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Apple to Introduce Cheaper Macs?

DELLsFan said:
I mean, come on now. What exactly are you going to be able to do besides browse the web, type in Word, or play Hearts on a $400 e-Machine (AMD Athlon 2650e), Compaq Presario (AMD Athlon X2) or a DELL Inspiron (Intel Celeron)? These machines are so cheap, I doubt even World of Warcraft would run smoothly on them ... and that's pretty bad. :eek:


:apple:
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Well, that (plus run a spreadsheet or do a powerpoint) is all that the vast majority of computer users do, so it's not the worst thing in the world that there are computers appropriately priced for these folks.

And, yeah, there are people who don't realize the difference between a cheap computer and a more expensive computer and find that they can't do what they want (video editing, gaming) with the cheaper computer.

Apple certainly shouldn't ignore the second group...but they shouldn't be in the position, ideally, of having to tell the first group that, despite the fact that their computer needs can be met by a $400 computer, all we can offer you is a $1,000 computer.
 
you know what i think? apple doesnt need to lower the prices on anything but the accesories. at first, when i was a windows user, i thought macs were so expensive and that i would never afford one. however, after i worked for a couple of months, i was able to get one. now, i believe they are worth every penny and i'm considering buying a mac mini too.
i mean, after you have the thing in you hand, you realize what you got there.
i'm really afraid that with a price drop a lot of dumbasses and cool kids will go buy a mac, even if they can barely use windows. macs are not for everybody and they never will be. so just leave it at that, apple, prices and other stuff do the natural selection :)
 
Adrien24 said:
We all do, but a less expensive Apple means junk computers. Im happy with my 24 inch iMac and its super sexy too. :D
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But expensive too, wasn't it? Top of the line 24" iMac (like the one I see you purchased from your signature line) with Apple Care costs about as much as a baseline Mac Pro without the Apple Care! :eek:

If you've got $2500 to spend exclusively on a Mac ... why would you choose the iMac over the Pro? :confused:
 
vancexxx said:
i'm really afraid that with a price drop a lot of dumbasses and cool kids will go buy a mac, even if they can barely use windows. macs are not for everybody and they never will be. so just leave it at that, apple, prices and other stuff do the natural selection :)
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Thats the elitist attitude that makes most of the world look at mac users as snobs and jerks. Congrats on perpetuating the stereotype and making the mac users who arent ******s look bad in the public eye.
 
DMann said:
Sounds symptomatic of "DLL Hell." You are quite right, Windows attitude is, and has always been, "Once we schlep it together and ship it outa here, it's all your's to deal with."
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Of all the annoyances I encounter with Windows, this one takes the cake. At least with a Mac, I might be able to get both hardware AND software support for three years.

Goona said:
Apple quality issues, lol.

Every company has quality issues. If Apple has quality issues, then I wonder about the likes of Dell. :eek:
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Me too ... Gone are the days when they could boast about the top notch support too ...

dernhelm said:
I'd take $100 off a mini! (or just put 4GB of RAM in it and keep it the same price).
;)

Seriously, when Apple releases their "back to school" line, they could easily drop the cost on all their units if they were worried about market share.

The problem is, I don't think they give a rip about market share. It was nice to brag about - huge margins AND gaining market share. But market share in the computer industry is driven from the bottom. Apple is not now, nor will it ever be interested in building bottom-end machines.

So the only way I see this happening is if they think that their market share would drop far enough that it would call in to question their profitability. I think we are a long way from that.
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I think there will eventually come a point in time when Apple will care more about market share. When this happens, and it does grow - so will all the benefits AND problems inherent to an increased market share. More sales, yes. More profit, yes. More support, yes. More malware, likely.

BMWFan said:
Stereotypes don't come out of nothing. Mac users do behave like that and you can see it in various forums and youtube comments on Mac vs PC adverts.

As for the BMW fans being rich white tennis/golf players, that's not a stereotype. That's the truth. Don't go hating on me just cos you can't afford a BMW and have to do with a cheap Honda.
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For what it's worth, I don't hate you. Can I have a ride in that Beamer? :cool:

Eidorian said:
Apple plays off of that perception though and people buy into it.

It's just a computer and nothing more.
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No, it really is more ... particularly today - where many folks may have little to no social lives - or work continuously with and on computers. If the computer IS a major part of your life (whether for work or pleasure), it needs to be more than just a computer. It needs to be a special computer.

DMann said:
No, but owning one, or more, most definitely improves your sex life. :p
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iPorn?

Anuba said:
A hundred bucks off isn't going to make a difference. Try...

White MacBook = $699
Alu Macbook = $999 / $1199
MBA = $1299 / $1999
MBP15 = $1499 / $1999
MBP17 = $2299
Mini = $399 / $459
iMac 20" = $999
iMac 24" = $1199 / $1499 / $1899
MP Quad = $1999
MP Octad = $2599

That would place their prices closer to standard margins in the industry.
Sure, the stockholders would cry like little girls but they can wipe their tears with the money they made before the bubble burst.
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+1 ... I like those price ideas.

BMWFan said:
People still buy stuff from Dell???
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Not as many as when I bought my first one. Is it possible to change your Macrumors member name? :p
 
vancexxx said:
you know what i think? apple doesnt need to lower the prices on anything but the accesories. at first, when i was a windows user, i thought macs were so expensive and that i would never afford one. however, after i worked for a couple of months, i was able to get one. now, i believe they are worth every penny and i'm considering buying a mac mini too.
i mean, after you have the thing in you hand, you realize what you got there.
i'm really afraid that with a price drop a lot of dumbasses and cool kids will go buy a mac, even if they can barely use windows. macs are not for everybody and they never will be. so just leave it at that, apple, prices and other stuff do the natural selection :)
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Im sorry but the mac mini is a piece of junk if you consider the price. I would pay no more than $500 for it.
 
MacLover4491 said:
Im sorry but the mac mini is a piece of junk if you consider the price. I would pay no more than $500 for it.
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Even at $500 it's overpriced for what you get...
 

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I had a little chuckle at the comment about BMW owners being rich, white guys who play tennis, etc ... and that such an assumption is not a stereotype, but the truth.

The vast majority of BMW drivers here in Glasgow are either black or asian, and I'm not talking about older second hand models either, some guys are flying around in 09 plate models.

Because of the popularity of BMW's among the black community here, BMW as a label has been given a new meaning ...

Black Mans Wheels ...

I'm not saying that to be racist, I'm simply pointing out that to try and come across so arrogantly that BMW's are the playtoy of rich white guys is somewhat false.
 
The only difference between a pc and a mac is the OS. You cant compare cars to computers because they are completely different. I would pay a 200 to 250 more for a mac over a comparable pc because of osx, outer design, and apples warranty but nothing more. They do have very good and fast warranty service if you go to an apple store.
 
WeegieMac said:
I had a little chuckle at the comment about BMW owners being rich, white guys who play tennis, etc ... and that such an assumption is not a stereotype, but the truth.
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...and I live in the south, where there is nothing more commonplace than a bmw. Average joe/sales rep/company motor/etc
Pretty sure the crazy love affair with german saloons is a strange american thing.
 
DELLsFan said:
iPorn?
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No need - chicks dig the bling, as well as the sexy interface - both the iPhone and the MBP have been a real draw, rendering opening 'come on' lines unnecessary.

WeegieMac said:
The vast majority of BMW drivers here in Glasgow are either black or asian, and I'm not talking about older second hand models either, some guys are flying around in 09 plate models.

Because of the popularity of BMW's among the black community here, BMW as a label has been given a new meaning ...

Black Mans Wheels ...

I'm not saying that to be racist, I'm simply pointing out that to try and come across so arrogantly that BMW's are the playtoy of rich white guys is somewhat false.
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This is an interesting shift, since throughout the 1980-90s, BMW was an acronym for Bitches Money Wagon, here in the States.

DELLsFan said:
I do want to see Apple lower their prices a bit, but not to a point where quality and functionality are downgraded to what I call "trailer park" affordability. Uh oh ... now I've done it ... All the "double-wide" members may now flame.
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Concurrently, the "trailer park" crowd is the very demographic MS is aggressively catering to.
 
Tallest Skil said:
Meanwhile, profits rose during a recession, Apple has 29 billion dollars in CASH, and a new iPhone is coming out this summer, leading the original iPhone users, all 7 million of them, since 50 million iPhones haven't even been sold (how stupid do you think we are?), to renew their contracts with new products from Apple, giving Apple even more money.

The "overpriced" crap, which isn't overpriced (because you don't know the definition of that word), is selling like hotcakes, people will continue to buy it, and there is nothing that you can do about it.
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Couldn't have put it better, the dude keeps mentioning this 50 million iphones number, he gets called it on but still keeps repeating it.
 
VoR said:
...and I live in the south, where there is nothing more commonplace than a bmw. Average joe/sales rep/company motor/etc
Pretty sure the crazy love affair with german saloons is a strange american thing.
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Yeah I think it must be - a German friend told me that BMWs are seen as very ordinary cars over there too. Even the taxi drivers won't touch them.
 
Goona said:
Couldn't have put it better, the dude keeps mentioning this 50 million iphones number, he gets called it on but still keeps repeating it.
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Looking into the not so distant future, Apple reaching 50,000 Million iPhone sales is indeed imminent. His gross exaggeration is merely an inadvertent prophecy, and a positive one at that.
 
DELLsFan said:
I mean, come on now. What exactly are you going to be able to do besides browse the web, type in Word, or play Hearts on a $400 e-Machine (AMD Athlon 2650e), Compaq Presario (AMD Athlon X2) or a DELL Inspiron (Intel Celeron)? These machines are so cheap, I doubt even World of Warcraft would run smoothly on them ... and that's pretty bad. :eek:
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I've been recording 24-bit audio on computers since my 1.33Ghz Celeron laptop, and 16-bit audio since my 700Mhz Athlon. 12+ tracks, including plug-ins. Also have been editing SD video since the 1.33Ghz days.

So what can you do on a cheap computer? Plenty.
 
DELLsFan said:
Indeed. Are you and I the only ones around here who shudders at the mere mention of the Celeron or Atom processors? :eek:

Don't misunderstand me now ... it's nice to have choices, (particularly for budget-minded consumers). However, in my experience, many budget-minded folks have no idea how limiting a computing experience they will get with those low-end Intel (or AMD) processors. All found in the bargain aisle at Wal-Mart.

I mean, come on now. What exactly are you going to be able to do besides browse the web, type in Word, or play Hearts on a $400 e-Machine (AMD Athlon 2650e), Compaq Presario (AMD Athlon X2) or a DELL Inspiron (Intel Celeron)? These machines are so cheap, I doubt even World of Warcraft would run smoothly on them ... and that's pretty bad. :eek:

I do want to see Apple lower their prices a bit, but not to a point where quality and functionality are downgraded to what I call "trailer park" affordability. Uh oh ... now I've done it ... All the "double-wide" members may now flame. :p

:apple:
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A dual core Athlon X2 or Celeron Dual-Core is more than enough for the majority of users. We were doing h.264 crunching and DVD production on single core G5s or slower for ages. Today's $50 processor is lightning.

DELLsFan said:
No, it really is more ... particularly today - where many folks may have little to no social lives - or work continuously with and on computers. If the computer IS a major part of your life (whether for work or pleasure), it needs to be more than just a computer. It needs to be a special computer.
Click to expand...
A sad truth. Your Mac is unique just like all of other ones. When you build your own computer you are getting something unique.

DMann said:
Concurrently, the "trailer park" crowd is the very demographic MS is aggressively catering to.
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You should take a look at ATI's strategy for GPU development and price scaling.
 
 
 
Apple needs:

- Less expensive. There is no way to justify a $2000 notebook with only 2 gigs of RAM, and even if it has to be $2000 it should start off with a 2.66GHz IC2D, 4GB RAM and 320GB 7200.

Who the heck does Apple think they are to charge $2000 for that MacBook Pro?

- More configurations. Apple for some reasons hates graphics cards. Apple has the worst graphic card selections ever. They should have far better GPU selections for the Mac Pro, MacBook and MacBook Pro especially. And more CPU selections as well (for example what if I want a 3.06GHz iMac 20 inch?).

With a PC, you get the configuration YOU want - with a Mac, you get the crap Apple gives you, and boy is it crap.

- More selections. Apple has a good product line - except it needs a mid-range desktop tower. Something at like $700 that you can upgrade. It also needs a cheap 15/16 inch notebook (16 inch MacBook?), in order to get a 15-17 inch notebook with Apple you have to spend over $2000... unbelievable.

- More games!!!!! More software!!!
 
IWantItThatWay said:
- More configurations. Apple for some reasons hates graphics cards. Apple has the worst graphic card selections ever.
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As hard as it is to believe, things are actually better now than they were a few years ago. Part of the problem is the use of mobile card in iMacs since these tend to come out long after their desktop counterparts, although even here Apple is a few months behind the curve.
 
Eidorian said:
A sad truth. Your Mac is unique just like all of other ones. When you build your own computer you are getting something unique.
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Very true, and this is something that you realize when you see non mac machine that has something or is designed with nuances that you would prefer in your system. The Mac being "unique" and "different" is correct, but it's not like all the others aren't unique in their own way.

One could say that it's pretty even when looking at the offerings from Sony and HP's business end, both the hardware options of the lineup and the design.

p.s. Apple is always behind the curve when it comes to the latest bleeding edge hardware options. Apple pretty much epic fails at every Intel chip/GFX card release, waiting MONTHS to put them into their machines, while PC makers have their hands on them and in top of the line machines almost a month prior.
 
flopticalcube said:
As hard as it is to believe, things are actually better now than they were a few years ago. Part of the problem is the use of mobile card in iMacs since these tend to come out long after their desktop counterparts, although even here Apple is a few months behind the curve.
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Yeah, I have an iMac and the only thing I wanted to configure was the graphics card but I couldn't, because there was no configuration (20-inch), so I just stuck with the 9400M. But Apple is still at least a year behind in graphics cards, and they really need to step up in this regard. There is not one 1GB GPU from Apple, for example. PCs are already at 2GB.
 
IWantItThatWay said:
Yeah, I have an iMac and the only thing I wanted to configure was the graphics card but I couldn't, because there was no configuration (20-inch), so I just stuck with the 9400M. But Apple is still at least a year behind in graphics cards, and they really need to step up in this regard. There is not one 1GB GPU from Apple, for example. PCs are already at 2GB.
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True, and this makes it hard for me to take the word "PRO" at the end of some Mac models seriously.

Professional Mac is almost an oxymoron these days.
 
MacLover4491 said:
They do have very good and fast warranty service if you go to an apple store.
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When I buy from Dell, I don't even have to go to a store - they come to my company, my office or my home. And as a business customer I even get five years of warranty, if I want it. And that includes outstanding technical support.

Apple pales in comparison. Especially since they charge much more than Dell for -- everything --.
 
 
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