MBP Pricing

[dollystereo]

Before Retina Macbook Pros, the 15" line was priced at $1799 and $2199.
When the Retina MacBooks where introduce they where priced at $2199 and $2799.
Now there is only the retina models, when are we getting down the prices to pre-retina era?
$1799 and $2199 is a fair pricing.
I know that the high end rMBP has come down, $2799 ->$2599 ->$2499.
I want to buy the base model, but $2000 for 256GB of HD it's a little steep.
Apple is in the business of making money, I know, shareholders are happy. This levels of profit are a huge success. But come on...

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

They will come down when the US dollar falls in price.

 

[Samuelsan2001]

Before Retina Macbook Pros, the 15" line was priced at $1799 and $2199.
When the Retina MacBooks where introduce they where priced at $2199 and $2799.
Now there is only the retina models, when are we getting down the prices to pre-retina era?
$1799 and $2199 is a fair pricing.
I know that the high end rMBP has come down, $2799 ->$2599 ->$2499.
I want to buy the base model, but $2000 for 256GB of HD it's a little steep.
Apple is in the business of making money, I know, shareholders are happy. This levels of profit are a huge success. But come on...

Considering the components used (top of the range CPU's with best in class iGPU's(rarely use dby anyone else due to cost), fastest SSD's available, 16GB of RAM as standard, some of the best screens around with antiglare coatings, 2 thunderbolt 2 ports, AC wifi etc etc etc) The current rMBP pricing is very fair. Spec out anything else the same and with a metal alloy case and it'll be a similar cost.

 

[dollystereo]

Considering the components used (top of the range CPU's with best in class iGPU's(rarely use dby anyone else due to cost), fastest SSD's available, 16GB of RAM as standard, some of the best screens around with antiglare coatings, 2 thunderbolt 2 ports, AC wifi etc etc etc) The current rMBP pricing is very fair. Spec out anything else the same and with a metal alloy case and it'll be a similar cost.

I must agree, is a nice machine. Anyway, they have always been. It's not first gen anymore, it's 3rd gen of retinas. So price of components have fall down considerably.

 

[Samuelsan2001]

I must agree, is a nice machine. Anyway, they have always been. It's not first gen anymore, it's 3rd gen of retinas. So price of components have fall down considerably.

Well Thunderbolt 2 is still expensive and the haswell chips still aren't cheap as there still isn't anything to replace them, SSD's are new and superfast and still expensive the force touch trackpads are new and still expensive, even the dGPu has never been seen before.
You are also completely ignoring inflation over the last 5 years which has been fairly high, as well as increasing labour and operational costs in china.

 

[T5BRICK]

I want to buy the base model, but $2000 for 256GB of HD it's a little steep.
Apple is in the business of making money, I know, shareholders are happy. This levels of profit are a huge success. But come on...

Look into buying a refurb.

 

[dollystereo]

Well Thunderbolt 2 is still expensive and the haswell chips still aren't cheap as there still isn't anything to replace them, SSD's are new and superfast and still expensive the force touch trackpads are new and still expensive, even the dGPu has never been seen before.
You are also completely ignoring inflation over the last 5 years which has been fairly high, as well as increasing labour and operational costs in china.

I live in Europe, so the prices are more expensive than ever! I think that apple is getting away from the computer business, so they keep the marge as high as possible. The price of the components is not what drive the sale value.

 

[entropi]

So price of components have fall down considerably.

It doesn't help when the dollar is valued so high! Post #2 says it all.

 

[Samuelsan2001]

I live in Europe, so the prices are more expensive than ever! I think that apple is getting away from the computer business, so they keep the marge as high as possible. The price of the components is not what drive the sale value.

What people are prepared to pay is what drives the high prices of macs in europe and the terrible strength of the euro. I'm in the UK we do a bit better. Would I like them cheaper of course, but i understand I live in a capitalist society and have to pay what the market will bear.

 

[Ovedius]

I believe Macbooks come in a wide range of prices.
The prices run the gamut from "really quite pricey" to "PHWOAR! That's ...yep...I need to lie down for a minute".

For some perspective, I'm currently waiting for the dGPU 15" with a 1TB Flash upgrade.
With the student discount: 26.711 NOK,
Which roughly translates into 4355 USD.
The same configuration costs $2749 in the US Store.

At least I have good consumer rights legislation saving me the cost of Apple Care.

 

[saturnotaku]

At least I have good consumer rights legislation saving me the cost of Apple Care.

This and VAT are two major reasons why things cost way more in the UK and EU.

 

[MacInTO]

Apple isn't in the business to provide you with a cheap product. If you want cheap, a PC is what you should buy. They provide a product with a better user experience - it's better designed and works better than other products (ie. Windows PCs).

There are other factors that influence the price such as currency fluctuations as other have noted as well as the price of components. There might be increased demand for screens, chips, etc. - probably for phones but that has effect on computers also.

Another reason is their competitive advantage. If you have a iPhone, Apple Watch or iPad you're probably not going to buy something else other than an Apple computer because they won't work together as well. I personally think it's priced well because when you compare with how it works against other computers, it works well out of the box.

If you want to hedge your bets, buy Apple stock. If you bought $1800 worth of Apple stock in 2012 before the retina screen, you would now have $3000 (based on today's stock price plus dividends of about 2-2.5% per year). As a shareholder, you won't complain about the high price and you'll want Apple to keep the margins high.


ps. There is another factor in North America. We pay tax ON TOP of the retail price. We have no VAT here. It varies from 5%-15% (in Canada). It's similar in the US, however, there are some states where there is no tax.

 

[MacInTO]

I believe Macbooks come in a wide range of prices.
The prices run the gamut from "really quite pricey" to "PHWOAR! That's ...yep...I need to lie down for a minute".

For some perspective, I'm currently waiting for the dGPU 15" with a 1TB Flash upgrade.
With the student discount: 26.711 NOK,
Which roughly translates into 4355 USD.
The same configuration costs $2749 in the US Store.

At least I have good consumer rights legislation saving me the cost of Apple Care.

Wow, it would be cheaper or the same if you took a vacation in the US and bought it there! But I guess, that's the cost of taxes in Norway!

 

[dollystereo]

My point is just that they used to be cheaper, $1799 and $2199 was a fair price point. I just want them to go back to this prices. The dollar is strong, so they don't have a reason to keep them up. I am not debating that I should move to PC, "get a cheap PC instead" or why mac are so awesome.
Anyway, apple is not the only one making good laptops anymore.

 

[newellj]

My point is just that they used to be cheaper, $1799 and $2199 was a fair price point. I just want them to go back to this prices. The dollar is strong, so they don't have a reason to keep them up. I am not debating that I should move to PC, "get a cheap PC instead" or why mac are so awesome.
Anyway, apple is not the only one making good laptops anymore.

The reason prices are up in the Eurozone is precisely because the dollar is "strong" relative to the Euro.

 

[iConnected]

ps. There is another factor in North America. We pay tax ON TOP of the retail price. We have no VAT here. It varies from 5%-15% (in Canada). It's similar in the US, however, there are some states where there is no tax.

VAT and sales tax are pretty much the same thing, really. Whatever you call it (sales tax, value added tax, provincial sales tax, goods & services tax, harmonised tax - or whatever) - it's a tax that retailers have to charge on top of the net, underlying price. Nearly everywhere has one. Some countries include it as standard in advertised prices. Others don't.

Personally, I don't like the model that excludes these taxes from being included within the ticket price on the shelf / website. Why should you always have to work out what it will really cost?

I also don't like that such tax rates differ across the (on this point at least) dis-United States of America.

 

[Orr]

No such thing as a 'fair price point'. For anything.

 

[Ovedius]

Wow, it would be cheaper or the same if you took a vacation in the US and bought it there! But I guess, that's the cost of taxes in Norway!

Ha, yes, almost.
I certainly could have had one kick ass vacation for the cost of the Macbook

 

[iConnected]

No such thing as a 'fair price point'. For anything.

The global Fair Trade movement fundamentally disagrees with you on that!

"Fair Trade USA audits and certifies transactions between U.S. companies and their international suppliers to guarantee that the farmers and workers producing Fair Trade Certified goods are paid fair prices and wages"

http://fairtradeusa.org/about-fair-trade-usa/who-we-are
​

"payment of the Fairtrade Minimum Price"

http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/en/what-is-fairtrade/what-fairtrade-does
​

""Think Fair" - Apple becomes the world's first Fair Trade tech company - who's next?"

http://www.zdnet.com/article/think-...rlds-first-fair-trade-tech-company-whos-next/​

 

[Queen6]

Ha, yes, almost.
I certainly could have had one kick ass vacation for the cost of the Macbook

Well I would have a "kick ass" vacation in Malaysia, btw did you know computers are tax free in MY

Q-6

 

[z31fanatic]

Personally, I don't like the model that excludes these taxes from being included within the ticket price on the shelf / website. Why should you always have to work out what it will really cost?

It makes sense here in the US because states have different sales tax laws. 4 states don't even have sales tax.

 

[MacInTO]

VAT and sales tax are pretty much the same thing, really. Whatever you call it (sales tax, value added tax, provincial sales tax, goods & services tax, harmonised tax - or whatever) - it's a tax that retailers have to charge on top of the net, underlying price. Nearly everywhere has one. Some countries include it as standard in advertised prices. Others don't.

Personally, I don't like the model that excludes these taxes from being included within the ticket price on the shelf / website. Why should you always have to work out what it will really cost?

I also don't like that such tax rates differ across the (on this point at least) dis-United States of America.

I like the pricing model outside of (most of) North America include VAT in the display price (but will indicate the VAT amount) - the opposite of what we do in North America so sometimes pricing is misleading. I'm not sure if the OP was factoring that in. Regardless, the price will almost always be more expensive outside of the US because of local taxes and regulations.

 

[dollystereo]

The OP is only saying that we used to pay $2199 for the top of the line Macbook Pro, now we pay $2499.
Just because apple is greedy. Apple is positioning themselves as LV or YSL.

 

[MacInTO]

Maybe they're paying their factory workers too much. Chinese factory labour rates have increased from $0.25 to $0.50 per hour.

I'm making up the price of labour, but the % increase is real. Remember the Chinese factory suicides a few years back? That caused investigations of these companies and in turn caused factory wages to increase.

This is what you're paying for. I'm okay with higher prices because of higher wages.

China is going through what Japan went through in the 1970s. Junk used to come out of Japan. But then they figured it out and started producing quality products. Now, only the highest quality product comes out of Japan. Japanese companies now outsource the manufacturing of the mid and low market stuff to other countries.

The problem is, more skilled workers are required and higher wages to go with that. One problem is once people have more money, they get educated and they don't want these types of jobs anymore. However, China is well populated and maybe they can sustain it for a bit longer than Japan did.

It takes more skill to manufacture electronics than a bag or t-shirt, but I find value in that. I don't find much value in a leather bag or a t-shirt, because I'm Canadian and I'm a lumberjack, and that's okay.

 

[T5BRICK]

The OP is only saying that we used to pay $2199 for the top of the line Macbook Pro, now we pay $2499.
Just because apple is greedy. Apple is positioning themselves as LV or YSL.

The components cost the same or more. Distribution costs more. Labor costs more. There are plenty of reasons why the price would go up, greed may be a factor, but it isn't the only one.

If you aren't happy with the prices Apple is charging, don't buy their products. If enough people do this, they'll change.