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Do macs come down in price like PCs do?

W

whitespaces

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 23, 2009
21
0
I'm going to buy a mbp but it will take me another 4months to save up - or I'm thinking about just getting one on finance. My question is the mbp 15" I'm looking at is currently £1500. In 4 months time will this be cheaper like a PC would? (a Pc costing £1500 now would prob be nearly £1000 in 4 months time)

Also - being new to the mac world - how often to apple bring out a new mcp? Is it every year or does it change?

Many thanks for any advice
 
whitespaces said:
I'm going to buy a mbp but it will take me another 4months to save up - or I'm thinking about just getting one on finance. My question is the mbp 15" I'm looking at is currently £1500. In 4 months time will this be cheaper like a PC would? (a Pc costing £1500 now would prob be nearly £1000 in 4 months time)

Also - being new to the mac world - how often to apple bring out a new mcp? Is it every year or does it change?

Many thanks for any advice
Click to expand...

It's not likely. Apple generally updates their models instead of reducing price. It has happened before, but I wouldn't count on it.
 
Cassie said:
It's not likely. Apple generally updates their models instead of reducing price. It has happened before, but I wouldn't count on it.
Click to expand...

Agreed. PC prices decline a lot faster. Sometimes, you may find a $50.00 discount offered by the retailer (Best Buy, Frys electronics, etc). That's why when the prices "dropped" on the newly released MBP line, I jumped on right away and bought one.
 
That's a shame - that basically means that unless you get a mac as soon as they are released you are effectively getting much less for your money the longer you leave it (in comparison to PC hardware)
 
whitespaces said:
That's a shame - that basically means that unless you get a mac as soon as they are released you are effectively getting much less for your money the longer you leave it (in comparison to PC hardware)
Click to expand...

Well, maybe. But you can't expect your machine to be the latest and greatest forever. You just have to pick what's right for you, and upgrade when that machine no longer meets your needs.
 
whitespaces said:
That's a shame - that basically means that unless you get a mac as soon as they are released you are effectively getting much less for your money the longer you leave it (in comparison to PC hardware)
Click to expand...

There's a nice flip side to this in that Macs maintain their resale value much, much better than PCs do.

Check out the Buyer's Guide on this site (one of the tabs
at the top of the page) -- it will give you a good idea on how often these thngs are updated.
 
Fair enough but surely just before they release the next mbp - the current one would be seriously expensive compared to a pc - e.g. if the mbp I'm looking at is still £1500 in early 2010 you'd be able to get a seriously more powerful PC for the money.

I appreciate that you are almost buying something different when getting a mac though.
 
whitespaces said:
Fair enough but surely just before they release the next mbp - the current one would be seriously expensive compared to a pc - e.g. if the mbp I'm looking at is still £1500 in early 2010 you'd be able to get a seriously more powerful PC for the money.

I appreciate that you are almost buying something different when getting a mac though.
Click to expand...

You do tend to get little upgrades along the way though so you might get a bump in CPU speed or a larger disk or more memory.

I'm currently running an iMac 2.4GHz machine which I bought in Aug 07 just after the aluminium iMac was released and it runs just as sweet today as it did when I first got it. That was fast approaching 2 years ago and I just can't believe it! I've always built my own PC's over the years (before the Mac) using pretty high end components and I have always had to upgrade before 2 years just to keep pace with the latest software demands. On the Mac the constant battle between hardware performance and software demands seems to be in check for the most part so you don't actually need to keep upgrading to the latest hardware.

On the other hand if you buy a PC then it tends to be obsolete a week after you've bought it because that model will be discontinued or upgraded or just changed in some random way. Even if you build your own machine the components are constantly changing without really offering anything fundamentally better. This constant evolution is good in some ways but is bad in others. For example, it makes it very difficult to exhaustively test a new machine when its lifecycle is measured in days or perhaps weeks. With the Mac you have longer lifecycles so testing can be more thorough. You also have larger production runs of identical products so quality is likely to be better. Finally, it is easier to identify machines on the second hand market so residual values hold up better.

It's all good!

Cheers,
Craig.
:)
 
whitespaces said:
I'm going to buy a mbp but it will take me another 4months to save up - or I'm thinking about just getting one on finance. My question is the mbp 15" I'm looking at is currently £1500. In 4 months time will this be cheaper like a PC would? (a Pc costing £1500 now would prob be nearly £1000 in 4 months time)

Also - being new to the mac world - how often to apple bring out a new mcp? Is it every year or does it change?

Many thanks for any advice
Click to expand...

Only when they want to clear old stock to bring out, new shiny stuff!

One bitten, twice shy! :)
 
Cheers for responses people esp craig-v informative and I can see what you are saying
 
This is just apple fanboy BS. IF apple upgraded frequently, that would be the way to go, and lauded here.
Yes, it is ridiculous to buy a one year old mac that hasnt been updated for full price. SO, best to buy after cycle updates. Be an informed buyer.
Remember, that the profit margin on macs is much higher than PCs. So, it is a luxury product. For some, that is a waste of money, and others it is the only way to go. A honda can get you somewhere, and so can a mercedes. To each his own.
 
I have been looking to purchase another Pro and was considering a lightly used, non uni high end 17" 2.6 MBP. From my research, prices in general (at least for the Pros) are not holding up like they used to in the PPC days and when the first Intels came out. I can get the 17" for around 60% off used on CL or eBay. Around 40% off used new from resellers. I find this amazing! It definitely could be due to people desiring the new unibody design...
 
I would suggest that borrowing money to buy something like a computer is generally not a good idea. The asset you purchase will depreciate very quickly, all while you are paying extra via interest on the loan. Try to borrow money only for items that will pay you back and emergencies.

Wish I had learned that lesson about 20 years ago. :D
 
Cassie said:
It's not likely. Apple generally updates their models instead of reducing price. It has happened before, but I wouldn't count on it.
Click to expand...

Exactly; so essentially you tend to get a better model for the same price, but while reductiosn do happen, it is rare.

Consultant said:
Get refurb. Looks new, has same warranty as new.
Click to expand...

This is my advice too. Refurbs are an excellent option, and offer considerable price cuts on the standard "new" models.

Cheers
 
I don't know why I really did this but I watched a keynote from 2003. When Apple introduced the the 17" PB the price was $3299, now 6 years later it is $2499.

The 12"PB when released first time round was $1799, now the laptop that sits in its spot (the 13" MBP) is $1199.

The prices do drop but ever so slowly.
 
sbb155 said:
This is just apple fanboy BS.
Click to expand...
This line of argumentation is really really old. Get a new schtick.
IF apple upgraded frequently, that would be the way to go, and lauded here.
Yes, it is ridiculous to buy a one year old mac that hasnt been updated for full price. SO, best to buy after cycle updates. Be an informed buyer.
Click to expand...
While this seems reasonable, it overlooks a much more important criteria. Buy when you need it. Unless you are living on the bleeding edge of gaming, one year-old technology will still be much more than most will ever need.
Remember, that the profit margin on macs is much higher than PCs. So, it is a luxury product. For some, that is a waste of money, and others it is the only way to go. A honda can get you somewhere, and so can a mercedes. To each his own.
Click to expand...
Bravo. So a $25 hammer must be a luxury product because you can buy a $10 hammer, right?
 
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