Apple’s MacBook Pro: Rotting Core? What Apple Doesn't Want You To Realize.

[SA22C]

I purchased the 500GB 7200rpm Hitachi Travelstar. I picked it up for $60 a few weeks ago via slickdeals.

It's the same exact drive that everyone recommends using in the MBPs. It's whisper quite and uses very little power. And I believe it's the exact same drive that Apple charges $300 to upgrade to. If retail customers can pick one up for a fifth of that price, then you would have to be silly to think that it costs them more than $40 per drive for Apple when bought in bulk and in large quanties directly from the manufacturer.

I just looked on the Apple.ca store and the upgrade drive is a 500 GB 5400 rpm drive for $165. It' still a collossal rip-off, but the fact that it's a 5400 rpm drive tells me that Apple prefers them due to both power consumption and heat production advantages over the faster 7200 rpm drives.

Some mark up is understandable. But customers do have the right to complain when the markup so grossly and significantly exceeds what they can purchase it for from other retailers.

Sure. Or you could buy the lower-specced model and upgrade after the fact. Apple encourages memory and storage upgrades by detailing how to perform them in the product manual.

 

[6-0 Prolene]

I strongly dislike Sony actually, with all of their ridiculous propriety formats and bloated Sony tax (not unlike the Apple tax.) I try to stay away from Sony TV's, cameras, even the PS3. People I know who have had Sony notebooks also tell me they were wastes of money. The only Sony electronics I own, now that I come to think of it, are my PS2 and Walkman. If I had no qualms shopping Sony, I would have bought a Vaio by now. For now, I'm still hoping Apple will inject some of its 'magic' into it 13" MBP.

I'm just not indoctrinated by the church of apple, as you sir appear to be.

I'm not indoctrinated at all. I've just lost count of the "I can buy x laptop for y less than a MBP and it has z features" posts and they're just a little stale. Almost as stale, in fact, as calling people "indoctrinated by the church of apple."

 

[wikoogle]

I just looked on the Apple.ca store and the upgrade drive is a 500 GB 5400 rpm drive for $165. It' still a collossal rip-off, but the fact that it's a 5400 rpm drive tells me that Apple prefers them due to both power consumption and heat production advantages over the faster 7200 rpm drives.

You do realize that Apple actually offers an upgrade to the 7200rpm HDD too right? They just charge more money for it.

That they even offer the upgrade in the first place tells me they have no problem with equipping 7200rpm drives in their laptops.

 

[Gomff]

And yet again, you state that you consider anyone that is unsatisfied with Apple's prices as myopic and silly.

Seems pretty childish and irrational to me, to assume that every one has to value exactly the same things that you value, and to attack anyone who thinks differently or values different things.

But whatever floats your boat.

And yet again, you fail to see my rationale, instead choosing to focus (ironically) solely on the word myopia. Equally - For the record, it was you who began this debate with me.

And Apple computers are what "floats my boat", Big Time....I earn a decent living from using them and that's my bottom line. They pay for themselves many times over in the course of a year. I have no issues with the fact that they cost more.....To me it's worth it.

 

[Eidorian]

And yet again, you fail to see my rationale, instead choosing to focus (ironically) solely on the word myopia. Equally - For the record, it was you who began this debate with me.

And Apple computers are what "floats my boat", Big Time....I earn a decent living from using them and that's my bottom line. They pay for themselves many times over in the course of a year. I have no issues with the fact that they cost more.....To me it's worth it.

I don't think we're all Mac professionals though.

 

[6-0 Prolene]

I don't think we're all Mac professionals though.

Nor are we all spec whores. So why isn't it just OK for people to buy the computer they want to buy if they can afford it and it does the job for them? All this junk about fiendish Apple plots to rip off their customers is tired, old, and ridiculous. It's not like they lie about the specs of their machines or anything, and people can do the homework and compare products from different manufacturers if they want to. And if they don't it's really not an indication of some grand Apple plot to take over the world.

 

[gwsat]

Since when did Apple void warranties for RAM/Hard drive upgrades? The procedure is described in the manual, FFS! I'm all for discussion, but lets stick to the facts, eh?

It's my understanding, too, that Apple does not void warranties if a customer substitutes after market memory modules or hard drives.

 

[Eidorian]

Nor are we all spec whores. So why isn't it just OK for people to buy the computer they want to buy if they can afford it and it does the job for them? All this junk about fiendish Apple plots to rip off their customers is tired, old, and ridiculous. It's not like they lie about the specs of their machines or anything, and people can do the homework and compare products from different manufacturers if they want to. And if they don't it's really not an indication of some grand Apple plot to take over the world.

Perhaps it may be reckless consumerism.

 

[6-0 Prolene]

Perhaps it may be reckless consumerism.

You could make that argument for any "premium" product-- why spend thousands to buy an Omega watch that just tells time when for $20 you can get a Casio that has a calculator?

 

[Eidorian]

You could make that argument for any "premium" product-- why spend thousands to buy an Omega watch that just tells time when for $20 you can get a Casio that has a calculator?

Frugality need not apply?

 

[Tyrion]

Guys, can't you just concede this one single point? The hard drive sizes (I'm not even mentioning speeds) in the MBPs are ridiculous. 160GB in the 13", come on! That's what I got in my MBP in 2007. And even back then it wasn't enough.

 

[wandrer2]

 

[6-0 Prolene]

Frugality need not apply?

But why does it need to? There are plenty of subjective considerations that go into buying a computer--aesthetics is one, but perceived quality, reputation for service, user experience for the OS and the hardware, and style do play into the decision. If it didn't we could just all go back to buying IBMs and no other companies would exist.

The point is that it's up to the customer to determine what's "worth it" and what's a "rip-off," and there's so much subjectivity in the equation that it's impossible to force one person's determination on another.

 

[Eidorian]

But why does it need to? There are plenty of subjective considerations that go into buying a computer--aesthetics is one, but perceived quality, reputation for service, user experience for the OS and the hardware, and style do play into the decision. If it didn't we could just all go back to buying IBMs and no other companies would exist.

The point is that it's up to the customer to determine what's "worth it" and what's a "rip-off," and there's so much subjectivity in the equation that it's impossible to force one person's determination on another.

And thus everyone else ruined it for me.

All of this has happend before, all of this will happen again.

 

[NT1440]

And thus everyone else ruined it for me.

All of this has happend before, all of this will happen again.

Should we cry for you?

 

[Eidorian]

Should we cry for you?

Believe me I'm crying over the money I'm not spending.

 

[definitive]

yeah, there are people who blindly follow anything that apple does, and there are those who can't stand them. personally i like their operating system, but hate the fact that they charge their users so much to be able to use it, and on outdated hardware at that. they basically buy outdated hardware at a lower price in order to make a higher profit by charging their same high price. until people realize this, and learn a thing or two about how the computer industry works in terms of hardware updates, apple will continue ripping its customers off. they need to realize that their operating system is becoming popular, and more people want to buy it, but can't afford it because they can't justify spending several grand on a 15" laptop when they can buy an equally outfitted windows for a grand or less.

 

[ouimetnick]

yeah, there are people who blindly follow anything that apple does, and there are those who can't stand them. personally i like their operating system, but hate the fact that they charge their users so much to be able to use it, and on outdated hardware at that. they basically buy outdated hardware at a lower price in order to make a higher profit by charging their same high price. until people realize this, and learn a thing or two about how the computer industry works in terms of hardware updates, apple will continue ripping its customers off. they need to realize that their operating system is becoming popular, and more people want to buy it, but can't afford it because they can't justify spending several grand on a 15" laptop when they can buy an equally outfitted windows for a grand or less.

Agreed. Very perfectly said. I look at hardware specs. the extra 1K for "user experience" isn't worth it to me.

 

[NT1440]

Agreed. Very perfectly said. I look at hardware specs. the extra 1K for "user experience" isn't worth it to me.

And I don't mind at all, I'll pay for the experience I want. It's not like I have to do it often.

 

[dukebound85]

And I don't mind at all, I'll pay for the experience I want. It's not like I have to do it often.

but comeon, doesn't it rub you the wrong way at some level being charged premium prices for old tech?

be honest here

 

[NT1440]

but comeon, doesn't it rub you the wrong way at some level being charged premium prices for old tech?

be honest here

No, I'm no spec jockey. If it were some sort of huge gap I'd feel a little differently, but it does everything I want amazingly.

 

[ouimetnick]

No, I'm no spec jockey. If it were some sort of huge gap I'd feel a little differently, but it does everything I want amazingly.

And your not just a blind fanboy, that buys anything with a fruit logo on it?
Even with OUTDATED hardware sold at a premium (rip off) price?

 

[NT1440]

And your not just a blind fanboy, that buys anything with a fruit logo on it?
Even with OUTDATED hardware sold at a premium (rip off) price?

No, this is my first macbook (13" MBP) which I put in 4GB of RAM and bought a 500GB HD. I understand that apple costs more, I'm cool with that because OSX is what I want. I waited until right after this bad boy was released to buy it. I strike right after a refresh so I can get my best bang for the buck in terms of new hardware in macs and after college I'll do the same thing for a graduation present to myself.

I don't drop significant amounts of money on anything other than what I want. I feel ripped off buying jeans for any more than $12. As for my mac, I'm perfectly happy with it for the price.

 

[ouimetnick]

No, this is my first macbook (13" MBP) which I put in 4GB of RAM and bought a 500GB HD. I understand that apple costs more, I'm cool with that because OSX is what I want. I waited until right after this bad boy was released to buy it. I strike right after a refresh so I can get my best bang for the buck in terms of new hardware in macs and after college I'll do the same thing for a graduation present to myself.

I don't drop significant amounts of money on anything other than what I want. I feel ripped off buying jeans for any more than $12. As for my mac, I'm perfectly happy with it for the price.

Sounds fine then. As long as your happy with your computer. But why is it called a badboy? In terms of hardware, even when it was announced in June, PCs still had more powerful Intel chips and other things. So its not a "Bad Boy"

 

[NT1440]

Sounds fine then. As long as your happy with your computer. But why is it called a badboy? In terms of hardware, even when it was announced in June, PCs still had more powerful Intel chips and other things. So its not a "Bad Boy"

Because it's my machine and it FLIES compared to the Toshiba that wasn't even a year old it replaced. The battery life astounds me every time.