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hmmmm ... british airways student flights to new york are £279.... so i could have a shopping spree to new york and a new macbook for the same price as just a macbook over here!!
 
How did the prices compare when it was roughly $2 to the £1?
Based on a $/£ of 2.0 for a $1099 MB plus 10% sales tax compared to the £699 selling price here gives you a 16% 'british tax' or markup over the US price incl tax. Now at a $/£ of 1.7 and a $999 MB + 10% at £719 here you also have an 11% markup. So the 'net price' is actually cheaper here now before adjusting for the slump in the pound value.

Matt
 
Based on a $/£ of 2.0 for a $1099 MB plus 10% sales tax compared to the £699 selling price here gives you a 16% 'british tax' or markup over the US price incl tax. Now at a $/£ of 1.7 and a $999 MB + 10% at £749 here you also have a 16% markup. So no change in the 'net price' before adjusting for the slump in the pound value.

Matt

What the hell are you talking about? Why not simply remove the tax from the UK prices and compare that way?

New Alubook = £807.66 without tax = $1416 = 9% markup.

Old MacBook = £611.92 = $1073 = 7% markup.
 
Anyone know if the new MBs can be bought with the back to school promo, so if I order it through university thats £816 with HEd discount and then a nano to ebay for around £90-100?
 
Anyone know if the new MBs can be bought with the back to school promo, so if I order it through university thats £816 with HEd discount and then a nano to ebay for around £90-100?

Yes, they can. You also qualify for the £60 printer rebate so flog than on eBay too ;)
 
yeah i just added it all to my basket and it gives you the option to get the nano with rebate! so that works out pretty well!
 
Yes, they can. You also qualify for the £60 printer rebate so flog than on eBay too ;)

Amazing, u sure about the printer as well? This makes the new macbook prices a little easier to bear, also can I do this down at my local Apple store if I take in ID and student cards etc
 
Amazing, u sure about the printer as well? This makes the new macbook prices a little easier to bear, also can I do this down at my local Apple store if I take in ID and student cards etc

Yup, positive :)

The only problem for me is you have to pay for it up front (I don't know why they can't just do a discount), and I just don't have the money in my account to do it :( No Macbook for me.
 
What the hell are you talking about? Why not simply remove the tax from the UK prices and compare that way?

New Alubook = £807.66 without tax = $1416 = 9% markup.

Old MacBook = £611.92 = $1073 = 7% markup.
Well, most people can't buy a new Macbook without tax so why skew the numbers by omitting it? If you can buy one tax free then great, but I can't. Including US sales tax and looking at the new MB the markup is 12.9% here so considerably less than the 16% seen previously. Net result is that Apple's profit margin on the new Macbooks here is less than before and that the state of the british economy is responible for the perceived price increase.

Matt
 
Yup, positive :)

The only problem for me is you have to pay for it up front (I don't know why they can't just do a discount), and I just don't have the money in my account to do it :( No Macbook for me.

Thats put me in a very good mood, now im just torn on as to weather I should order from the internet now, or go into the apple store later this week, do both ipod and printer offers work in store? also when are we in the uk expecting the macbooks in store?
 
Well, most people can't buy a new Macbook without tax so why skew the numbers by omitting it? If you can buy one tax free then great, but I can't. Including US sales tax and looking at the new MB the markup is 12.9% here so considerably less than the 16% seen previously. Net result is that Apple's profit margin on the new Macbooks here is less than before and that the state of the british economy is responible for the perceived price increase.

Matt

I have no idea what you are talking about - the only way to perform a fair comparison is to do it like-for-like and the only way to do that is to remove the tax. You can't say "10%" tax on the US one because that figure varies by state. What's the point of doing a comparison with tax if it is unavoidable?
 
I love how Jobs boasts about there being a price drop on the entry level MacBook. Log on to Apple UK store and guess what - £20 dearer. Heck, even the student discount is about half a percent less than it was.

Surely that's false advertising from Jobs - stating a price drop but in some countries actually increasing the price?

Also, if I remember rightly, the £/$ exchange rate now is about what it was when the MacBooks were first released - at £699. I reckon even that subtle price rise is going to hurt the UK student market - we are very sensitive to things like that ;)
 
I must have missed the time when words spoken at a private, invitation only event in a foreign country became advertising.
 
While the new notebooks do look quite nice, the INCREASE in price has really pissed me off! considering it's mainly cosmetic changes.

What don't Apple understand? WE ARE HEADING FOR A RECESSION!
Their stock is already taking a beating, due to decreased spending..I'm semi-tempted to go windows now!
 
I have no idea what you are talking about - the only way to perform a fair comparison is to do it like-for-like and the only way to do that is to remove the tax. You can't say "10%" tax on the US one because that figure varies by state. What's the point of doing a comparison with tax if it is unavoidable?
Ok, I can't put this any other way, the price increases are down to the USD/GBP exchange rate changes, not Apple being greedy. Apple's margin on Macbooks sold in the UK is down compared to 6-9 months ago. Blame the UK economy, not Apple.

Matt
 
I must have missed the time when words spoken at a private, invitation only event in a foreign country became advertising.

But it's not as if people without an invitation aren't supposed to know -- they put the keynotes on iTunes to download so it doesn't matter what country you're in or whether you attended the 'invitation only' even, you will still know what Steve said.

I am really quite disappointed with the prices. I love the new designs. I have a MacBook Pro which I've only had since March and I was considering a MacBook before the event, however I think I will be waiting a while now. My MPB is still in perfect condition and does more than I want, so that's not a problem.

It will take more than this to make me go running back to Windows but I am still very much disappointed.
 
I have been thinking of moving over to the Apple brand and I was waiting to buy an Apple Macbook this week after all the build up. Now I think I will be staying with Windows and waiting for the price drop I expect that will come when they find the expected customers have gone elsewhere.
 
Thats put me in a very good mood, now im just torn on as to weather I should order from the internet now, or go into the apple store later this week, do both ipod and printer offers work in store? also when are we in the uk expecting the macbooks in store?

im with deadjoe on this one, when are they in store and can you get both the printer and nano instore for the he discount.

one other question: is it possible to get all the stuff mentioned above twice, just me and my mate both want macbooks and aitn sure how much you can get on one student id card.
 
Hmm, what to buy, a Macbook to replace my still fully functioning HP laptop as I was planning to do, or a car.

Difficult decision.
 
I have been thinking of moving over to the Apple brand and I was waiting to buy an Apple Macbook this week after all the build up. Now I think I will be staying with Windows and waiting for the price drop I expect that will come when they find the expected customers have gone elsewhere.

I think that's a good idea. However don't let this put you off Macs completely. I made the switch from Windows about 2-3 years ago and I would never go back to Windows. Macs are just so much better. The prices may disappoint sometimes but the performance and reliability you get with a Mac is always top-notch.
 
Hmm, what to buy, a Macbook to replace my still fully functioning HP laptop as I was planning to do, or a car.

Difficult decision.

Haha! Well you could always go for the MacBook and buy Need For Speed with a steering wheel? And a bus pass?
 
is it just me or has everything remotely new gone up in price?

I was sure that with the 60£ rebate via the eduction store you could get a canon printer at £60 and effectively have a free printer; but now that appears to be £80 with an effective cost of £20??

If these prices are to stay I'd say the Uk has been well and truly shafted.
 
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