Apple online store lets Chinese buy on a two-year plan, puts iPads within reach

Apple has repeatedly stressed that China is important to its bottom line, but it faces a dilemma given the premium associated with its name: when it can take weeks' worth of typical pay to buy an iOS device, let alone a Mac, many locals either have to save up or else turn to alternatives. The company may not have truly low-cost devices -- at least, not yet -- but it is offering an olive branch in the form of installment plans. Chinese who order from the online Apple Store with a China Merchants ...