Yeah I just got an ex lease Mac Pro 4.1 that I will upgrade. My needs justify it but I don't have the money for the trash can model.
Also I don't think they have ever really offered an in between for desktops it was either iMac or Mac Pro
That was the nice thing before Steve Jobs returned. We had options available in between levels.
When I purchased my desktop PowerPC G3 266 with A/V and DVD, there was another model $500 less that didn't have the G3. But I opted to future proof.
It turned out to be a great investment. And it out specked the iMacs that Steve brought out later.
Prior to Steve's return, we had desktops, towers, and many variations at different costs. We also had laptops in various ranges.
The modern Apple gives us a choice of an all-in-one that is reasonably current, a Mini that is laughable at its price and has been going backwards in specs instead of progressing, a "tower" that is priced for the rich and obsolete, and a laptop selection that while varied with overlapping models doesn't make itself available to those on a budget.
The laptop market is where Apple has gone crazy. Too many models overlapping without enough price gap between them. They need to price some really low, then a mid range, then a high range. Putting that many similar machines in the same price range with odd differences between them is a mess.
It would be great to see Apple adopt a strategy of:
$499 affordable budget desktop just to keep our less rich customers with us. Options up to $900 for various configurations.
$700 all in one. Basically $499 model with a screen and keyboard and such. And from there stretch models from $1000 to $2500 based on additional specs.
Add a $600 budget laptop. Nothing fancy. Just so our less rich customers can use OS X on the go. Additional models can then stretch into the $1000 to $6000 range if they like.
$1500 Desktop (essentially a screenless iMac with upper end i7 specs, and moderate expandability). Max configuration at $2000 (to move buyers up to Pro Tower at that investment level).
$2000 Tower entry point. Basic Mac Pro. And from there provide options up to $10,000 if you want.
I'm all for them going nuts and throwing all the crazy new ideas at premium prices. But still keep the entry point available so that you can keep your less rich fans in the family.
Keeping people in the family is better than throwing them out because they are poorer at the moment. Because guess where they'll spend their money when their finances improve. Yep, they'll spend it on their current family. Wouldn't you rather they kept throwing a little bit in where they can and stick around to make larger purchases later?
