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15" MacBook Pro Retina real upgrade prices

maratus

maratus

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 12, 2009
701
273
Canada
Hi,

Just want to clarify the situation with pricing. As you know, you're forced to pay 600$ more for a 2.6Ghz model in order to get hands on 512Gb SSD and there's no option for larger SSD in the cheaper 2.3Ghz version.

However, both 2.3Ghz and 2.6Ghz i7s cost the same 378$

http://ark.intel.com/products/64899/Intel-Core-i7-3610QM-Processor-(6M-Cache-up-to-3_30-GHz)
http://ark.intel.com/products/64891/Intel-Core-i7-3720QM-Processor-(6M-Cache-up-to-3_60-GHz)

and even if Apple gets those chips for less, there's no reason for them not to cost the same. That being said, it's expected for Apple to charge extra 100$ for a slight CPU upgrade (you wouldn't expect them to give it for free, would you?) no matter how much does it cost from the manufacturer. On the other hand, the remaining 500$ are for extra +256Gb SSD capacity, which corresponds pretty well with the next upgrade option (768Gb for the same +500$).


The bottom line is that 500$ for each +256Gb is a usual rip off, especially when you consider the retail price of the same 256Gb and 512Gb Samsung drives in their 2.5" disguise to be somewhere around 270$ and 700$ respectively.

There's no reason to complain that Apple is forcing you to get 2.6Ghz CPU, but yet charging extra 100$ for that seems unfair. But it's well played to say the least!
 
Honestly I don't see it? I pulled out the receipt for my Powerbook G4 and guess what? It's the same price as a MBP Retina.

besides you are talking about what every manufacture does. If I buy tires from the dealership, it will cost me $50 more per tire than if I go to tirerack.com. \\

People only look at the hardware when there is more to a Mac than that. There is a ton of software in these things.

But back to the question. It's basic economics.
 
Quit complaining. Your MacBook will be worth something on ebay in 3 years.

I am planning on making 50% of my money back on my mid-2009 MBP when I sell it on eBay once I receive my Retina.
 
My main point here is that while those extra 100$ is still a lot, there's very little reason to complain about Apple not giving you an option to upgrade SSD in the base model, since the main contributor to the price difference between these two is the price of the SSD itself.
 
Its called business, all manufactures make less money on certain models, and more on others.

If you want to compare pricing, look at the regular high end MBP and the Retina, which are priced 2200 and 2800 respectively.

With the retina you get a 512GB SSD (retails 700), Retina display (who know what the value of that is), slimmer body, better thermal management, better battery life.

So which model is the value there?
 
OWC charges $749 for a 480GB SSD upgrade for those special ones in air

Apple gives you 512GB and 2.6Ghz processor for $600
 
mofunk said:
Honestly I don't see it? I pulled out the receipt for my Powerbook G4 and guess what? It's the same price as a MBP Retina.

besides you are talking about what every manufacture does. If I buy tires from the dealership, it will cost me $50 more per tire than if I go to tirerack.com. \\

People only look at the hardware when there is more to a Mac than that. There is a ton of software in these things.

But back to the question. It's basic economics.
Click to expand...

I shelled out $2500 for my late 2008 15" MBP. If anything, prices have gone down over the past decade, and the Pro computers have become WAY more affordable.

A $2k-3k for a professional really doesn't seem all that crazy to me when you consider Apple's pricing history. Especially since this is some brand new technology and bests everything else on the market right now.
 
That's what I'm saying. :) My Powerbook still works. I can't use it as a daily Mac because my software requires an Intel processor. But I'm glad to see it last longer than most of my friends laptops. They've gone through 4-5 to my one Powerbook G4. Money well spent.
 
Pentad said:
Good luck with that...
Click to expand...

i think he will have good luck with that, since most of the 2009 models seem to be fetching around 500 bucks on average. that's not a bad discount.

on the other hand, i feel like it's important to keep the old girl around as a backup, since the retina is a potentially fussy revision a.
 
mofunk said:
That's what I'm saying. :) My Powerbook still works. I can't use it as a daily Mac because my software requires an Intel processor. But I'm glad to see it last longer than most of my friends laptops. They've gone through 4-5 to my one Powerbook G4. Money well spent.
Click to expand...

But, your friends' laptops... what kind of laptops are they?

I'm guessing ordinary consumer-grade stuff that you can get from a store.

I'm thinking your G4 would've been from 2004-2005? So, back then, you'd be looking at a Dell D610 or an IBM T42 for business machines - plenty of those still kicking around, rather slow for modern use, but still reliable. Then again, a G4 is really slow today.
 
bhtooefr said:
But, your friends' laptops... what kind of laptops are they?

I'm guessing ordinary consumer-grade stuff that you can get from a store.

I'm thinking your G4 would've been from 2004-2005? So, back then, you'd be looking at a Dell D610 or an IBM T42 for business machines - plenty of those still kicking around, rather slow for modern use, but still reliable. Then again, a G4 is really slow today.
Click to expand...

Toshiba, lots of Dells and Acers .. idk how and why theirs crashed/died but most of my friends do not have their PC laptops that they purchased around the time I had my PB. The only thing that is slow on it, is Safari. Everything else is good.
 
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