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Sick Of The High Prices...

W

waltchan

macrumors member
Original poster
May 6, 2005
50
0
I'm absolutely sick of the high prices Apple charges for their computers. It puts too much pressure on my buying needs, and I ended up not being able to afford it. :mad: A $1,799.99 plus 8.25% sales tax on a MacBook Pro only comes with a 80 GB hard drive and 512 MB memory RAM. I need 120 GB hard drive, 1 GB memory RAM, and 2.0 GHZ processor speed, so that rings up to $2,600 for everything. This is absolutely pathetic and a disgrace in the computer market, and Apple should be ashamed of themselves.
 
Do you need a laptop?

I'm very happy with the Mini so far, from my perspective the current MBP is not worth the premium... at least until one with the Merom processor is released.
 
I'm absolutely sick of the high prices Dell charges for their computers. It puts too much pressure on my buying needs, and I ended up not being able to afford it. A $1,999.99 plus 8.25% sales tax on an XPS M170 only comes with a 80 GB hard drive and 1 GB memory RAM. I need 120 GB hard drive, 2 GB memory RAM, and 2.26 GHZ processor speed, so that rings up to $2,759 for everything. This is absolutely pathetic and a disgrace in the computer market, and Dell should be ashamed of themselves.

Touché. :D
 
waltchan said:
I'm absolutely sick of the high prices Apple charges for their computers. It puts too much pressure on my buying needs, and I ended up not being able to afford it. :mad: A $1,799.99 plus 8.25% sales tax on a MacBook Pro only comes with a 80 GB hard drive and 512 MB memory RAM. I need 120 GB hard drive, 1 GB memory RAM, and 2.0 GHZ processor speed, so that rings up to $2,600 for everything. This is absolutely pathetic and a disgrace in the computer market, and Apple should be ashamed of themselves.
Click to expand...

They charge a price that many Apple users are willing to pay, if the prices disgust you so much dont buy Apple computers. Even with the high price demand is still extremely high for the MacBook Pro, so high that they cannot meet demand. Apple manufacturers some of the best computers in the world and stands by them with great tech support, something you wont get with Dell or HP. $2600 is a reasonable price for that computer, a Dell with similar specs(Core Duo 2.0, X1400 256mb, 1gb Ram, 120gb 5400, 17inch screen, Wireless+BT, Windows Pro) rubs about $2400. The Mac comes with OS X, iLife 06, FrontRow, FR Remote, X1600 GPU, iSight, and MagSafe. Personally I think the MacBookPro is very competitively priced and is very high on features.
 
This forum needs a "random thoughts/comments" area for this to go along with that thread of the dude who ripped his mom off. :D
 
You aren't going to find a laptop cheaper than that without things like intergrated intel graphics and other cheap and nasty stuff.
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=2697 This is what acer offers for the same price as the 2ghz macbook. And it's specs are not that different, it's the most comparable machine on the market also. If you want something in a cheap and nasty price range you'll have to wait for the intel ibook. ;) Also there's cost of ownership issues, realise the additional costs of an anti-virus subscription etc.
 
Actually it is true, I was reading a recent copy of PC Authority and I'm so surprised by how competitively priced the MBP is to other PC Core Duo notebooks.

It is higher than most bottom of the barrel makers for sure, but when it comes to brands like Leveno and Toshiba, it's pricing definitely holds its own very well.
 
Well, still, I think Apple should make a $600 laptop computer, like Compaq, Dell, HP, and Toshiba.
 
Hehe. Good thing you weren't around for the good old days :D ;)
Picture 1.jpg
 
waltchan said:
Well, still, I think Apple should make a $600 laptop computer, like Compaq, Dell, HP, and Toshiba.
Click to expand...

Well, still, I think all those morons heading off into "college" should not automatically think they are entitled and need a laptop, as with everyone else.

Jeez, I never understood what's the deal. Owned 3 laptops in the course of my degree, all sold off within weeks. A desktop is way better, and computer labs are there for a purpose.

I'd trade a slow $2000 computer and a squainty small screen with a desktop loaded with 4gb of memory, fast gpu, and a 20" LCD *anyday*
 
waltchan said:
Well, still, I think Apple should make a $600 laptop computer, like Compaq, Dell, HP, and Toshiba.
Click to expand...

So, your basically saying you want a pro machine for crappy PC windows box prices?

Get real, eh

They are good value, cheap isnt what apple aims for. You will not get an equal spec with all the equivelent software for cheaper.
 
waltchan said:
I'm absolutely sick of the high prices Apple charges for their computers. It puts too much pressure on my buying needs, and I ended up not being able to afford it.... This is absolutely pathetic and a disgrace in the computer market, and Apple should be ashamed of themselves.
Click to expand...
This topic has been beat to death, but let me just say that this complaint is really that Apple won't build "cheap" versions of their computers - you know, flimsy, plastic, with poor video, dim displays, slow drives, bad, virus-ridden OS, etc. They keep building high quality, top of the line machines, and charge about what everybody else does for top of the line machines (well proven by many posts).

If you want to see what a cheap MacBook would look like, try putting the single core intel mac mini into a plastic case with a $100 flat panel - that would get this guy what he wants, but I wouldn't buy it - I make a living working on my MBP (had mac laptops since they were introduced) and I need something that can take a pounding.

My guess is that the cheap laptop I was talking about will be the intel iBook, and even then, I'm guessing that Apple will do a quality job, and get it in around $1,200-$1,500. I'm glad they did the MBP first.
T
 
Wtf?

waltchan said:
I'm absolutely sick of the high prices Apple charges for their computers. It puts too much pressure on my buying needs, and I ended up not being able to afford it. :mad: A $1,799.99 plus 8.25% sales tax on a MacBook Pro only comes with a 80 GB hard drive and 512 MB memory RAM. I need 120 GB hard drive, 1 GB memory RAM, and 2.0 GHZ processor speed, so that rings up to $2,600 for everything. This is absolutely pathetic and a disgrace in the computer market, and Apple should be ashamed of themselves.
Click to expand...

You NEED all that stuff? Nobody NEEDS a MacBook Pro.

Welcome to the business world, where companies set prices based on what people are willing to pay...

Go whine somewhere else.
 
A $600 laptop. Celeron M ibook? Don't think apple can actually have a $600 laptop until the core solo goes down to celeron pricing level.
 
appleretailguy said:
You NEED all that stuff? Nobody NEEDS a MacBook Pro.

Welcome to the business world, where companies set prices based on what people are willing to pay...

Go whine somewhere else.
Click to expand...

Well said, kids who seem fixated on a "laptop" the moment they are enrolled in a college makes absolute no sense at all.

See all those kids with laptops propped up on their arm rests during lecture? Guess what? In the exams you are going to be actually writing with your hand mark I and a pen, all that typing skills is doing you absolutely zero good.

Heck, in fact I'd boldly throw in a statement that students who take notes on laptops consistently do worse than students who do it the old fashion way. More often than not people are just busy trying to look "cool" or playing solitaire instead of actually concentrating on the lecturer.
 
waltchan said:
... sick of the high prices Apple charges ...
Click to expand...

Rule 1: Anybody considering the purchase of Apple's higher end laptop line should never for a moment cling to hopes that their personal financial situation will exist peacefully with the reality of pricing.

Rule 2: Make a proper assessment of whether all your needs can be met by alternative choices. There is no shortage of people who maintain they absolutely must have the MBP, but would be well served by something else.
 
waltchan said:
I'm absolutely sick of the high prices Apple charges for their computers. It puts too much pressure on my buying needs, and I ended up not being able to afford it. :mad: A $1,799.99 plus 8.25% sales tax on a MacBook Pro only comes with a 80 GB hard drive and 512 MB memory RAM. I need 120 GB hard drive, 1 GB memory RAM, and 2.0 GHZ processor speed, so that rings up to $2,600 for everything. This is absolutely pathetic and a disgrace in the computer market, and Apple should be ashamed of themselves.
Click to expand...

Please stop. You are breaking my heart...:sad: I was about to donate money to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, but upon hearing about the utter tragedy in your life I've decided that you are more worthy of my money than those suffering a life threatening and currently incurable disease. In fact, I found your story so moving that I'm going to setup a website in your name and solicit donations to help your cause. No person should ever suffer the humiliation, degradation, and maltreatment that you have suffered at the hands of Apple Computer, Inc.

The fact that your dire situation has not received national attention is just another glaring example of how a cadre of rich, capitalist pig-dogs controls the media and uses their power to oppress the ignorant and inept. But fear not my reality-challenged friend. I'll do everything in my power to help you get your Mac Book Pro so that, like a quadriplegic monkey whose brain has been hardwired to a robotic arm, you too may live a more normal life in spite of your obvious short comings.


Lethal
 
waltchan said:
I'm absolutely sick of the high prices Apple charges for their computers. It puts too much pressure on my buying needs, and I ended up not being able to afford it. :mad: A $1,799.99 plus 8.25% sales tax on a MacBook Pro only comes with a 80 GB hard drive and 512 MB memory RAM. I need 120 GB hard drive, 1 GB memory RAM, and 2.0 GHZ processor speed, so that rings up to $2,600 for everything. This is absolutely pathetic and a disgrace in the computer market, and Apple should be ashamed of themselves.
Click to expand...

Why don't you just buy refurb 12" iBook. I've seen them for about $700.

But If you really _need_ a MBP then $3K is not unreasonable if you are using the MPB to earn a living. That's kind of the definition of "profesional" computer - something that you use to make a living. If you use three year depresation and a three year loan, after taxes the thing might cost only $700 per year out of pocket $700 is less then one day of billable time for many profesionals.

One other way to think about it: It costs $3K. It lasts 3 years. That's $1K per year. In one year how much do yu pay the guy who ues the computer? One would hope at least 40 times that much plus that much more in benefits, payrol taxes and insurance. The MBP is less than 3% of the total

On the other hand if the MBP is used as a toy at home for web surfing and watching DVDs $3K is an unjustifiable waste of money

All that said. A "fair" price by definition is a price where after the transaction both the buyer and the seller are happy. As it turns out Apple is happy to sell the MBP at currnt price and many, many buyers are waiting in line to buy. So by definition it is a fair price.

Will I buy one? Absolutly not. I don't need a notebook like that and $3K will buy a much more powerfull desktop. I'll buy in 2007 after the dust from the Intel trasition settles and the universal binaries are available.
I may buy the Intel iBook or maybe a used G4 iBook. All I need is a gadget to hold and display photos

I do have a computer I use every day at work. I think we spent about $10K
Down stairs in the lab, I think they are into 8 figures.
 
apple always has and always will charge too much for their computer, if you have a conflict with that then dont buy it. in the end i feel like i paid 2500 (17 inch PB) for OS X. you know this coming in, you pay alot for for the ease of use. the machines are beauftiful and thats why we shell out the cash for it
 
In college, I used the school's computer facilities and a sub-$100 word processor. I couldn't afford a laptop then, and even now it's a major purchase. I really don't have much sympathy for folks who whine about the price of laptops as there are plenty of cheapie laptops out there for $700 or less. You want more, you pay more--seems pretty reasonable to me. Yes, Apple charges a premium for their products, but they aren't forcing you to buy their stuff either.
 
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