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UK peeps -- can you afford Apple any more?

I've been waiting for a long time for this refresh and have been setting aside a pretty hefty chunk of money for it. I was prepared to spend quite a lot of money on a laptop, but the price of one I want (minimum of a quad core) was way more than I was expecting.

Now, I had begun to budget extra after it became evident that the brexit effect on the pound was likely going to impact the price of the new MBPs too, so I was prepared for a price increase on that front. But it was even more expensive than that!

But I felt like I didn't have much of a choice in regards to getting something I'd be happy with, so I ordered the base 15" with a 512GB SSD upgrade, with the student discount that I still have access to despite not being a student for quite a while now (it's my verified account, it's under my name, etc) came to £2274.

But it just felt way too much for what it was, so I cancelled, went looking for other laptops I could just load Linux on and get that *nix dev laptop I wanted. But I also wanted it for regular personal use too, so every time I found a laptop I was interested in, I looked up how well people have got Linux running on their laptops and every single time people were reporting several major issues and their workarounds were just not something I wanted to deal with.

I then re-ordered the MBP... and then cancelled.. and re-ordered again a few times before finally realising I wouldn't have been happy with anything else, not at this point. So here I am with a early to mid December delivery ETA :(
 
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The price increase sucked really bad. But if i was going to buy one, then I might as well do it whilst I'm still a student. Was holding out for a MBP update, but the update ended up costing me 500 more than it would of done the day before. £1916 with myUniDays discount for the Touchbar 13'' with 16gb RAM and the 512GB SSD.

Sucks, but gotta do what you've gotta do. If i didn't need to run Logic (Pro Tools i'd suffer a PC for probably ; I don't even like Logic, but its a must use unfortunately) then i'd of got an XPS13 no question.
 
Seed101 said:
This 100%

The 'currency fluctuation' only seems to work one way...apple tax is fair enough but these rises are simply opportunistic.
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It might be so in Europe but not everywhere. I've experienced it both ways with currency stronger and weaker vs the $.

Apple doesn't adjust for currency fluctuations all that often but they seem to be pretty consistently doing it when updating their product lines.

iPhone and Apple Watch prices got updated to be in line with the currency a few months back, but mac prices didn't change until the new MBPs were revealed.
 
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Honestly no. Apple have outpriced themselves now. I know a lot of people won't notice / just assume it's always been these prices, but when I look at the big picture (increase iPhone prices, increased mac prices, ridiculous dongle prices, lack of compelling innovation/features) I just can not support them any longer.

I was an outright Apple fanboy from ~2007 through to 2015 but this year has been the year of change.

I think many students and similar will continue to buy the MBA, purely because it starts at under £1000. I can see people in John Lewis this Christmas browsing and settling on the Air. But the design and especially screen is just lightyears behind now.

For me personally I'll be purchasing a PC for ~£1300 next year, and I'll keep my Macbook Air until it dies. After that will look at Chromebooks or an XPS 13, depending on my usage.

Hopefully those of you who can justify the increases enjoy your products.
 
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Ma2k5 said:
I can afford it, but don't know if I want to.
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That's my view of it all too. Here in Sweden macs are even MORE expensive than in the UK (and like in the UK, it is mostly an effect of currency devaluation...).
 
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I mainly just browse these days, I'll hope my Mac mini servers lasts and the Mac book pro, don't expect to buy a new Mac as my computing requirements have changed.

I think Mac for me now means my iPhone and iPad Pro.
 
keeper said:
I mainly just browse these days, I'll hope my Mac mini servers lasts and the Mac book pro, don't expect to buy a new Mac as my computing requirements have changed.

I think Mac for me now means my iPhone and iPad Pro.
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Very true.

I have alot of Apple gear ranging from 2009 to 2015, and that will last me many years, I just don't see the value in it anymore, I had no issues with apple tax, but at the current costs....and what we get.....no thanks, my older stuff I consider better anyway.

My 2009 iMac, upgraded to 2xSSD, 16GB ram, can be used as an external display....Now this is Value for money.....you buy it cause you know it will last and you can update it, plenty fast for a home computer..... Apple just does not make great gear that you can upgrade anymore....the new Glued throwaway stuff is just not worth it. heck its GPU is even upgradable.
 
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I can afford it, and I generally update my laptop far too frequently. I buy a new one just because I fancy it rather than needing it or there being anything wrong with my current laptop.

I was ready to buy the new MacBook Pro but just didn't see the point. My current 2014 MBP doesn't need dongles or adaptors and it has an amazing thing called Magsafe.

Ok, so it doesn't have a touch bar, but I just didn't really see what I'd use it for. If the new MacBooks had a touchscreen option, I'd have gone for it.
 
WuMyster said:
Student here and dropped £2.2k on one. I can afford one easily. Not trying to brag but I am the only one of my friends who manages my money well since I was a kid. None of my tech comes from money from parents.

Note: Did use student discount ofc

I can afford it, but there's no denying it's damn expensive. I only purchased it a few days ago. It took me from the keynote to then of serious deciding. 2015 or 2016. Went with the latter in the end.

To your question of how can I justify these things. Well I spend my money based on how much time I use things. Drinking nights out? Hardly do it. I can't justify the money to time for that. I socialise just fine with friends in a calm environment for free.
My Tempurr pillow? Spent loads of money on that because I use that 10 hours a day for years with health benefits.
Same with my £700 Herman Miller chair. They last 10+ years which equates to at worse a £70 chair per year and those £70 chairs are all garbage in terms of ergonomics. Use that hours a day and also has health benefits.
I can afford a car, but I choose a £2k bike instead because it's good for health and ultimately, I use it to commute each day and enjoy the **** out of doing so. I enjoy commuting to work. That is very healthy for your body and also your mind.
iPhone 7+? Use it for maybe 10 hours a day. 6 hours of music each day and other ****. If you factor in the time I get from these expensive things, it all becomes worth it.

Now the MBP? It will bring far more enjoyment/use in the next few YEARS for £2.2k. This is my first MBP and when I say I've used Windows machines all my life. I spend £1k on one and something breaks in 2 years. They also have no resell value so actually, a MBP is more cost efficient.

That's how I justify all my purchases. How many hours of time they will save/make me enjoy. People need to think; if the money can be spent and will ultimately be worth it in the long run, you should do it. As with my examples above, buying something cheaper may feel better in the short term, but if you go for something expensive for the long term, it may be a better option.
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This all makes sense. That said I’m wondering what Windows machines you lot are buying that all seem to die within months of purchase? I’ve had a few over the years, (a couple personal, lots more for work), and all have been no better or any worse than my Macs that I much prefer but that cost significantly more.
 
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It's not a case of being able to afford it, more it's a case of incredibly poor value for money. The spec I would want is nearly £2969!! Thats disgusting for the specs on offer, and brexit is little more then an excuse to keep those massive profit margins artificially high as Apple loves to do. When I got my last Mac in 2010 it had a great processor, one of the most powerful in its day and the GPU was alright, nothing special and it had lots of ports and may safe. But now they aren't really that special, to me the new machines lack design and they are no longer that machine you just buy and it just works, that's been completely ditched with the everything needs a dongle mentality. Plus many think the new keyboard is rubbish although I would need to try it out.

But my uses have changed, I think I'll look at the Surface Pro 5 when it's out as the hardware is very very good and just as fast as Apples. Not sure though, it in my mind it certainly offers better value for money.

I can afford Apples products if I really want to, it they lack value for money and a gimmicky touch bar just adds to that.

I too have an iPhone and can't wait for them to ditch the bezels, and an iPad Pro which I use a lot, but I have seen the limitations of iOS over a full computer OS. And the bugs and incompatibility of iOS gets tiresome. So I feel I still need a computer and will look to Windows next as they offer far better value, I could spec a new Alienware 15 R3 model for 2 grand that would blow away the new MacBook Pro fully loaded Specs. Sure they aren't made out of metal but you can upgrade the hard drives and RAM and wireless cards. It's back to the ideology of updateing a computer to make it last, plus they do make a break out box for desktop GPUs so you can upgrade that too, Macs used to offer upgrade ability too, instead of this throw away mentality of Apple which only exists to line their pockets, like thinner design means less materials used yet they put the prices up.. just done for more profit and not value.
 
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As far as I can tell, the overall sentiment expressed here is the same in the euro zone. Maybe the price hike has hit the pound harder than the euro. I can afford the new MBP but refuse to be ripped off even though I was hoping to upgrade in 2016. I don't share the complaints about the new hardware overall it looks fine and I'd just get one of those power cord accessories that has a magnetic release since MagSafe is gone. It looks like I can thank Apple for helping me to save money as I can keep using my old MBP.
 
profmatt said:
The cheapest MacBook -- not the Pro, but last year's ultra-thin -- is £1,249.

That's insane. Who can afford that? How can they justify the cost to themselves?

What do you spend most of your time doing on your laptop? Couldn't you find a laptop for under a grand? Hell, couldn't you find one for £400 that does all the same stuff?

Apple is now a super-luxury product, and out of my price range.
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There's a homeless guy in London who lives in the Apple Store. He was actually given a fully specced out £3,500 (wow, I found my pound sign!) Macbook Pro a few years ago. He even priv. messaged me on Reddit and some other members here about it but I haven't been able to get another reply on Reddit pms even though I've been trying for over a year.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/american-man-lives-homeless-in-london-apple-store.1753091

There's always hope.
 
AdaminOz said:
There's a homeless guy in London who lives in the Apple Store. He was actually given a fully specced out £3,500 (wow, I found my pound sign!) Macbook Pro a few years ago. He even priv. messaged me on Reddit and some other members here about it but I haven't been able to get another reply on Reddit pms even though I've been trying for over a year.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/american-man-lives-homeless-in-london-apple-store.1753091

There's always hope.
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I enjoyed reading your thread. It's a shame you never got to see what the seminar room looked like. It's probably not there any more, what with the remodelling. I wonder what the Hobo Prep, if indeed he is real, did while the store was closed. Covent Garden perhaps?

As a Londoner (when I'm not at Uni), I have been to the Regent Street store. The only homeless man I found there smelled absolutely awful, was most certainly not dressed in a suit, nor did he have a MacBook Pro. He was half conscious and the staff were quite concerned as to his well being. And again, he smelled quite vile. I'm going to assuming he was not the Hobo Prep. There was nobody else sat on the seats of the seminar room at the time.
 
There is normally a price increase when the new designs come out - happened with the original MBA, the rMB and the first rMBP. I fully expect a spec bump and US$ price reduction next year when Kaby Lake chips are available - the current surge of purchases that Apple is seeing is the immediate pent up demand and will die off in Q1 next year. It is just bad timing that the $:£ rate shifted so much at the same time as the 'new model' tax. I don't think Apple's particularly out of order here: $1499 is £1200 before tax and £1440 after VAT. If the £ was still at $1.50 as it was before Brexit, the entry level MBP would be about £1200 incl VAT. Thus the UK price is quite cheap compared to some other countries. If people are hacked off by this, wait until all our electricals - from fridge-freezers to TVs get 10-20% more expensive in the new year!

However, I would argue that in the UK Apple is moving from high end brand pricing into luxuary pricing. In terms of cars, it was priced as a BMW - expensive, but great quality for the price and is now moving towards Ferrari pricing - a real luxuary brand. Some of this is that exchange rate, but some of it - such as the Apple Watch and the iPad Pro is just Apple pushing up their margins to maintain revenue. With a brand with a loyal following like Apple, this will work once or twice, but as we saw earlier this year, the iPad Pro was seeing discounts less than 6 months after launch - something I've not really seen before.
 
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kiranmk2 said:
There is normally a price increase when the new designs come out - happened with the original MBA, the rMB and the first rMBP. I fully expect a spec bump and US$ price reduction next year when Kaby Lake chips are available - the current surge of purchases that Apple is seeing is the immediate pent up demand and will die off in Q1 next year. It is just bad timing that the $:£ rate shifted so much at the same time as the 'new model' tax. I don't think Apple's particularly out of order here: $1499 is £1200 before tax and £1440 after VAT. If the £ was still at $1.50 as it was before Brexit, the entry level MBP would be about £1200 incl VAT. Thus the UK price is quite cheap compared to some other countries. If people are hacked off by this, wait until all our electricals - from fridge-freezers to TVs get 10-20% more expensive in the new year!

However, I would argue that in the UK Apple is moving from high end brand pricing into luxuary pricing. In terms of cars, it was priced as a BMW - expensive, but great quality for the price and is now moving towards Ferrari pricing - a real luxuary brand. Some of this is that exchange rate, but some of it - such as the Apple Watch and the iPad Pro is just Apple pushing up their margins to maintain revenue. With a brand with a loyal following like Apple, this will work once or twice, but as we saw earlier this year, the iPad Pro was seeing discounts less than 6 months after launch - something I've not really seen before.
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Just ordered a CLS. It didn’t go up by 20%.
 
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H2SO4 said:
This all makes sense. That said I’m wondering what Windows machines you lot are buying that all seem to die within months of purchase? I’ve had a few over the years, (a couple personal, lots more for work), and all have been no better or any worse than my Macs that I much prefer but that cost significantly more.
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Not months, but normally around the 2 year mark. I've used pretty much at least one laptop from each big OEM. ASUS, Dell, Toshiba, Gigabyte, HP and Acer. All developed hardware issues. I'm not saying Windows machines have **** quality just from my experiences. I'm the "computer guy" with all my friends and colleagues. Every single laptop that I've been asked to look at is a Windows machine. Never been asked to check out an Apple machine.

I was seriously considering a Dell XPS 15 but not only quality of previous laptops I've used but also their customer service stopped me from doing so. In my experience, every OEM I mentioned above has given me **** CS apart from Apple.
 
Moderator Note:

The thread is back open after a clean up.

Political discussion about the rise in prices of Apple products due to the Brexit vote should be directed to the Waiting for the UK Apple price hike after Brexit... thread in the PRSI forum.

The other big thread derailment which was triggered by a member claiming student discounts combined with VAT refunds is also a subject for the PRSI forum and has been deleted as off-topic.
 
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OK staying on topic.

My opinion is if you're going to make use of it, then buy the best, or at least what you want. I use my computer everyday, and so I think paying £1400-£2000 is worth it as I'll be using it for the next 5+ years. However I still believe there is a limit, you have to consider value for money, how much you earn, and how much you want and need it.

But even at these raised prices, I still think they're OK.
 
For balance, also all my Windows laptops lasted many years and received plenty of abuse. I don't know how people can say that Windows laptops last 2 years only as its not true in my experience (between me and my wife we have purchased around 10 windows laptops in our lifetime and even the £350 base model Acer (Celeron) purchased from eBuyer lasted a good 6-7 years of constant use. Admittedly the screen hinges shattered in the end but that's because our baby pushed it off the table and ended up on the floor (!). Apart from that the super budget Acer was still working as normal.
 
I think the only one i could really justify is the MacBook but it'd be slightly worse performing than my current Air... and the AIR will be fine for the foreseeable future. I do enjoy some of the benefits that OS X offers, but windows 10 isn't... so bad.

Right now it's either a refurbished MacBook, or a Surface Pro. Honestly the Base Pro should have started at £1,199 and the MBs kept the same price.
 
I paid $1760 (that was with student discount) for my MacBook (first aluminium unibody) when I went to study in the US back in 2008. Needless to say I thought that was reasonable back then, but it's the same MacBook I'm using today. A little shower than I'd like but it still works.

Treat these machines well and they will last. I will be updating to a new MacBook Pro before 2017, I'm just waiting to touch the Touch Bar to see if I can justify the extra (only for that) as I could get along happily without it.
 
1. Can't afford it then don't buy it.
2. Work harder in your life and you will someday be able to afford it.

Either option is better than complaining. Its not like Apple is going to lower the cost.
There are many, many people who can afford it.
 
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Antairez said:
1. Can't afford it then don't buy it.
2. Work harder in your life and you will someday be able to afford it.
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1. I agree.
2. That's not really how life works for many people... it also implies that wealthy people work harder which isn't always true (I am wealthy and I do work bloomin' hard but I'm not going to suggest that, say, nurses, don't work as hard as me...)
 
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