Do you think Macbook pros are over priced?

[Cyberheart]

If this is true then I would like to know if there is any such offer for Indian student.A comprehensive preview of the Mac Book Pro is coming up in few days.

I meant 200 NOT 250 that was my mistake...

Sorry man i dont know anything about Indian students try to bring an id that you go to college or the university and im sure they will work something out.

 

[Cyberheart]

Indeed it has changed, sorry The most expensive MBP before customization, you'll now get $200 off, rather than $100.

Edit: With customization to the highest specs (minus SSD) and price, it seems it's still $200 off the $3,000 or so that it was full price. Not bad!
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I dont know if people agree with me on this but i think the HD apple puts into the macbook are to low end. I think they should atleast move up to 7200 RPM if they are going to put a price tag that high on a laptop reply if you disagree ....

 

[svenn]

Totally overpriced. But that is just my opinion, and everyone has their own. As long as people continue to pay, I say good for Apple.

 

[grahamnp]

They definitely do not offer as much value as the other brands. The tremendous profit margins, do not prove this entirely, but reveal a lot. The hardware on the inside is no better than the competition, the only numbers anyone can actually quote show reliability to be average, Apple has the best selling laptops in the >USD1000 class so they benefit from economies of scale and I don't believe the chassis is worth 2-3x extra. The only reason I put up with the premium is because I believe the general experience of using OSX is worth double that of Windows

 

[iStudentUK]

yes its diffrent in the US when i bought my 15" macbook they took off 150 dollars but if i would have bought the 17" for 2400 they would have taken 250 off.. It works different in the usa i guess.. Our tax is large here maybe thats why.

Yeah, so it's $50 off the basic 13" MBP. But $250 off the 17" MBP.

Here its about 14% off everything. Plus a 3 year warranty as standard.

 

[TechNut315]

Yes

Yes, I think they are overpriced, I love my 2010 Macbook pro but I certainly would never pay full price for any Apple macbook as Apple's harware profit margins are massive. Considering the components are identical to those in HP, Dell, Toshiba laptops and built in similar sweatshops the price difference shouldnt be that much. The design, the trackpad and a shiny metal case doesnt make up the difference in price unless you much prefer OSX.

I bought a MBP because I really liked my iPhone and iPad. I'm happy with my purchase because OSX is nice (although windows 7 is probably better), the battery is fantastic and the touchpad is better than anything else on the market but I essentially paid half price for it.

I personally don't think the build quality is higher than a good quality laptop. The failure rate on MBPs are actually higher than lots of well known laptop brands but Apple always come out on top of customer satisfaction tables because most people have bought an extended warranty, which is usually available for other brands but very few people buy them. I only know 5 people with MBPs, all 5 MBPs broke within 2 years, 3 of them were fixed for free, because they were under guarantee the others had to pay a lot of money.

My 2010 macbook replaced my 4 year old Dell XPS M1330 and to be honest its only a wee bit faster and doesnt look as nice and cost me more money. The Dell cost me £600 and still runs great, it did break in 2009 but Dell sent an engineer to my house to fix it for free even though it was over a year out its warranty.

You only have to look at Apples profits to see how overpriced there items are. They are making huge amounts of money in the laptop market yet in absolute terms are not selling huge amount of MBPs, relative to Apples past they are selling a lot more but for example HP are still selling more laptops but making less money.

MBPs are quality products, but to me are not worth the extra cost (especially in the UK) unless you prefer OSX. If I could buy them for US prices they would be more worth it, but then normal laptops are cheaper too in the US. If Apple dropped the price by 10-20% there would be no argument.

 

[Cyberheart]

Yeah, so it's $50 off the basic 13" MBP. But $250 off the 17" MBP.

Here its about 14% off everything. Plus a 3 year warranty as standard.

not 250 its 200 sorry my mistake.

 

[iZero]

I dont know if people agree with me on this but i think the HD apple puts into the macbook are to low end. I think they should atleast move up to 7200 RPM if they are going to put a price tag that high on a laptop reply if you disagree ....

It's all relative. For me the HDD in mine is perfectly fine. This machine is a work supplement for my main work machine, it's not my main piece of equipment. They have several HDD options available. The 7200 RPM upgrade is the same price. The 500GB 7200 costs no different than the 750GB 5400. If you'd rather the faster 7200 instead of the capacity of the 750GB, get it. Doesn't cost you any more at all. Different strokes for different folks, as they say. And of course SSD's cost, no matter who you buy them from. New tech, higher prices.

As far as the components go, people miss a point that is key for me personally. I don't care if a Dell uses the same processor as my MBP. It's absolutely irrelevant (to me). What I care about, is that my investment is taken care of for years, and I can count on it for my business, without the headache of dealing with, at VERY best, "questionable" support and warranty service from basically any other manufacturer. The overall experience of owning these machines, make them well worth the price, to me. I've used Apple machines exclusively for my business, for around 10 years now. Because of the broader scope, that will never change. It's all in how one looks at it. And no one can answer definitively because everyone has different needs and feelings.

 

[michaelsviews]

No not at all

IMO No there not over priced, considering the R&D, materials, construction and everything else that goes into making this timeless piece of craftsmanship .

Nope not all , I will say also that I prefer pre-unibody, because of the size of the keys and have large hands.

Selling the uni-body or returning it for credit, has applecare also. Oh well

 

[Cyberheart]

It's all relative. For me the HDD in mine is perfectly fine. This machine is a work supplement for my main work machine, it's not my main piece of equipment. They have several HDD options available. The 7200 RPM upgrade is the same price. The 500GB 7200 costs no different than the 750GB 5400. If you'd rather the faster 7200 instead of the capacity of the 750GB, get it. Doesn't cost you any more at all. Different strokes for different folks, as they say. And of course SSD's cost, no matter who you buy them from. New tech, higher prices.

As far as the components go, people miss a point that is key for me personally. I don't care if a Dell uses the same processor as my MBP. It's absolutely irrelevant (to me). What I care about, is that my investment is taken care of for years, and I can count on it for my business, without the headache of dealing with, at VERY best, "questionable" support and warranty service from basically any other manufacturer. The overall experience of owning these machines, make them well worth the price, to me. I've used Apple machines exclusively for my business, for around 10 years now. Because of the broader scope, that will never change. It's all in how one looks at it. And no one can answer definitively because everyone has different needs and feelings.

True True.

 

[svenn]

... everything else that goes into making this timeless piece of craftsmanship .:

i lol'd

 

[tmt]

It´s an expensive laptop, but coming from a vaio, which i really love, this is clearly something different. And now with the big cpu upgrade it doesn´t seem such a bad deal
Having said that, in sweden my mbp cost almost 2500$.

 

[wct097]

Yes. Severely overpriced. The 2011 is, as far as I can tell, the best bang for the buck in the last several years.... but only when you get into the upgraded 15" and 17" models. The very idea that someone would pay $1k for a 13" laptop with integrated graphics is laughable at best.

Apple has done a pretty good job with the marketing to make both a fad, and a cult following out of their toys. They've done even better marketing the MBP as a 'professional' computer, seemingly justifying the cost. The unicorn tears business model seems to be holding up very well for them, but I can't help but laugh at the Kool-Aid drinkers that think they're the best thing ever and well worth the $600-1000 price premium.... especially 8+ months into the product cycle.

Now... that said, I'm not an Apple hater. I love my overpriced $2500 2011 15" MBP. It's a great laptop. Lack of USB 3.0 sucks. T-bolt may be awesome, but I could use USB 3.0 today. Likewise, a couple more USB ports would be nice. I don't like having to hit the function key to get delete, home, end, page up/down functionality. The keys are spaced at a ridiculous interval, and having to pay to get a high-res screen on a 'pro' laptop was annoying. I am, however, starting to appreciate the trackpad. Performance is great. OS X is a little clunky, but does the job better than any Linux distro I've ever used. Bootcamp seems a little buggy, but I can still get into Windows when I need it. It is, however, a really nice laptop. Sometimes, overpaying isn't always a bad thing.

No. They are not a casual laptop. They are a professional level machine, that people wanting to do basic tasks, really don't need. They are an investment, not so much a "toy". The technology to develop a machine of this caliber and quality is not cheap.

Someone's been drinking a little too much of the Kool-Aid. The very idea that a MBP is a 'professional' level machine is a colossal joke and complete marketing hype. The mere fact that it doesn't come with Windows pre-installed takes it out of the running for being anything relevant to 'professional'.

The support and warranty the machine comes with, should any problems somehow/someday arise, is outstanding.

90 day phone support and 1 year parts & labor is about as far as you can get from outstanding & superb.

I know of no other manufacturer that will replace or repair the machine for free, no hassle or run around involved, for that number of years. It's actually very impressive that something of this power, quality, and longevity, comes for the price it does. It's a good investment for anyone needing a tool for the type of work it's designed to do. It's a bad one, in most cases, for casual users. Much less machine is needed to do simple everyday tasks...

Please elaborate on 'the type of work it's designed to do', because as far as I can tell, until the latest editions, MBP's fell into an oddball category of mid-range consumer without enough to really do real work, and too expensive to be used for just surfing the internet and doing casual stuff. The 2011's are the first time in a while that anyone can reasonably claim that they're actually 'high end'.

 

[nfl46]

I think the price jump from 13 to 15 is too high. The 15 should start around $1,599. Most people don't have Macs because they are expensive. They think, "Why pay over a $1,000 when I can get one from Wal-Mart for $298..." I love my Mac products though. The resell value continues to stay high, plus they last a long time.

 

[iZero]

Someone's been drinking a little too much of the Kool-Aid. The very idea that a MBP is a 'professional' level machine is a colossal joke and complete marketing hype. The mere fact that it doesn't come with Windows pre-installed takes it out of the running for being anything relevant to 'professional'.

Not worth any sort of a reply but a hearty laugh at the trollish attempt of a stab with the Kool-Aid nonsense, and that Windows is absolutely irrelevant to the work of some. It's possible to work in a professional environment without almighty Windows. It's not the be all-end-all of business for everyone. My business has done fine without it. And this machine, handles it's tasks as well as, and better than in some cases, my desktop. It's of a high enough level for me.

90 day phone support and 1 year parts & labor is about as far as you can get from outstanding & superb.

Also false. To me the free and complete replacement of my last iMac (with a newer and higher spec one), after two timely attempts at repair, nearly 2 years in, without hassle or headache, was outstanding and superb.

Please elaborate on 'the type of work it's designed to do', because as far as I can tell, until the latest editions, MBP's fell into an oddball category of mid-range consumer without enough to really do real work, and too expensive to be used for just surfing the internet and doing casual stuff. The 2011's are the first time in a while that anyone can reasonably claim that they're actually 'high end'.

lol.

 

[Cyberheart]

I think the price jump from 13 to 15 is too high. The 15 should start around $1,599. Most people don't have Macs because they are expensive. They think, "Why pay over a $1,000 when I can get one from Wal-Mart for $298..." I love my Mac products though. The resell value continues to stay high, plus they last a long time.

Anything from walmart is crap . Period.

 

[wct097]

Not worth any sort of a reply but a hearty laugh at the trollish attempt of a stab with the Kool-Aid nonsense, and that Windows is absolutely irrelevant to the work of some. It's possible to work in a professional environment without almighty Windows. It's not the be all-end-all of business for everyone. My business has done fine without it. And this machine, handles it's tasks as well as, and better than in some cases, my desktop. It's of a high enough level for me.

Not a troll. The businesses that can operate 100% Mac, without Windows are generally small and few & far between, with computer needs that could easily be met with machines costing a fraction of the price.

edit: LOL @ "professional" computers coming loaded down with PhotoBooth, Garage Band, and iLife.

And yes, it is possible to like Apple without being a Kool-aid drinking fanboy.

Also false. To me the free and complete replacement of my last iMac (with a newer and higher spec one), after two timely attempts at repair, nearly 2 years in, without hassle or headache, was outstanding and superb.

That's an extended warranty that you paid a premium for, not a manufacturer's warranty. I suspect that most businesses that offer you a product at roughly 2x the going price can afford to sell you a premium warranty at ~10% additional cost, where they could give you a free replacement.

edit: And to harp on the 'professional' thing again... it's been my experience that in the professional computing world, we don't have to have our machines replaced and start from scratch with a fresh computer. We also don't have to schedule an appointment with a college kid at a 'Genius Bar'. We (or the machines themselves) call out for service and have the faulty part replaced in 4 hours or less, keeping things running smoothly.

 

[pullman]

I want to know the opinions on the people who are here.

No.

I don't think that the machines themselves cost too much, just the ~10% premium added on top of the US prices

This is the age-old issue which I, too, hate.

I want the 15" 2.0 GHz MBP with anti-glare. It's 1949$ in the US or the equivalent of 1400€.

I guess sales tax will be added but even with that the US price is a lot lower than the 1899€ - or a whopping 2600$ - that the computer costs here in the EU (with VAT).

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

Well pricing is also marketing in a sense. Apples pricing is one of the reasons it still has that "Premium" factor. And the fact that Apple's products have lived up to that premium factor is the reason why they will keep selling with those prices.

And as far as business use goes, Windows can be a freaking headache. I've done IT work for a hospital before and my current job requires me to carry a Windows notebook everywhere. I hate when people say Windows is better for business which is not true, it's just that business programs are written for Windows cause it's the industry standard and what employees are trained on. IMO, if the same business programs(whether unique to the company or not) were available to use on OSX or Linux, it would have a much lower crash rate.

It's also no secret that for audio/video production, Mac wins. Not that I have any real experience in those fields, but how many pros use Windows for that.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[NewToMac11]

i really think that if it was over priced and they where not selling as many as they need to to get the numbers they wanted then they would lower the price. they know there products are not for everyone, and it will always be over price to somebody.

 

[wct097]

And as far as business use goes, Windows can be a freaking headache. I've done IT work for a hospital before and my current job requires me to carry a Windows notebook everywhere. I hate when people say Windows is better for business which is not true, it's just that business programs are written for Windows cause it's the industry standard and what employees are trained on. IMO, if the same business programs(whether unique to the company or not) were available to use on OSX or Linux, it would have a much lower crash rate.

Don't take this the wrong way, but I have to assume that you do some level of helpdesk type of work. I'm sure OS X would save a few user headaches for helpdesk personnel, but you have to know that you wouldn't stand much of a chance passing a real world security audit based on the claim that there are no virus threats to OS X... and OS X "is secure because it's based on BSD".

For what it's worth, my new MBP has crashed more in the two weeks I've owned it, than my work PC (Windows 7) has crashed in the last two years. I've been in IT for over a decade now, and it's a fallacy that PCs crash all of the time. Sure, maybe cheapo consumer PCs used at home, but run of the mill business class machines with an appropriate security policy aren't a problem. Printers, users, and UPS devices are the biggest headaches, in that order.

 

[AlanFord]

They are over priced, no question about that.Every product in manufacturing cost 20-30% of overall value.But, thats not the point.Mainly you dont pay that, you pay future investment in technology.New product lines, facilities, new technology and development ect.
But, even though manufacturing price is not so high, there are number of thing included in the final price, which higher up the price.So basicly you get what it is now.When we compare macbook pro laptops with some others in that range then the prices are almoust equal.Ok, we can say this one has slightly better graphic, other something else, but basic point is same.
Although apple isnt cheap, they are high quallity brand so we can say that the price is justify.They are based for some people needs, who has other he has a numberous other options and products.

 

[paulrbeers]

Sure you could say Macs are over priced compared to PC's if all i wanted to do was run Windows. But you can't run OSX on a PC now can you (without hacking of course)?

Frankly, the ability to run every OS on the market from my Mac at once is what has sold me. If a client comes to me with an issue. The first thing I ask is "what OS and version of the software" and then I can boot up a virtual machine with that OS to try to recreate the error. I know you can run virtual machines from PC's, but you "can't" run a Mac virtual machine.

 

[mgartner0622]

In my opinion, Macs are a bit overpriced, but not terribly.
I could see the white MacBook start at $699 or $799, a Core 2 Duo Mini at $499, and then each MacBook pro as well as the iMacs dropping ~200.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

Don't take this the wrong way, but I have to assume that you do some level of helpdesk type of work. I'm sure OS X would save a few user headaches for helpdesk personnel, but you have to know that you wouldn't stand much of a chance passing a real world security audit based on the claim that there are no virus threats to OS X... and OS X "is secure because it's based on BSD".

For what it's worth, my new MBP has crashed more in the two weeks I've owned it, than my work PC (Windows 7) has crashed in the last two years. I've been in IT for over a decade now, and it's a fallacy that PCs crash all of the time. Sure, maybe cheapo consumer PCs used at home, but run of the mill business class machines with an appropriate security policy aren't a problem. Printers, users, and UPS devices are the biggest headaches, in that order.

No offense taken, but I never did help desk. I mainly dealt with technical support, storage management, network operations, etc: Also had to do some light troubleshooting with Java and some Databases. Both in Windows & Unix. By no means do I claim I was a high level IT guy.

Compatibility aside(which was one of my points), I fail to see why OSX wouldn't pass real world security audit. And I never made the claim it's cause OSX being mostly virus free.