian Marshall of BroadPoint AmTech, the cost of goods inside Apple's 16GB Wi-Fi-only iPad totals $270.50. That figure includes a $10 line item dedicated to manufacturing, but doesn't include another $20 set aside for under-warranty service costs. Adding the latter makes Marshall's bottom-line total $290.50.

Apple makes $208 on each $499 iPad