Apple to Drop Prices of Notebooks?

[macduke]

Piper instead of pier?

That would be enough, IMO, to get about 30% of all the people who say macs are overly expensive to shut up. It should also increase overall profits. I just hope Apple doesn't cheapen them too much with regard to overall quality.

 

[ju5tin81]

What is more likely is that the cost of the notebooks will rise. For example, aluminum in the MacBook line and better display panels.

Agreed. LED's all round, plus extra large track pads etc. Yeah, everyone seems to think a cut in margin is because of cheaper prices, rather than more expensive components.

I reckon, they can't put the prices up without losing out on sales. Equally, they need to increase their 'value proposition'. (APPLE: JUST LOSE THE COMBO DRIVE ALREADY!)

Add something that other notebooks can't do, for just a little bit more money than the competition... Very Apple.

 

[tmelvin]

Well when you can get a fully loaded Lenovo Thinkpad for $1200 something is very wrong. Even if apple drops the prices by $500 its still a ripoff but at least less of one. Right now its is borderline illegal.

Yes, then you get that $1200 Lenovo home, unbox it, start it up, and then realize it's running XP, or worse, Vista Business...BBBLLLAAAAHHHHH....

The $1200 spent is wasted on good hardware and crappy OS. And after 6 months of use, you realize that you need to reformat and reinstall everything on your $1200 paper weight...

I think Lenovo is French for "Poo Poo"...

 

[NiroNavro]

"Mystery Product"

And the mystery product is...(drumroll)...

The iRack

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw2nkoGLhrE

Enjoy!

 

[nagromme]

It would be great to see the return of sub-$1000 Mac laptops (and sub-$500 Mac Minis) like we had in the pre-Intel days

 

[tgildred]

Figures. I just gave up and bought my wife a MBP last week.

Quitter!!

 

[ziggyonice]

I'd really like to see the MacBook at $899.

If they are willing to cut it down to that price point, I really think they'd be seen as a very big competitor.
But hey, I can dream...

 

[tgildred]

I can see Apple lowering the MacBook prices...




...CD-ROM drives and 512MB for everyone!

Huzzah!

 

[kabunaru]

I lower cost MB? Yes please!

Can they deliver a lower priced MB with LED back lighting?

So, we might have something like:
MB 13", 1GB, 160GB, combo $999
MB 13", 2GB, 200GB, SD $1199
MB 13", 2GB, 250GB, SD Black $1399

MBP 15", 2GB, 200GB, SD $1799
MBP 15", 2GB, 320GB, SD $2299 (faster)
MBP 17", 2GB, 320GB, SD $2599

That would be very cool. And just think of the refurb pricing - OH YEAH!!!

MB Aluminium 13", 3GB, 160GB, SD $999
MB Black Aluminium 13", 3GB, 250GB, SD, $1199
MBA, 3GB, 128GB SSD or 160GB HD, $2499 or $1599
MBP 15", 4GB, 320GB, SD $1799
MBP 17", 4GB, 500GB, SD $2299
MP, 4GB, 500GB, ATI Radeon HD 4850 standard, SD $2299

Would be nice...

 

[vendettabass]

good news! I'm after an entry level MacBook when the UK see's the HE iPod promotion!

 

[Snowcat001]

And the mystery product is...(drumroll)...

The iRack

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw2nkoGLhrE

Enjoy!

This was great!!

 

[TylerD.]

sounds like the new retail price will be the education price now. Hopefully they will have a new education discount price.

 

[Bubba Satori]

MB and MBP multi-touch is not a matter of if, but when.

Why would Apple cut its profit margins? It isn't Dell, making low end kit, with small margins, so why do it? Piper Jaffray seems to have been going out on a limb here. They'll bump everything i'd imagine. Wouldn't see APple reducing any price points much, if at all, unless they have a better line planned.

Maybe Apple executives have walked into a store and seen what the $1099 price of a macbook buys you these days.

 

[jawporta]

Macbook $999

Is should have been $999 from the get go, the iBook was $999, they switched to intel which was cheaper than Motorola because of the bulk buy and they charged more. The Mac Mini went up as well. This was all BS since the intel Mac's were cheaper to make than the G4s.

Here's an idea, Macbook starting at $800. The low end model isn't worth more than that anyway.

 

[bacaramac]

I am leaning towards a new product that will be expensive with a very low profit margin.

This would drag down the profit margin. Heck, maybe they will lower prices and have a low profit margin device (MacBook Touch if you will).

 

[NiroNavro]

This was great!!

I know, so funny!!!

 

[dl13]

Right now those are the current prices for educational purchases, basically the price students, faculty, and staff of all higher education institutes would pay as long as they can prove they are of said status. All Apple is really doing is extending that price to the general public. Does this mean there's no more educational discounts or will the educational discount be even lower? Probably starting at $949 for the MacBook and $1599 for the MBP would be my guess if they kept the discount. Sorry to burst your bubble people, but Apple really isn't lowering their prices, they're just treating everyone equally now.

 

[Mr Maui]

it's only illegal if ...

Well when you can get a fully loaded Lenovo Thinkpad for $1200 something is very wrong. Even if apple drops the prices by $500 its still a ripoff but at least less of one. Right now its is borderline illegal.

It would only be illegal if Apple was deceiving people on the price. With Apple ... They set a price and people just pay. Then, those people complain that it is a rip-off. If you believe it to be overpriced, don't buy!

For the record ... Apple sold a record number of "overpriced" laptops last quarter.

So who is the fool? Apple? Or the consumer? Most buyers love what they get for their money with Apple. Sales numbers continue to prove it. We all would like to see more for less, so if you find it, buy it, and go complain about Apple at VistaPerfectPC.com.

 

[kitch95]

YAY i hope they dont make it cheaper specs wise that would suck badly

 

[slu]

It would be great to see the return of sub-$1000 Mac laptops (and sub-$500 Mac Minis) like we had in the pre-Intel days

Couldn't agree more. And for the love of God, drop the combo drive already. A low end Macbook would be perfect for me if it had a super drive. It really bothers me that I would have to spend an extra $200 to get this when I don't want the extra ram, disk, or proc speed.

 

[m1stake]

I would not complain.

 

[maestro55]

A drop in pricing isn't a terrible idea for Apple, because as mentioned it would put the machines in more hands. Certainly a MacBook for right around $1000, a lot of students would get it and take advantage of the student discount (like I did when I got mine, I think with shipping the one I got was around $1500 at the time).

 

[Clayne]

MB Black Aluminium 13", 3GB, 250GB, SD, $1199

That would be cool. What's SD? I'm drawing a blank right now..

 

[zsft]

Piper instead of pier?

That would be enough, IMO, to get about 30% of all the people who say macs are overly expensive to shut up. It should also increase overall profits. I just hope Apple doesn't cheapen them too much with regard to overall quality.

Companies want to sell at the highest price possible, consumers want to buy at the smallest price possible, it will always be that way. And yeah it would suck to get lesser quality, it's already bad as it is.

Yes, then you get that $1200 Lenovo home, unbox it, start it up, and then realize it's running XP, or worse, Vista Business...BBBLLLAAAAHHHHH....

The $1200 spent is wasted on good hardware and crappy OS. And after 6 months of use, you realize that you need to reformat and reinstall everything on your $1200 paper weight...

I think Lenovo is French for "Poo Poo"...

Funny I was thinking the opposite after researching the MPB in this forum. For the record I never really NEEDED to reinstall my PCs, only a few times whenever a new version of Windows come out.

 

[masse]

So... $200 off of a new macbook pro (and another $200 student discount)...a cheaper ipod touch, possibly better in some way... sounds like a better deal than the back to school special.