The worst part is Apple still sells these laptops with inferior hardware and are well aware of what the market has to offer yet doesn't even cut down the price the slightest?
That is because they can. The vast majority of folk who make up the general public don't know what Skylake, Sandy Bridge, Ivy Bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge, ... are. The sales people at Apple Stores, JB HiFi, The Good Guys, etc. aren't going to baffle them with all that information - they just say 'This is the latest model, look at how fantastic it is!'. As a result, people will still purchase the 'current' models, until the new one is released.
When you put it into perspective, the number of users who understand that the 'current' models are, in fact, not up-to-date with the technology, is incredibly small. Mum and Dad wanting to buy their dearest child a laptop for VCE/HSC or Uni don't care about the processor or the dGPU. They only care that it operates quickly and that it is what their child wants.
The small number of people who are aware are, like you and me, waiting for Apple to release a new product. We are happy to pay the money when it is released, but why would Apple reduce the profits they can make from the much larger audience who are prepared to buy now, even at full price?
Don't get me wrong... I think it sucks, too. I spent some time explaining to the computer techs at work just this past week, that I am not prepared to pay the Apple (+ Australia) premium for such outdated technology. But for the great unwashed masses... it doesn't matter and Apple can make more $$$.
