Now that it's no longer available, does the black MacBook become a hot collectible or just a footnote?
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Black MacBook: Collectible or Footnote?
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It's hard to say. My first inclination was to say 12" Powerbook. But, this just seems odd the current MacBook White would have similar specs to the Blackbook. So it's not discontinued in the sense that the 12" Powerbook is, but it seems odd that these will become collector items. iThink that they will definitely retain their value as compared to the white MacBooks. It just seems hard to imagine that the finish and color would become collectible since there have been Black Macs before and the finish seemed to be preferable, but not that unique. With that said plenty of people paid a lot of money for the matte finish. iThink that Cupertino should have realized that they had a market niché and extended it.
Collectible, if you ask me [I own one 
]
Just look at the G4 cube... it was long commanding significant premiums over comparable Powermac Towers... Why? Because it was rare and sexy.
The reason many people bought the Blackbook was precisely that... it was rarer than the White MBs and a sexy little machine. There was little difference in specs that warranted the $200 price jump to a Blackbook... but that it looked "mighty purdy"!!
I bought it while in Business School, and the sober but extraordinary looks were well worth it... I didn't have to conform to the Dell/HP B-school crowd, and the black, matte look went well with a Power-suit.
]Just look at the G4 cube... it was long commanding significant premiums over comparable Powermac Towers... Why? Because it was rare and sexy.
The reason many people bought the Blackbook was precisely that... it was rarer than the White MBs and a sexy little machine. There was little difference in specs that warranted the $200 price jump to a Blackbook... but that it looked "mighty purdy"!!
I bought it while in Business School, and the sober but extraordinary looks were well worth it... I didn't have to conform to the Dell/HP B-school crowd, and the black, matte look went well with a Power-suit.
I'm surprised they don't offer it alongside the new low-end white MacBook.
Also, I think the new design (for MacBooks and MacBook Pros) would look a million times better if there were a black version.
Just see how cool it looks in this shot where it's in shadows:
Tell me it wouldn't be an AMAZING looking machine if it were black aluminum! And with the backlit keyboard - perfection...
Also, I think the new design (for MacBooks and MacBook Pros) would look a million times better if there were a black version.
Just see how cool it looks in this shot where it's in shadows:
Tell me it wouldn't be an AMAZING looking machine if it were black aluminum! And with the backlit keyboard - perfection...
Not to rain on anyone's parade, but I would guess a footnote. The big thing the black macbook offered was a larger harddrive, but that's about it. I hope I'm wrong though. Perhaps people love the black.
Just not true - most liked the BlackBook for it's visual appeal. if you wanted the hard drive - you could have payed $200 less for it in white. The black matte finish is not subject to the extreme scratching of the white MacBook.
It's true that some people like the back Macbook for it's visual appeal. The issue is whether a majority or a minority of people purchased it for its "visual appeal.
I think it's a minority in which case the black Macbook becomes a footnote. If I am wrong (which I could be), then it becomes a collectible. I think reasonable people could differ on that issue.
It still doesn't explain why people payed an extra $200 for the same specs. i agree that it likely will not become a collectible, it just seems so improbable that without any real features over the other Macbook one could expect it to retain such value. It would have to be the visual appeal that would keep it that way, but that is just proven not to be true (see gold iPod Mini.) Also with companies like Colorware people can pay if they need or really want a black Apple.
I would say a minority of people liked them. Usually the mac elite. Most of the geniuses i spoke to at the Apple store said they owned a blackbook.
On campus, there were very few blackbooks too. The ones who had them were usually self-proclaimed computer geeks.
Might the white iPhone be similar to the blackbook? I'm not sure.
On campus, there were very few blackbooks too. The ones who had them were usually self-proclaimed computer geeks.
Might the white iPhone be similar to the blackbook? I'm not sure.
No to the iPhone. The BlackBook has the black part that made it so desirable. I would agree that the Mac elite liked them, but also those that had iBooks that scratched or business professionals that desired the black.
Yeah, you have to remember that not everyone loves the metal bodies, and to find another black Mac you need to go all the way back to the Pismo PowerBook G4s from many, many years ago.
I think it's a toss-up if they'll be worth more than their white counterparts in the future, but it says a lot when - as people have pointed out - there was no shortage of folks who plop down an extra $200 for the color along and not much else.